Industrial Distribution articles from September 2008

Industrial Distribution archives from September 2008

Around and About.(IBT Inc.)(W.W. Grainger Inc. acquired Pacific Brands Ltd.)(Drago Supply Company Inc. awarded Todd Menefee )
September 1, 2008... Edited by Brad Perriello, brad.perriello@reedbusiness.com From Afghanistan to IBT Brad Perriello These days you can find Tim Forbes working in IBT Inc.'s fluid power division, but not too long ago he was otherwise occupied, busy...

Associations.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... Edited by Joe Nowlan, jnowlan@reedbusiness.com NFDA, Institute for Trend Research to offer economic report The National Fastener Distributors Assn. will join with the Institute for Trend Research to produce customized economic reports...

Calendar.(Calendar)
September 1, 2008... Edited by Joe Nowlan, jnowlan@reedbusiness.com September 17-20 NIBA Convention Marriott Starr Pass Resort Tucson, Ariz. www.niba.org September 22-23 BSA Fall Meeting Hilton Suites Chicago ...

Roy Vallee / Avnet Inc.(Interview)
September 1, 2008... Staff Avnet had record sales in fiscal year 2008. What key factors contributed to those results? In order of impact, the top issue was M&A. Another big factor for this year was currency, and the third thing was organic market share...

Buyers: Product availability trumps price.(Industry overview)(Survey)
September 1, 2008... By Susan Avery, Contributing Editor Buyers now look to industrial distributors to provide a wealth of technical expertise, and they come down hard on those that don't deliver Purchasing professionals have changed their thinking about...

Finding the right keywords for your web site.(Survey)
September 1, 2008... Jack Keough, Editor/Associate Publisher In our 62nd Annual Survey of Distributor Operations (which will be published this month), nearly one out five respondents say they intend to re-design their Web site in the next year. That's a pretty...

Lean distribution: What's it all about?
September 1, 2008... By Dr. Perry Daneshgari, Contributing Editor Long associated with manufacturing, lean business strategies can help industrial distributors improve operations by reducing errors and eliminating waste Becoming "lean" means becoming a...

Readiness is fundamental.
September 1, 2008... By Fred Mendelsohn Being prepared when implementing layoffs, or Reductions In Force, is crucial to avoiding legal exposure Reductions In Force--layoffs, in layman's terms--are unfortunately a common occurrence during economic...

High cost of health care takes toll on retirees.
September 1, 2008... By Victoria Kickham, Managing Editor As health care costs continue to rise, baby boomers who have spent their careers in distribution are learning that early retirement may be a thing of the past When Art Milona retired from electrical...

IBC national meeting set for Chicago Oct. 18-20.(Conference notes)
September 1, 2008... Staff Distributor alliance IBC will hold its national meeting October 18-20 at Chicago's Sheraton Gateway Suites O'Hare. IBC is an alliance of industrial, bearings/power transmission, electrical, safety and chemical management...

Lawson settles kickback" lawsuit.
September 1, 2008... Staff In August, Lawson Products Inc. settled a pending lawsuit with the federal government by agreeing to a $30 million payment. The Des Plaines, Ill.-based MRO distributor also posted its second-quarter results, reporting a sales...

Ernst & Young report focuses on impact of green-related issues.
September 1, 2008... Staff A recent white paper from consulting firm Ernst & Young underscores the growing influence of the green movement on businesses, especially as it will apply to globalization in the next five to 10 years. "Green for Go: Supply...

Gallagher Fluid Seals founder dies at 95.(Walter B. Gallagher)(Obituary)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Walter B. Gallagher, former chairman and president of Gallagher Fluid Seals Inc., died May 5 after a brief illness. He was 95. Gallagher founded the Walter B. Gallagher Co. in Pennsylvania in 1956 as a distributor of fluid...

Players.
September 1, 2008... Staff Distributors Airgas, Inc. named Andy Cichocki a division president and promoted Steven Marinelli to president of Airgas National Welders; Jay Worley was named vice president, communications and investor relations--Praxair...

Solenoid valves.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Featured product is Parker Hannifin's 204 and 304 solenoid valve series The 204 (2-way) and 304 (3-way) series direct-acting solenoid valves are designed for air and liquid (including light oil) applications. The valves meet...

Welder.(Multiquip Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The DLW300ESA welder features constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) delivering up to 300A of DC welding power and up to 10.5Kw of 120/240V AC power. The welder operates with ultra-clean AC power at noise levels of 59 dBA....

Static-dissipative hose.(Flexaust Co.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The Flx-Thane SD polyurethane hose prevents static build-up and is suitable for dry material transfer applications where dust could pose a safety hazard; features a bronze-coated spring steel wire helix that drains charges to ground;...

Magnetic drill.(CS Unitec Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The ECO-50 TAK portable magnetic drill weighs 29 lbs. but has a high-density dual-coil magnet with a holding strength of 3,740 lbs. The drill features a 10.5A, reversible motor with variable-speeds (100-250 rpm and 180-580 rpm) and...

Three-sided truck.(Durham Manufacturing Co.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff This series of three-sided trucks includes one without shelves and the others with 1, 2 or 3 adjustable shelves. All models are available in four sizes ranging from 48 in. x 30 in. deep to 72 in. x 36 in. deep. Height is 57 in. The...

Aluminum cabinet door handles.(J.W. Winco Inc. )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Made of cast aluminum with black powder-coated pebble finish, these handles have tapped holes for easy mounting. The open-end or closed-end handles are 162mm (6.38 in.) long and are ideal for applications requiring a sturdy and...

Cable wrap.(Tompkins Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff ProWrap is an extreme-duty hose and cable protection wrap that can be installed without disconnecting lines or equipment. The wrap extends the life of hoses as small as ¼ in. or several lines up to 11 in. diameter. It is UV...

Self-shielded torches.(Tregaskiss Products Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The ToughGun self-shielded line of torches withstands harsh welding environments with minimal downtime or costs for parts changeover; available in 300A, 400A and 500A air-cooled models, engineered with durable, high-temperature...

Electric hydraulic pump.(FCI Burndy Products )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The Y10AC9 electric hydraulic pump features rapid RAM advance for high volume crimping. Its 2-stage pumping system pumps up to 160 cubic in. of hydraulic fluid/min. It is designed to operate all Burndy 10,000 psi remote-head crimping...

Magnetic cleaning system.(Electrodyne Company Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Plastalloy magnets are designed to extend the service life of drive trains, hydraulic lines, HVAC systems and metalworking equipment by capturing metal filings, chips and other ferrous materials which would otherwise damage...

Tapping fluid.(ITW Rocol North America )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff SafeTap Plus is a water-based tapping fluid featuring a blend of synthetic additives that combines the properties of a water-based coolant with the viscosity of a straight oil. Ideal for use on all metals. Available in 4 oz. and 16...

Pneumatic staplers.(Hitachi Power Tools USA Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff Two pneumatic staplers provide rapid firing for efficient and convenient operation. Features of the lightweight staplers include a tool-less jam release and depth of drive control, comfortable elastomer grip, and an open, stainless...

Non-corrosive fluid paths.(Reelcraft Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The Series RT, 5000, 7000 and 9000 reels feature non-corrosive fluid paths for corrosive materials. The reels withstand industrial or commercial applications including agriculture, food service, chemical spraying, fire and rescue,...

LED bulbs.(Ledtronics Inc. )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The 3W MR16 LED bulbs are engineered to handle variations in voltages that may accompany "noisy" or "dirty" AC or DC power supplies. The bulbs feature bi-pin bases and light outputs of 102.9 lumens using only 2.6W with 12V DC, 120.6...

Valve connectors.(Canfield Connector )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The series 5F and 5J DIN solenoid valve connectors have been awarded Canadian Standards Assn. approval in Canada and the United States. The flexible connectors offer a molded design for environmental integrity over field wire...

Transformer oil coolers.(Unifin International )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Staff The ForZair line of transformer oil coolers are designed for new transformers or for replacing existing installations and feature mono-aluminum extruded fin-tubes and plate fin technology for optimal heat transfer efficiency and...

Relationship-selling at its best.
September 1, 2008... By Brad Perriello, Associate Editor Establishing and maintaining strong ties to vendors and customers alike has kept Robi Tool Sales going through good times and bad In 1991, a major national power tool manufacturer approached Paul...

Engineering sales success.(GS Hydraulics )(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor Salespeople at GS Hydraulics usually come from an engineering background, enabling them to emphasize value-added services When looking to add to his sales staff, GS Hydraulics' president John Thornton...

Distributors and their value propositions.
September 1, 2008... By Tom Reilly Be clear on who your customers are and who they are not, and serve them accordingly Something that's getting a lot of play in marketing circles these days is your value proposition--understanding it and communicating it...

Effective warehouse slotting.
September 1, 2008... By Paul Hansen and Kelvin Gibson Understanding every item's physical dimensions, crucial to effective warehouse planning, doesn't have to mean measuring by hand Developing an efficient slotting plan from an in-depth slotting analysis...

Tough times mean big opportunities.
September 1, 2008... By Greg Cober Hard times can represent a great opportunity for "problem-solvers" to step up and make things happen Sometimes the news can seem overwhelming. We hear about a difficult economy, with companies moving off shore and...

Women in Distribution.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... By Joe Nowlan, Associate Editor Five women who lead distributorships say the number of women in distribution is rising, but slowly In terms of numbers, industrial distribution is still a male-dominated industry. But that's a perception...