Industrial Distribution articles from June 2008

Industrial Distribution archives from June 2008

Around and About.(Valley National Gases LLC acquired N.H. Bragg & Sons)(Health care shows no sign of a slowdown)
June 1, 2008... Edited by Brad Perriello, brad.perriello@reedbusiness.com Wholesale health Brad Perriello The economy may be stalling, but one sector shows no sign of a slowdown: Health care. That's one of the reasons the University of...

Associations.
June 1, 2008... Edited by Joe Nowlan, jnowlan@reedbusiness.com NAW board elects three new members The National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors' Institute for Distribution Excellence elected three new members to its board of directors. Kathleen...

Calendar.
June 1, 2008... Edited by Joe Nowlan, jnowlan@reedbusiness.com September 17-20 NIBA Convention Marriott Starr Pass Resort Tucson, Ariz. www.niba.org September 8-11 ISSA/INTERCLEAN Las Vegas Convention Center Las...

Steve Bieszczat / Activant Solutions Inc.(Interview)
June 1, 2008... Staff Can you give us an update on Activant Solutions since last year's acquisition of Intuit's Eclipse division? Well, we've accomplished our goal. We wanted to be a major supplier in [the electrical and plumbing distribution]...

A look at this year's Big 50.
June 1, 2008... Jack Keough, Editor/Associate Publisher In interviews with the executives of the largest distribution firms for our Big 50 report this month (p. 28), it's clear that the economic slowdown (insert the word recession here if you want to) has...

Not betting on housing.(CEO Joe DeAngelo on impact of housing crises on Home Depot Supply )(Interview)
June 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor With their sale behind them, HD Supply's leaders aren't worrying about the housing market but are looking for business wherever they can-even via acquisitions To say that 2007 was an eventful year for...

ISA to Take Care of Business.(Industrial Supply Associations)
June 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor Annual Conference & Trade Fair comes to Chicago's Stephens Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency O'Hare As the Industrial Supply Assn. opens its annual Industrial Supply Conference & Trade Fair in...

More choices, more profits.(Distributors adding to their range of product offerings appeal to more customers and more manufacturers)
June 1, 2008... By Jerry Blakeley Distributors that add to their range of product offerings can appeal to more customers and more manufacturers Distributors are a crucial part of the supply chain. One of the most important decisions a distributor must...

Culture club.(MSC's president and CEO David Sandler view about the company's culture)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... By Brad Perriello, Associate Editor MSC's president and CEO David Sandler tells INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION about his 34-year-old roots in distribution, why the slowing economy helps MSC and how its culture affects its every move David...

Housing slump: no end in sight.
June 1, 2008... Jack Keough, Victoria Fraza Kickham, Alison Lutes and Joe Nowlan Big 50 distributors focus on cost containment and taking market share from competitors as the slowdown in residential construction lingers For distributors selling to the...

Report: Optimism plummets among industrial manufacturers.(Survey)
June 1, 2008... Staff Only 12 percent of senior executives indicated optimism about the U.S. economy's prospects over the next year, down from 29 percent during the fourth quarter of 2007 and 57 percent during the same period last year, according to...

Private equity firm to acquire IDG.
June 1, 2008... Staff After a tumultuous bidding war that saw a 'mystery firm'-later revealed to be Wesco International-enter and drop out of the race, Industrial Distribution Group Inc. agreed to a buyout bid from Luther King Capital Management (LKCM)....

Jamaica Bearings' Steve Durston elected BSA president.(Steve Durston appointed president of Bearing Specialists Assn.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Steve Durston, executive vice-president of New York-based Jamaica Bearings, was elected president of the Bearing Specialists Assn. at BSA's annual convention April 26-29. The event drew a large crowd to the Loews Ventana Canyon...

Virtual Tech Fair concludes third year.
June 1, 2008... Staff A few years ago at a roundtable conference for software providers, cocktail party chatter included discussion of how many industry trade shows a year people had the opportunity to attend. Interest in the shows was high, but so...

Safety Leadership Forum set for June 22-24 in Nashville.(Safety Equipment Distributors Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff The Safety Equipment Distributors Assn. will hold its annual Safety Leadership Forum June 22-24 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville. The Safety Leadership Forum had been known as Safety Week until SEDA officials approved...

Grainger expands despite economy.(W.W. Grainger Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Staff Lake Forest, Ill.-based W.W. Grainger plans to take advantage of the slow economy by increasing its focus on customer service, Crain's Chicago Business reported. Company president and CEO James Ryan told shareholders at...

Valley National Gases buys N.H. Bragg division.
June 1, 2008... Staff Valley National Gases LLC acquired N.H. Bragg & Sons' gas and welding business for an undisclosed amount. Bangor, Maine-based N.H. Bragg's gas and welding operation distributes industrial, medical and specialty gases along with...

Players.
June 1, 2008... Staff Distributors Premier Farnell plc appointed Andy King president of Farnell Europe-Kaman Corp. named John Sorensen vice president and treasurer-WinWholesale named Jim Kennaugh area leader in its Western region and Rob McCullough...

Recession? What recession?(growth of industrial suppliers)
June 1, 2008... By Jack Keough, Editor Though Big 50 distributors tied to the construction market are hurting, those serving manufacturing, energy and other sectors report solid growth in 2007 and a steady outlook for 2008 INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION's...

The Big 50.(List)
June 1, 2008... Staff ID's Annual List of the Largest Industrial Distributors 1. Wolseley w+ww.wolseley.com Sales : $31.6 billion CEO : Chip Hornsby Headquarters : Reading, England Locations : 5,000 Employees : 77,000 ...

Bent-nose strippers.
June 1, 2008... Staff Featured product is Klein Tools' bent-nose strippers The K90 series of Bent-Nose NM Romex Strippers, with 90-degree angled nose design, allows for work in confined spaces. The design enables quick and precise removal of the outer...

Wire crimper.
June 1, 2008... Staff The new KP1022 crimper has two die positions and is capable of crimping both insulated and uninsulated terminals and splices from 10-22 AWG; has long curved handles and double- cushioned grips to provide leverage and comfort. The...

Cable tie installation tool.
June 1, 2008... Staff The portable, 5 lb. BT11000 QuickTie cable tie installation tool delivers 550 lb. of torque, providing uniform tension on all ties, and includes a long-lasting battery that can be fully recharged in 30 min. Hayata of North...

Wet/dry vacuum.
June 1, 2008... Staff The 0880-20 wet/dry vacuums, in 18V and 28V capacity, provide power and portability to electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors and other professionals. Both models offer longer continuous run time and higher air power and suction to...

Portable power distribution.
June 1, 2008... Staff PowerWeb portable power distribution equipment provides safe, reliable temporary power distribution for jobsites, special events or trade shows and general repair and maintenance. The line includes 5 indoor and 5 outdoor portable...

Utility multimeter.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Fluke 113 utility multimeter features the VCHEK LoZ low impedance measurement function to simultaneously test for voltage or continuity, a min/max function to record signal fluctuations and can perform diode tests. The multimeter...

Flange locking bolt.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Spinner-Grip flange locking bolt has a conical flange design that locks the bolt to the part without the need for a lock washer. Spinner-Grip bolts do not have serrations that will mar the surface or plating of parts and can be...

Clamping tools.
June 1, 2008... Staff The latest version of Quick-Grip clamping tools includes a parallel jaw clamp. The parallel jaws and a 3¾ in. throat depth provides a 90[degrees] angle and powerful clamping force up to 1,150 lbs.; locking system prevents the...

Air-cooled torch.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Legacy Series TIG Torch features an innovative torch handle design to improve comfort, control and welding productivity. An interchangeable fingertip switch provides remote amperage control and can be replaced with any tools. A...

Wheel grinder.
June 1, 2008... Staff The S6 wheel grinder allows users to regrind their circular knives and lower cutting knives on site by themselves, saving time and minimizing their inventory of knives. The S6 accommodates knives from 40-180mm (1.6-7 in.) in...

Watertight cable.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Q-Wire series of flexible, watertight cables can be used for direct burial applications for low voltage landscape lighting, pool and spa and indoor lighting applications. The flexible, stranded cable features 2 tinned copper...

Power distribution cabinet.
June 1, 2008... Staff The FirstLine OC customizable power distribution cabinet is designed to reduce installation time by providing maintenance bypass, branch circuit distribution and voltage transformation in a single cabinet. The cabinet can accept up...

Reflective coating.
June 1, 2008... Staff Quartz-Coat 850, a high-temperature, white glass-ceramic coating is used as a reflective coating on quart infrared heaters for applications to 1600[degrees]F. The reflectance of Quartz-Coat 850 improves heater and lamp performance by...

Polyurethane tubing.
June 1, 2008... Staff Superthane polyurethane tubing withstands wear, abrasion, weathering, chemicals, fuels and moisture while it remains flexible. Superthane may be used for a wide variety of gas and fluid transfer uses. It is naturally flexible and...

Laminate trimmer.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Lamello Lamina E laminate trimmer provides precise, chip-free, flush or chamfer cutting of plastic laminates, wood veneers, nonferrous metals and most composite materials. A simple twist of the motor pre-selects cutting depth and...

Grip wing and flag tools.
June 1, 2008... Staff The latest line of wing and flag-style tools have ergonomically designed handles and feature a hard thermoplastic core and a soft rubber outer coating to ensure maximum comfort and grip. Tools are available in a range of Star and...

Inductive sensors.
June 1, 2008... Staff The E52Q Cube and E56 Pancake inductive sensors are available in industry-standard sizes, feature extended sensing ranges and 'auto-configure' output technology on the DC voltage models that determines if the sensor has been wired...

Reducer.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Dodge MagnaGear XTR for tough, high-torque applications is available with parallel shaft or right angle configurations and will initially offer torque capacities up to 920,000 lb-in. The modular design allows for multiple...

Return rule tape measure.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Tape Stop Power-Return Rule tape measure features a self-locking blade, has oversized, easy-to-read numbers and architectural markings in 1/8 in. and ¼ in. scale printed on the first 10 ft. of the nylon-coated blade. ...

Clutch/brake catalog.
June 1, 2008... Staff A 66-page catalog for the line of Gen 2 Packaged Electromagnetic Clutches/Brakes includes complete ordering information for UniModules (Um Series); Enclosed UniModules (EUM Series); Electro Modules (EM Series) with Enclosed Option;...

Cable clamp.
June 1, 2008... Staff The TC-1 transmission cable clamp is used as a tool stop when stripping and shaving large trans-mission cables; built with lightweight cast aluminum jaws for use on cables ranging from 2-5 in. (50-127mm). Ripley Tools...

Sprinkler line.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Mirage line of commercial concealed sprinklers now includes the VK632 and VK634 sprinklers, FM approved for 135[degrees]F, 155[degrees]F, 175[degrees]F and 200[degrees]F. A 'push on, thread off' cover plate installs in the inside...

Round head ratchets.
June 1, 2008... Staff The round head ratchets have a user-friendly design with a high-torque capacity. This new design has a circular head that's smaller than the head on a pear head ratchet, making it suitable for delicate jobs in confined areas. The new...

Bifocal eyewear.
June 1, 2008... Staff Bifocal safety lenses provide close-focus accommodation for those with presbyopia, which causes a decrease in the ability to focus sharply on nearby objects. Starlite MAG and Scorpion MAG eyewear provide workers with bifocal eye...

Gas sniffer.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Micro CG-100 quickly and accurately detects low levels of methane, propane, butane, ammonia and other combustible gases. A silent vibration alert vibrates more frequently as the user gets closer to gas, and is ideal for noisy...

Saw blades.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Great White cutting line has been expanded to include premium and standard reciprocating saw blades, offering fast cutting with less vibration. The premium blades are 1-in. wide and are available in 6 in., 9 in., and 12 in....

Angle grinder.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Varilex WSF 1600 speed-controlled angle grinder, with 12.27A motor, is designed for heavy industrial use. It can change discs in seconds, without tools, using the Easy-Lock clamping nut and spindle lock button. The spindle thread...

Side-cutting pliers.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Journeyman J2000-9NECRTP side-cutting pliers include a built-in crimper for use on non-insulated connectors, lugs and terminals; a built-in channel pulls steel fish tape without causing damage; comes with heavy duty cutting...

Round rocker switch.
June 1, 2008... Staff The RL3-5 series of round rocker switches is available in both single- and double-pole versions and is fully compliant with RoHS. The switches snap into panel hole size 0.787 in. (20mm) and are UL-rated at 16A, 125 VAC and 1/3 HP,...

Flexible fittings.
June 1, 2008... Staff ETP Flexel EMT Flexible Fittings are designed for large conduit runs around corners, offsets, compound angles and through misaligned connections without the need for a bending machine. The fittings come in 1¼-4 in. trade sizes...

Current pressure switches.
June 1, 2008... Staff The CSS and CSC series of current pressure switches use magnetic current-sensing technology to detect low-current loads in cable or wire. The CSC model has a split core for retrofit installations onto existing power cables or wires....

Screw-holding tools.
June 1, 2008... Staff The ProHold Tip line of screw holding tools now includes T-handles, screwdrivers and L-wrenches in both ballpoint hex and star tips, in a full range of inch and metric hex sizes from 0.050-3/8 in. and 1.27-10mm. Each tip has a...

Wire insulation tester.
June 1, 2008... Staff The 61-795 wire insulation tester is designed for multiple test voltages (250V, 500V and 1,000V). It features a CAT IV-600V safety rating and an insulation test range of 0.001-4000MV voltage (0.1-600V), resistance (0-200.0V) and...

Shrink-wrap repair sleeves.
June 1, 2008... Staff The Quick Shrink Wrap (QSW) heat-shrinkable wraparound repair sleeves are made of black, adhesive-backed polyolefin. The sleeves are designed for fast, permanent repairs of minor damage to cable insulation and provide impact and...

Staying at high visibility.(Northern Safety Co. reacting to the struggling economy by adding to its product line and increasing its Internet budget)
June 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor Northern Safety Co. reacted to the struggling economy by adding to its product line and increasing its Internet budget Business is up this year for Northern Safety Co. Inc.-but so is the number of...

Dealing with price sensitivity.
June 1, 2008... By Tom Reilly Understanding the factors that affect price sensitivity can help you negotiate better deals All industries face price sensitivity in varying degrees and at different times. Understanding price sensitivity prepares you for...

Where's my ROI?(Return on investment)
June 1, 2008... By Brian Kazmierczak 'Smart phone' solutions sound great, but how do you ensure a decent return on the investment? Here are six tips to mobilizing your sales force Getting e-mail from anywhere in the world is easy. It's paying for it...

The never-ending road to arbitration.
June 1, 2008... By Fred Mendelsohn A recent Supreme Court case, Hall Street Associates LLC v. Mattel Inc., shows that setting goals before arbitration begins is crucial to a positive outcome Many believe arbitration is a quick way to resolve disputes...