Industrial Distribution articles from June 2004

Industrial Distribution archives from June 2004

Talk Back to ID.(ID's Contents Online)
June 1, 2004... Did you see something in ID that made you think? Made you mad? Tell us--and the rest of our audience--what you think by clicking on "Post a comment" right on the article page. The Talk Back feature is active on select stories posted to ID...

Special Reports.(ID's Contents Online)
June 1, 2004... This year, ID is presenting a series of Special Reports. The schedule includes a report on Fasteners (published in March), this month's report on Power Transmission/Fluid Power, an August report on Facility Maintenance, and an October report on...

Channel Report e-Newsletter available online.(ID's Contents Online)
June 1, 2004... ID's Channel Report e-Newsletter, published twice a month, delivers top news stories and features right to your desktop. Now you can go to the ID home page to view an archive of previous issues and sign up to receive the newsletter. Visit...

Economy Watch.(ID's Contents Online)
June 1, 2004... In our new Economy Watch feature, Jim Haughey, director of economics for Reed Business Information, provides up-to-date economic outlooks for some of distribution's major market segments. Each of Jim's reports will appear in the ID Channel...

Here's your chance to win.(ID's Contents Online)
June 1, 2004... Answer five questions for a chance to win a copy of Facing the Forces of Change: The Road to Opportunity, the flagship report from Pembroke Consulting and the National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors. Log on to www.inddist.com to find out...

Technical skills lead to sales success.(Purchasing executives give more marks to industrial suppliers)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... THERE IS A GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS scenario for distributors, according to an in-depth survey of purchasing executives conducted by Purchasing magazine, a sister publication of INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION. (The first part of this study appears on p....

NAHAD updates Hose Assembly Guidelines: NAHAD pledges to raise the bar on its Hose Assembly Guidelines to create an industry-wide reference tool.(News)(National Association of Hose and Accessories Distributors )
June 1, 2004... PHOENIX -- NAHAD--The Assn. for Hose & Accessories Distribution is leading the charge to develop best practices for the hose industry. At the group's recent annual meeting, an update on its Hose Assembly Guidelines project took center stage, as...

NAHAD looks back on 20 years.(News)(National Association of Hose and Accessories Distributors )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PHOENIX -- NAHAD members celebrated a milestone at their annual meeting in Phoenix April 24-28--the association's 20-year anniversary. In addition to recognizing the association's founding members throughout the event, a special reception and...

Home Depot acquires White Cap Construction.(News)
June 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- The Home Depot, one of the world's largest home improvement retailers, announced that it will acquire White Cap Construction Supply, Inc., a specialty hardware, tools and materials distributor based in Costa Mesa, Calif., for an...

Grainger to add, relocate and expand branches.(News)
June 1, 2004... NEWTON, MASS. -- The nation's largest industrial distributor, W.W. Grainger, will add 16 branches, relocate 20 existing branches, and expand 19 branches as part of a nationwide expansion program announced last year. Grainger Chairman and...

FPDA sizzles in Phoenix.(News)(Fluid Power Distributors Association)
June 1, 2004... PHOENIX -- More than 240 manufacturers, distributors and industry participants attended the Fluid Power Distributors Assn.'s 2004 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, April 25-28, where they enjoyed food, drink, networking and educational and informative...

UAB student awarded Buffington scholarship.(News)(University of Alabama )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- The Industrial Distribution Assn. announced that University of Alabama at Birmingham senior Adam Yost has been chosen as the first recipient of the Gary L. Buffington Memorial Scholarship. "Adam exhibited a hard work ethic at...

Seminar focuses on driving sales.(News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SCHAUMBURG, ILL. -- Nearly 50 sales executives heard ways to improve their selling techniques and managerial roles during a seminar titled "Driving Sales Beyond" at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield, May 6. INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION and 4th...

Record turnout at BSA meeting.(News)(Bearing Specialists Association)
June 1, 2004... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Nearly 275 people turned out for the Bearing Specialists Assn.'s annual convention, held April 24-27 at Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort and Spa. It was a record turnout for BSA, and a 9 percent increase in attendance...

Distributors.(Players)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Interline Brands, Inc. appointed Marty Daley as director, distributor sales... Precision Industries named Ross Perri regional vice president, Ohio Valley territory... EFC International appointed Carol Gallagher to the new second product...

Manufacturers.(Players)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Coxreels announced that Don Cox, former president, will now serve as chairman of the board and chief executive officer; Brad Cox, Don's son and former executive vice president of the company, is now president and chief operating officer; and...

Naw/DREF's new book.(Associations)(Distribution Research and Education Foundation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors' Distribution Research and Education Foundation released a new book by Brent R. Grover, titled More to the Bottom Line: Customer Profitability Analysis Tools for Distributors. The author...

STAFDA's 2004 keynote speaker.(Associations)(Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributors Association)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Futurist Lowell Catlett, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker at the Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributors Assn.'s 28th Annual Convention & Trade Show in San Francisco, Nov. 14-16. As a Regent's Professor at New Mexico State University,...

Association name change.(Associations)(Nut and Screw )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Chicago Bolt, Nut and Screw Assn. announced its name change to Mid-West Fastener Assn. After a preliminary vote asking members' interest in a name change indicated positive responses, the association asked members to vote on name...

FPDA and NFPA sharing data.(Associations)(Fluid Power Distributors Assn)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Distributor members of the Fluid Power Distributors Assn. who submit data to FPDA's monthly Industrial Snapshot Survey now have access to certain data produced by the National Fluid Power Assn. Only participating FPDA distributors are...

BSA boosting profitability.(Associations)(The Bearing Specialists Association)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Bearing Specialists Assn. is offering its members a one-two punch at improved profitability in 2004 with its annual convention program and Performance Analysis Survey. The 2004 Annual Convention business program includes Jim Pancero on...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... July 25-28 Safety Week 2004 Toronto, Ontario www.safetycentral.org Sept. 10-17 National Safety Council 92nd Annual Congress & Expo New Orleans (630) 285-1121 www.nsc.org Sept. 15-18 NIBA--The...

RFID: ready for its close-up? Technology can improve processes and provide valuable information.(E-Biz)(radio frequency identification)
June 1, 2004... YOU LIKELY KNOW that RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. But with all of the uncertainty about the technology, the acronym could be posed as a question: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Is it Ready For Immediate Deployment? RFID...

Customized education.(Tech Notes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... YARDLEY, PA. -- Prophet 21's Custom Education Program, a complimentary application available on the company's Web site, helps managers pinpoint employee knowledge gaps in relation to the Prophet 21 solution, and find educational tools that will...

SoneLight creates efficiency.(Tech Notes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Sonepar USA announced the launch of SoneLight, a project management service available within ElekNet, the company's online order entry system, which automates the procurement process from bidding, order entry and inventory...

Strengthening presence in distribution.(Tech Notes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... TEWKSBURY, MASS. -- Yantra Corp. announced strategic moves to strengthen its presence in the distribution industry by delivering solutions that enable distributors to transform their business through operational innovation, allowing them to...

New FreightLogic module.(Tech Notes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... KNOXVILLE, TENN. -- A new shipment-alerting and notification module that reports problems and process interruptions before they happen has been added to FreightLogic's self-titled Web-based transportation management system. The integrated...

Software Selection Handbook.(Tech Notes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group has published The Software Selection Handbook, a tool that provides detailed descriptions of the steps companies should follow to ensure a successful selection project when faced with performing...

The BIG 50: 2004 is shaping up nicely, but cautiousness prevails among North America's largest industrial distributors.(Special Report)
June 1, 2004... Despite the good news of a recovering economy, many distributors are reluctant to breathe a sigh of relief just yet. The ups and downs of the past few years have left many U.S. companies with a lingering sense of cautious optimism, even as...

A year of transition: Kaman Industrial Technologies president T. Jack Cahill speaks out on the challenges in today's marketplace and the role of the small distributor.(Q & A)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... Earlier this year, INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION sat down with Kaman Industrial Technologies president T. Jack Cahill to discuss the aftereffects of 2003, how well his own company did during the year, and his opinions on other issues important to the...

Upgrading comes from the top: executive-driven technology decisions are the ones that succeed.(Technology Tools)
June 1, 2004... MANY COMPANIES concern themselves with the "next big thing" in technology. There's always something new around the next corner it seems, and many find the ongoing temptation to remain on the cutting edge hard to resist. [ILLUSTRATION...

Mastering distribution: the role of the master distributor has changed, placing partnership and added value center stage.(Management)
June 1, 2004... There was a time when a master distributor's biggest selling point was the wide range of product lines it carried--and that the average small- to mid-sized distributor couldn't access directly. These aggregators and distributors of products and...

It's a puzzle: industrial distribution is hard to figure. While many distributors seem to be prospering, others have serious problems ... some of which go back decades.
June 1, 2004... This three-part story, written by former Purchasing magazine editor in chief Jim Morgan, addresses the relationships that are changing the distribution business, how purchasers view the performance of their distributors, and how those running...

Expand your vision: when hiring new salespeople, challenge your company and yourself by looking outside your industry.(Strictly for Sales)
June 1, 2004... IF YOU WANT to compete in today's economy, you must think outside of the box that your box is in. In every sales management seminar I've conducted for specific industries, attendees want to know what everyone else in their industry is doing....

Steel is the magic watchword: PVF companies are optimistic as they watch availability and prices.(Market Outlook)
June 1, 2004... FROM THE LARGE MANUFACTURER whose sales are looking up, to the comparatively small but thriving distributor, those in the pipe, valves and fittings industries have at least one eye on steel these days. George Anderson frequently has both...

Staying at home: impact of China, "off-shoring" can be exaggerated.(Manufacturer's View)
June 1, 2004... THERE'S BEEN much discussion about China recently in the press, the political arena and among our supply chain partners. American manufacturing has shed more than 2.5 million jobs from the fourth quarter of 2000 through the third quarter of...

ID programs open doors for students.(The Next Generation)
June 1, 2004... Q: Why do you want to pursue a career in industrial distribution? JUSTIN BUSKIRK > I ENTERED THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA at Kearney four years ago to become a teacher. During my first semester, I discovered UNK's industrial distribution...

Test point fittings monitor and control pressure: Brennan Industries' new line tests hydraulic systems at working pressures.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Brennan Industries' line of test point fittings allows for quick connections to monitor and control pressure, vent a system, or draw samples. As testers for hydraulic systems at working pressures, the fittings are ideal for use with hydraulic...

Plastic bearings.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Iglide R is an affordable, maintenance-free alternative to oil-dependent sintered bearings; and is resistant to dirt, dust and UV rays, as well as quiet and environmentally safe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] igus, Inc. >> Enter 202

Milling spindle.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The spindle, model MFW-2310/24, has constant torque of 62 Nm up to 10,800 min-1; was designed for machining aluminum up to 24,000 RPM min-1; and features an HSK-A63 tool clamping system. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fischer USA >> Enter 203

300PD power drive.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The 300 PD power drive is an electric motor-driven power drive for up to 2-in. dia. pipe, conduit and rod/bolt stock that rotates the pipe while cutting, threading and reaming operations are performed. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reed...

Display program.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Bright display materials with white and blue graphics feature a durable 16-in. by 24-in. vinyl backer panel with standard pegboard perforations and a choice of headers highlighting PFERD abrasives, Advance Brush or Milwaukee Brush hand...

Work gloves.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... These professional work gloves are machine washable, and feature form-fitting, breathable materials for added comfort and protection while maintaining dexterity. IRWIN Industrial Tool Co. * Enter 206

Pipe wall chart.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The MILLHOG pipe chart is a reference guide that lists nominal pipe size in fractions and decimals for pipes from 1/8 in. to 30 in., and provides the corresponding schedule number, wall thickness and I.D. in inches. ESCO Tool >> Enter 207

Polyurethane hose.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Urebrade is reinforced with polyester braid material incorporated with its walls of polyurethane; is available in naturally transparent or opaque black; and resists moisture, fungi, oils and fuels, as well as abrasion, impact, vibration and...

Fixture hangers.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Flexible swivel fixture hangers are used in commercial or light industrial applications where HID high bay and low bay lighting fixtures are used, specifically storage facilities, shipping ware-houses, retail and DIY facilities. ...

TIG welding.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The Precision TIG 185 precision welder offers a wide operating range for applications flexibility, from 5 amps for thin materials to 185 amps for heavier uses; and features Micro-Start technology, Auto-Balance and standard Pulse controls. ...

Collars and couplings.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Metric shaft collars and couplings are available off-the-shelf to provide machinery builders with fully metric components for compatibility with any equipment sold and serviced worldwide. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stafford Manufacturing...

Pipe sealant.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... Flex Bond pipe sealant bonds flexible piping made of PVC, ABS and other plastics; requires no mixing; attains functional cure in one hour at room temperature; and withstands temperatures up to 200[degrees]F. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Keyless blade changes.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The one-of-a-kind Quik-Change system enables users to change the circular saw blade by hand, and get the blade as tight, if not tighter, than using a wrench. Porter-Cable Corp. >> Enter 213

Chain link technology.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The Crystal Cut 465 contains a unique chain link synthetic technology that provides a variety of physical and chemical protection over a broad range of conditions; and features excellent lubricity and corrosion protection. Hangsterfer's...

New G-Tool.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The G-Tool assures easy, fast and fool-proof alignment for multi-gang installations; and features a built-in level to allow contractors to properly install single-gang to 20-gang devices. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cooper Wiring Devices >>...

Revolving ball knobs.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... With a steel, black oxide finish on the threaded spindle, the long shoulder type revolving ball knob is designed to be used in place of revolving handles on items such as hand wheels or hand cranks. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] J.W. Winco >>...

Polished O-flute tools.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)
June 1, 2004... The Super O line of polished O-flute tools slices through plastic, wood, aluminum and other solid surfaces; allows for easy chip formation and evacuation; and is available in upcut and downcut versions. Onsrud Cutter, Inc. >> Enter 217

Spirally cut TFE wrap.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Heli-Tube spirally cut TFE tubing is offered in 10 sizes ranging from 1/16 in. to 1-1/2 in. O.D. for bundling and protecting wires and tubing used on instruments and equipment that may be subjected to harsh environments. [ILLUSTRATION...

Lockback pocket knives.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The six light-weight lockback pocket knives--four with drop-point blades and two with sheepfoot blades--feature blades of AUS8 stainless steel; are available in four lengths; and offer superior edge holding. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Smart Heater.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Thermostatically controlled, the Smart Heater cuts energy costs and labor by monitoring and controlling the temperature at each weldment automatically. Duraline >> Enter 220

Hardcover storage units.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... IBC roll-top hardcover storage units provide protected storage of IBCs, indoors or out; are corrosion resistant and weather tight; and feature lockable doors and roll-top covers that open from both sides and slide away, allowing easy access to...

Two machines in one.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Juflex, a cell of two grinding machines in one, enables independent or synchronized machining with two carriages in two grinding cycles; and is ideal for automotive transmission shafts and other similarly sized cylindrical parts. ...

Coil winding machinery.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Model 9204 coil winding machine will accommodate work as large as 50-in. OD by 12-in. high; and allows production of up to 100KVA power distribution transformers and bushing-style current transformers for power stations. Alpha-Core, Inc....

Wire splices.(The Best New Products for Your Customers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... U-Band and Autoband splices are designed for making in-line connections and butt splices with solid and/or stranded wires using high-speed automatic applicators. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ETCO, Inc. >> Enter 224

The ESOP advantage: ESOPs are much more than just employee partnerships. They'll attract impact players, loyalty and maybe even a key supplier or two.(Final Word)(employee stock ownership plans)
June 1, 2004... PAUL MERIMAN, the founder of HISCO, was one of the pioneers of ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans), and we are now celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the HISCO ESOP. Over this time, we have been steeped in a "culture of ownership." And...