Industrial Distribution articles from October 2008

Industrial Distribution archives from October 2008

Cheryl Lawson / Duncan Industrial Solutions.(Interview)
October 1, 2008... Staff Cheryl Lawson is president of Oklahoma City-based Duncan Industrial Solutions, which sells MRO supplies to manufacturing customers in Oklahoma, Texas and elsewhere as part of integrated supply agreements, www.duncanindustrial.com....

Around and About.(Lincoln Electric exports rises)(Bearing Belt Chain Co. celebrates its anniverasry and plans to open new stores)(Brown Aviation Tool Supply Co. ranked as fastest growing company)
October 1, 2008... Edited by Brad Perriello, brad.perriello@reedbusiness.com President Bush visits Lincoln Electric Brad Perriello President George Bush stopped by the Lincoln Electric headquarters and manufacturing plant in Cleveland, Ohio, in July...

Getting the most out of CRM.
October 1, 2008... By Brad Perriello, Associate Editor Customer Relationship Management software can help distributors improve their customer service levels while simultaneously improving their bottom lines Most distributors using Enterprise Resource...

Thoughts on "firing" customers.
October 1, 2008... Jack Keough, Editor/Associate Publisher There are two schools of thought when it comes to whether it's a good idea to "fire" a customer. One view is shared by a consultant who, years ago, told us, "It is never a good idea to fire a...

Staying focused on hose.(Company overview)
October 1, 2008... By Victoria Fraza Kickham, Managing Editor In an industry that demands specialization, GHX Industrial is sticking to its roots as a hose and accessories company while expanding its reach to serve customers across the Gulf Coast Hose...

Locking out danger.
October 1, 2008... By Tom Campbell, Safety & Compliance Marketing Manager, Brady Corp. Construction sites have their share of potential dangers. Here is a four-step plan to control electrical energy when machines are not in use and steer clear of an OSHA...

Construction funk continues.
October 1, 2008... By Brad Perriello, Associate Editor The ongoing slump in residential construction may be spreading to the commercial building market, meaning tough times could continue for construction supplies distributors The prolonged downturn in...

Fastenal to be listed on S&P 500 Index.(Brief article)(Company rankings)
October 1, 2008... Staff The bailout of mortgage backing firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac turned out to be good news for Fastenal Co., which replaces Fannie Mae on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, according to news reports. Business software provider...

ID editor publishes mystery novel.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff "Media Blitz," a mystery novel by Industrial Distribution associate editor Joe Nowlan, was recently published by Oak Tree Press, a Taylorville, Ill., publisher. A murder mystery set in Boston, "Media Blitz" involves taking media...

Textron to sell its fluid & power segment.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff Textron Inc. agreed to sell the four businesses that make up its fluid and power division to Clyde Blowers Ltd., a United Kingdom-based power, materials handling, logistics and pump technologies company, for $645 million. The...

August wholesale prices slide 1 percent.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff Wholesale prices dropped 0.9 percent in August, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, more than doubling analysts' predictions for the decrease. The decline in the producer price index, which follows increases of 1.2 percent in...

ITW CEO: Housing woes will hit bottom next year.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff The downturn in the domestic residential construction market will bottom out near the end of next year, according to Illinois Tool Works Inc. CEO David Speer, the Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Ill.) reported via the Bloomberg news...

MSC introduces next-day delivery.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff MSC Industrial Direct is offering next-day order delivery to all customers in the United States. The service offering, which is available on all orders placed before 8 p.m. Eastern time, coincides with the release of the...

Brady Corp.'s sales rise 11.8 percent.(Financial report)
October 1, 2008... Staff Sales for Brady Corp. rose 11.8 percent during fiscal 2008, reaching $1.52 billion compared with $1.36 billion during the prior year. Net income for the Milwaukee-based safety and identification products manufacturer jumped to...

Indusco Group celebrates 100th anniversary.(Company overview)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff The Indusco Group--a network of companies specializing in fabrication, industrial, commercial and marine supply distribution--celebrates its centennial this year. The Baltimore-based company was founded in 1908 as the Industrial...

PTDA holds Industry Summit in Miami this month.(Conference notes)
October 1, 2008... Staff The Power Transmission Distributors Assn. will hold its Industry Summit in Florida Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. This year's theme is "Ride the Wave to Success" and early registration figures are headed in that...

Manufacturing's 2Q productivity slides 2.2 percent.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff Manufacturing productivity slid 2.2 percent during the second quarter, the U.S. Dept. of Labor reported in September. It's the largest quarterly decline in manufacturing since 1989, fueled largely by a 4.5 percent decline in...

McJunkin Red Man names new CEO.
October 1, 2008... Staff McJunkin Red Man Corp. named Andrew Lane, former COO of Halliburton Co., as its new CEO effective immediately, the Charleston Daily Mail (W.Va.) reported. The company, ranked sixth on Industrial Distribution's 2008 Big 50 list...

Motion Industries acquires Port Arthur, Texas-based Drago Supply.
October 1, 2008... Staff Motion Industries acquired Drago Supply Co. in September for an undisclosed amount, expanding the power transmission distributor's general industrial supplies business. Port Arthur, Texas-based Drago, which sells safety,...

Border States Electric buys Nashville-based Harris Electric Supply.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff Border States Electric agreed to acquire Harris Electric Supply for an undisclosed amount. Nashville-based Harris Electric, which has seven locations in central Tennessee, will operate under its own banner as a division of...

Wolseley to lay off 84 workers in the U.K.
October 1, 2008... Staff Wolseley plc plans to cut its workforce in the United Kingdom by 84 workers in the latest round of layoffs for the British building materials distributor, the Kenilworth Weekly News reported. Wolseley, ranked first on Industrial...

Eurazeo looks to up stake in Rexel.
October 1, 2008... Staff French investment firm Eurazeo intends to increase its stake in Rexel, the Dow Jones news service reported in September. Chairman Patrick Sayer told analysts on a conference call that Eurazeo, which together with two other...

Players.
October 1, 2008... Staff Distributors Carlson Holdings named Todd Carlson CEO of Carlson Systems and Mid-Atlantic Fasteners--Hardinge Inc. named Michael Hillock vice president, global sales, service and marketing; James Lange , vice president, global...

Portable pneumatic saw.
October 1, 2008... Staff Featured product is CS Unitec's Model 5 1212 0050 portable pneumatic hacksaw The Model 5 1212 0050 portable pneumatic hacksaw has a blade stroke of 2 3/8 in. and will cut 24 in. diameter pipe at 90[degrees] in 1 pass. It is...

Electric tool controller.(Stanley Assembly Technologies )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Staff The QA Alpha controller for DC electric fastening is compatible with the full range of QPM DC electric tools, from 0.6-2000 Nm and higher. It features enhanced process capabilities including linking of multiple parameter sets...

Access Grinder.
October 1, 2008... Staff The I-9315 access grinder features a 0.9 hp motor to run 4 in. cutoff wheels or grinding wheels, a pivoting safety guard, a 15 in. reach and is 1¾ in. high. Its low-profile angle head allows grinding or cutting in inaccessible...

Air-purifying respirator.
October 1, 2008... Staff The PeakFit respirator offers a molded nose bridge that fits most faces without pinching a metal nosepiece. An internal nose cushion of soft, closed-cell foam ensures a safe, snug fit. An integrated, 1-piece, latex-free cloth head...

Hand sanitizer.
October 1, 2008... Staff Defend hand sanitizer is a non-alcohol foaming product that decreases bacteria on the skin and kills 99.999% of most common germs that pose health concerns. It produces a fast-drying, non-sticky foam with conditioning and...

Impact sockets.
October 1, 2008... Staff The 12-point standard length ¾ in. drive impact sockets are available in 28 sizes, from 9/16-23/8 in. The sockets have the same wall thickness as traditional 6-point impact sockets for added strength and performance. ...

Cordless framing nailer.
October 1, 2008... Staff The Model 903000 cordless 20[degrees] round-head framing nailer is ideal for applications from joists and rafters to sheathing and decking and features a motor that drives 2-3¼ in. fasteners at a rate of 2-3 nails/sec., up to...

Eye bolts.
October 1, 2008... Staff Injection-molded nylon 6/6 eye bolts are resistant to aromatic, chlorinated and ketone solvents and gasoline, greases and oils including animal and vegetable oils. Thread sizes are available ranging from 6-32-3/8-16 with lengths...

Electronic measuring wheel.
October 1, 2008... Staff The MP401E electronic measuring wheel is a digital counter mounted on a professional-grade measuring wheel with a ¾ in. steel frame. It features a large, backlit digital readout, measurements in four scales (ft. and in.,...

Cable cutter.
October 1, 2008... Staff The PowerBlade cable cutter is a drill attachment that installs like a drill bit on virtually any corded or un-corded drill with a 3/8 in. drive shaft. The turning action of the drill provides the force needed to slice through up to...

Automatic spray guns.
October 1, 2008... Staff The Compact I and Compact X automatic guns are production spray guns suitable for use with automatic and semi-automatic machines. The guns feature stainless steel passages and are able to spray a wide range of water-borne and...

Bandsaw tension gauge.
October 1, 2008... Staff The bandsaw tension gauge quickly measures blade tension while the saw blade is mounted on the machine. The gauge checks for under-tension and over-tension conditions. It features a durable, cast, powder-coated body with a calibrated...

Micro gauge.
October 1, 2008... Staff The Microgage 2D is designed for precision measuring, machine alignment, calibration and other demanding industrial applications including roll and web lines, CNC cutting and milling, lathes, stamping presses, injection molding...

Gas finish nailer.
October 1, 2008... Staff The NT65GA gas finish nailer applies 16-gauge fasteners from an angled magazine for easy maneuverability in tight corners and spaces and holds up to 100 fasteners of up to 2½ in. The nailer features a double-action nail feed...

Old-school items with cutting-edge results.
October 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor Power transmission distributors embrace new advances in old technology to keep sales going strong while reaching out to new markets such as the alternative energy industry The items that make up a...

Going to school pays off in Indiana.(Great Lakes Supply )
October 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor Great Lakes Supply knew it had to diversify its customer base--and started looking to schools and universities for solutions After struggling but surviving the 2001 recession, Great Lakes Supply...

Add value with your people.
October 1, 2008... By Tom Reilly Value-added organizations understand that without great people, they're just like everybody else Value-added organizations believe their solutions include three dimensions of value. Dimension number one is the product or...

Ask for a test drive.
October 1, 2008... By Rich Austin and Jim Heatherington Before purchasing any software system, make sure to test it--using your data, in your business setting Most distributors have a back-end system to store data related to transactions, including...

Staying competitive globally.
October 1, 2008... By Phil Samuels How can American manufacturers stay competitive in today's global environment? Working closely with your American distributor is just the first step You are the supply chain manager for your industrial distributorship...