Purchasing articles from August 2005

Purchasing archives from August 2005

Business conditions indicator.(PURCHASINGDATA.COM's)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector continues its erratic growth pattern. [up arrow] 7.1 [GRAPHIC OMITTED] U.S. emerges from a two-month lull Up Down Same Index Trend ...

Executives worldwide are markedly less confident about the economy's prospects.(tip sheet: KEY METRICS AND SUPPLY ALERT)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Executives worldwide are markedly less confident about the economy's prospects than they were even three months ago. North American confidence fell by 10% overall in a McKinsey & Co. survey during the most recent quarter and even further in...

An uncertain trendline for energy prices galls economists trying to gauge downstream inflation.(tip sheet: KEY METRICS AND SUPPLY ALERT)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... An uncertain trendline for energy prices galls economists trying to gauge downstream inflation on chemicals, plastics, metals and myriad processed materials purchased by manufacturing. Further rises in energy costs could dampen the rate of...

U.S.-based semiconductor companies will account for 46% of global integrated circuit sales in 2005.(tip sheet: KEY METRICS AND SUPPLY ALERT)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... U.S.-based semiconductor companies will account for 46% of global integrated circuit sales in 2005, compared to 19% by Japan-headquartered companies. South Korea, Taiwan, China and other Asian countries will account for 25% of IC sales. In...

Have you filled out Purchasing magazine's annual Salary Survey?(tip sheet: KEY METRICS AND SUPPLY ALERT)
August 11, 2005... Have you filled out PURCHASING magazine's annual Salary Survey? If you haven't done so already, complete the survey at www.purchasing.com/salarysurvey. Your responses are completely confidential. The report will be published in the magazine's...

30-day styrene price expectations.(PURCHASINGDATA.COM's)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Buyers have been accurate in forecasting recent plateau in transaction price tags for styrene chemicals. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Buyers' 90-day price expectations Commodities voted most likely to rise in price through September ...

Sales of cellular telephones continue to rise worldwide.(prices: FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCT COST)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Sales of cellular telephones continue to rise worldwide, but not prices. LG Electronics says second-quarter cellphone sales increased 22% but average selling prices dropped 5%. Prices fell 4.5% on phones from Nokia. Average sales prices also...

The demand and supply balance for cement in the U.S. is creating a serious pricing problem.(prices: FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCT COST)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * The demand and supply balance for cement in the U.S. is creating a serious pricing problem. Cemex began boosting prices in the second quarter of 2004 and has boosted cement prices a total of 28%, to about $96/ton now from $75 then, calculates...

Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display panel prices have weakened 42%.(prices: FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCT COST)(Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display panel )(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display panel prices have weakened 42% so far this year because of a global supply glut. But an executive for LG.Philips LCD, one of the world's largest producers, tells market analysts to expect stronger...

Buyers should see stabilized prices next quarter for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips.(prices: FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCT COST)(DRAM (Dynamic random access memory))(prices and rates)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Buyers should see stabilized prices next quarter for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Prices fell about 30% in the first half, and are soft this quarter as well, but most analysts now expect suppliers to cut back production. Another...

The Baltic Exchange's Panamax dry freight price index has slipped to a two-year low.(prices: FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCT COST)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * The Baltic Exchange's Panamax dry freight price index has slipped to a two-year low on waning global grains and minerals trade demand. The indicator is down due to a seasonal downturn in Latin American grains exports, a drop in Indian...

Copper cathode prices have been rising to fresh highs lately.(prices: FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCT COST)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Copper cathode prices have been rising to fresh highs lately, but probably will fall 35% to about $1/lb over the next 18 months as miners strive to produce more of the red metal to meet anticipated Chinese demand. So says Juan Villarzu,...

Leadtime index, all commodities.(PURCHASINGDATA.COM's)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Monthly, weighted, 1992 = 100 [up arrow] 17.2 For the 12 months ending July 2005, PURCHASING'S Leadtime Index (1992=100) averaged 20.8% higher than the corresponding 12-month period a year earlier. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Tracking...

Purchasing magazine's business activity index was in a slow-growth mode.(economy: HOW SUPPLY MANAGERS SEE BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * PURCHASING magazine's business activity index was in a slow-growth mode for the second consecutive month in July, while some second-tier economic reports hint at continuing strength in the overall U.S. economy. The Conference Board said its...

Summertime greetings from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.(economy: HOW SUPPLY MANAGERS SEE BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Summertime greetings from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan: He repeats his vow that the central bank will keep raising short-term interest rates. Reason: The Fed's baseline outlook for the U.S. economy is one of sustained economic...

The trade deficit is on track to break last year's record of $617.6 billion.(economy: HOW SUPPLY MANAGERS SEE BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * The trade deficit is on track to break last year's record of $617.6 billion. Why worry about the trade gap? Because, essentially, the current trade deficit means that foreigners lend Americans more than $2 billion daily. Many economists worry...

Companies that normally borrow in order to invest are turning thrifty.(economy: HOW SUPPLY MANAGERS SEE BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Companies that normally borrow in order to invest are turning thrifty, report J.P. Morgan economists, suggesting future capacity issues. Even companies enjoying strong profits and cash flow are building cash hoards, reducing debt and buying...

"Tight capacity and strong demand are creating a very favorable environment.(economy: HOW SUPPLY MANAGERS SEE BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * "Tight capacity and strong demand are creating a very favorable environment for companies in the freight transportation sector," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Philip Baggaley. A report from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services says the...

The European economy isn't growing very fast.(economy: HOW SUPPLY MANAGERS SEE BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * The European economy isn't growing very fast. Surveys of business leaders find them dismayed by the inability of the European Central Bank to help ignite growth, outsourcing to Asia and India that is threatening jobs and exports from Eastern...

30-day energy buying plans.(PURCHASINGDATA.COM's)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... (Diffusion index *) [up arrow] 6.2 Even with record-high energy prices, buyers need to keep plants, offices, and vehicles running. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Forward demand, 30-days COMMODITY ...

Metals buyers will be serviced by fewer Ryerson Tull processing and stockholding facilities.(supply: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARKETS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Metals buyers will be serviced by fewer Ryerson Tull processing and stockholding facilities when the service center giant completes the integration of the 125 facilities across North America now operated by its Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, J.M....

Aluminum Corp. of China, the nation's biggest alumina producer.(supply: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARKETS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Aluminum Corp. of China, the nation's biggest alumina producer, plans to boost aluminum production by 30% and alumina output by 10% this year, Chinese news sources. A Hong Kong-based newspaper said the company aims to produce 7.5 million tons...

"It is pretty clear our industry was impacted by a large global inventory correction during the second quarter.(supply: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARKETS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * "It is pretty clear our industry was impacted by a large global inventory correction during the second quarter as customers consumed much more of our products than they purchased," said Jeff Lipton, NOVA Chemicals' president and CEO. "We saw...

Demand is surging for desktop and laptop personal computers--rising 16.6% in the second quarter.(supply: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARKETS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Demand is surging for desktop and laptop personal computers--rising 16.6% in the second quarter--despite previous predictions the PC market was evolving into a slower, cyclical business. Lower-priced PCs are triggering demand from consumers...

Chipmaker Intel predicts increased demand for chips in the current quarter.(supply: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARKETS)(company sales and revenue)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Chipmaker Intel predicts increased demand for chips in the current quarter. Intel had a 15% second-quarter jump in revenue and sees another 16% sales increase this quarter. Advanced Micro Devices, the perennial challenger in microprocessors,...

Crompton Corp. and Great Lakes Chemical Corp. have completed their merger.(supply: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MARKETS)(mergers and acquisitions)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... * Crompton Corp. and Great Lakes Chemical Corp. have completed their merger to become Chemtura Corp., the fourth-largest domestic specialty chemicals company and the world's largest plastics additives company.

Online poll.(Purchasing.com)
August 11, 2005... How have your job responsibilities expanded in the last five years? I am now responsible for: No charge 13% Indirect 10% Logistics 8% Direct 19% Other supply chain...

Product-development partners.(inside purchasing)(Instron Inc.)
August 11, 2005... When the president of Massachusetts-based Instron Inc. was interviewing candidates for the position of global procurement director, he had several criteria in mind. But one of the most important was whether the new manager would be able to work...

Driving efficiency: centralized fleet management offers chance for savings.(INDIRECT SPEND)
August 11, 2005... As more and more procurement organizations conduct spend-analysis projects and work to centralize and leverage spend, one of the areas that continually comes up as ripe for savings is fleet procurement and management. "Centralizing fleet spend...

Buyers cautious as LME trades plastics futures.(London Metal Exchange)
August 11, 2005... Buyers and market watchers are basically taking a "wait and see" attitude toward the The London Metal Exchange (LME)'s decision to begin trading plastics futures. On May 27, the LME opened trading on plastics futures, offering its first...

AMR Research.(RESEARCH UPDATE)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... AMR Research says the supply chain management technology market grew 4% in 2004, the first increase in three years. "For SCM providers, the past four years have been a tough ride, leaving many vendors to question their strategy while seeing the...

Establishing a low-cost country sourcing (LCCS) program is a matter of survival for companies, according to the latest report from market research firm Aberdeen Group, but many challenges remain in establishing this strategy.(RESEARCH UPDATE)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Establishing a low-cost country sourcing (LCCS) program is a matter of survival for companies, according to the latest report from market research firm Aberdeen Group, but many challenges remain in establishing this strategy. Many manufacturers...

Archstone Consulting.(is enhancing its Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Practice )(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Archstone Consulting is enhancing its Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Practice by expanding its Low Cost Country Sourcing (LCCS) service offerings, in reaction to research like Aberdeen's saying companies need more help in sourcing overseas....

Deregulation provides opportunity for e-sourcing.(Cargill using Onlne auction to select the bidders)
August 11, 2005... Buyers are constantly looking for ways to manage the rapid run-up in energy prices. With energy deregulation taking hold (see story, PURCHASING, July 14, 2005, p.22), buyers are able to create more competition for lower prices in certain...

IQNavigator.(introduced IQNavigator7)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... IQNavigator's latest release, IQNavigator7, contains new functionality to optimize the services supply chain, helping to reduce costs of services for all categories such as outsourced/offshore projects, facilities management, marketing...

SciQuest.(introducing HigherMarkets Express and SelectSite Express )(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... SciQuest has added HigherMarkets Express and SelectSite Express to its family of supplier management tools. "After meeting many requests from the midtier market, we decided to meet the market's demand with a cost-effective, easy-to-use...

Mindflow.(introduced Sourcing Suite 5.0)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Sourcing optimization technology provider Mindflow released its on-demand Sourcing Suite 5.0 recently, which leverages an extensive library of category-specific sourcing templates and best practices. The 5.0 Suite includes modules for: spend...

Vinimaya.(introduced EasyOrder an internet based XML/EDI service)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Vinimaya recently introduced its EasyOrder, an Internet-based XML/EDI service, as well as its Supplier Solutions to help suppliers provide punchout catalogs to multiple buyers and receive electronic purchase orders quickly and inexpensively....

MCA Solutions.(launched its strategic consulting practice)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Software firm MCA Solutions recently launched its Strategic Consulting practice, bringing its expertise in creating high-performing service supply chains to the commercial and defense markets. The company is also rolling out MCA University,...

Travelocity Business.(enhancing its travel reporting capabilities)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Travelocity Business boosted its travel reporting capabilities to provide improved access and analysis of online travel spend data. Improvements include security reports where companies can instantly access employee travel bookings and contact...

What's hot.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... It appears the transition to components that are compliant with the Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) initiative is progressing nicely. Many suppliers have already made the switch and others have set a timetable when...

IBM says diverse suppliers are good for business; Big Blue targets $2b in diverse spend.(International Business Machines Corp.)
August 11, 2005... Companies should do business with diverse suppliers, not so much for social reasons, but because it makes good business sense, says the head of IBM's supplier diversity program IBM expects to spend about $2 billion with diverse suppliers in...

New part numbers to be issued.(LEAD FREE UPDATE)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... A new study finds that more suppliers will create new part numbers for parts that comply with the European Union's Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances law. The study by electronics distributor Avnet and researcher Technology...

Prices keep dropping despite strong demand.(PASSIVES UPDATE)
August 11, 2005... Buyers can expect continued price erosion for most passive components despite healthy demand and increases in raw materials costs for suppliers. Many passive component suppliers say they're expecting 5-6% price declines this year, although...

Expect mixed pricing for heatsinks through '05.(ELECTROMECHANICAL)
August 11, 2005... Buyers can expect continued price erosion for fans, but flat to rising prices for heatsinks. Prices will be higher for heatsinks used in non-computing applications, but stable for heatsinks used in computers. "Downward pressure on fans is...

Prices fall as LED demand slows despite wider use.(OPTOELECTRONICS)
August 11, 2005... Buyers can expect prices for high-brightness, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to fall between 10-15% over the next year, despite their growing use in cell phones, automobiles, traffic signals, and outdoor lights. While LEDs are being designed...

Avnet finalizes Memec deal.(DISTRIBUTION UPDATE)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Avnet has completed its acquisition of Memec, a leading global distributor specializing in semiconductors. Under the acquisition agreement, Memec investors received a total of approximately 24.011 million shares of Avnet common stock plus...

Arrow is Fairchild's best.(Arrow Electronics Inc.'s agreements with Fairchild Semiconductor Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Fairchild Semiconductor has named Arrow Electronics its Global Distributor of the Year for 2004. Fairchild's scorecard program measures its distributor network on four strategic business elements: demand creation, business-plan performance,...

Nu Horizon inks chip deal.(with Cirrus Logic Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Nu Horizons will carry Cirrus Logic's corn plete line of analog, mixed signal and embedded integrated circuit products under a new agreement. Cirrus Logic, a supplier of high-performance semiconductors, makes chips for a wide variety of...

Newark InOne acquires R&R.(R&R Instrumentation )(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Newark InOne has purchased the assets of R&R Instrumentation and transferred all of its business and employees to a new division named Newark InOne Services. R&R is a regional distributor of test equipment and panel instruments in Denver. It...

SpotComponents signs agreement.(with Arcotronics America)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... SpotComponents, an Internet-based authorized distributor of electronic components, says it is now carrying film capacitors of Arcotronics America. Arcotronics, a division of the Arco-Nissei Group, is one of the world's largest producers of film...

Semiconductor equipment revenue to drop 12% in 2005.(CHIP EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment sales are on pace to decline about 12% to $33.1 billion in 2005, according to a new Gartner study. The researcher says all segments of the semiconductor capital-equipment market are projected to...

More EMS providers to move to India.(Electronics manufacturing services)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... India's contract manufacturing business is expected to nearly triple in revenue over the next five years, according to a new study. Revenue generated by electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers and original design manufacturers...

HP is the top global chip buyer; Dell, Nokia next.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)
August 11, 2005... Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Nokia will be the top-three buyers of semiconductors in 2005, according to a new study by researcher iSuppli. While the semiconductor industry is expected to post modest growth in 2005 compared to last year, major...

Samsung ships DDR2-667.(Samsung Electronics Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Samsung Electronics has begun volume production of 667 Mbps DDR2 (Double Data Rate 2) DRAM memory. Designed for faster data transfer in desktop and notebook PCs, workstations and servers, DDR2-667 has 25% greater bandwidth than the fastest main...

Business picks up.(EXCLUSIVE ELECTRONICS BUSINESS REPORT)
August 11, 2005... Electronics buyers say business is building and they plan to place more purchase orders over the next 90 days. Sixty percent of buyers said they plan to increase their purchase orders over the next three months, according to PURCHASING...

Get smart about sourcing: moves that will make you best-in-class at category management.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
August 11, 2005... Executive Summary In Spring 2005, with sponsorship from SAP, PURCHASING began a Webcast forum, Part 1 of which invited procurement professionals from around the globe to share critical challenges in their quests to be best-in-class at...

The making of a champion: these purchasing pros have what it takes to win--knowledge, leadership skills, and experience.(maintenance, repair and overhaul sourcing)(Cover Story)
August 11, 2005... PURCHASING magazine has selected its MRO champions for 2005. And the consensus is: MRO purchasers at companies across the country face roughly the same challenge. That is, to control costs while maintaining supply in an environment of...

The changing face of supplier diversity: procurement and diversity groups work together to win support, increase spend.(sourcing strategies)
August 11, 2005... More and more businesses today are realizing and leveraging the business case for increasing their spend with minority and women-owned suppliers. In a recent Purchasing.com poll, 65% of respondents said such supplier diversity was either a...

Only the best suppliers will do: tried and true sourcing practices deliver an optimal supplier base for FedEx.
August 11, 2005... It may read like a trick question, but it's not: How does a purchasing operation manage an optimized supply base while meeting growing customer demand for diversity? Mary H. McDaniel, vice president of materiel and corporate sourcing for...

Supplier relations are the key to Toyota's North American success.(Interview)
August 11, 2005... As Toyota Manufacturing North America (TMNA) expands its manufacturing footprint in the U.S., its procurement operations are growing and expanding in step. Sig Huber's responsibilities are a good example. He is assistant general manager of...

National agreements create uniformity and offer leeway; industrial manufacturer leverages indirect spend.(STRATEGIC SOURCING)
August 11, 2005... The indirect sourcing team at Woodward Governor has a knack when it comes to executing the office equipment buy. The team collaborated recently with the company's information technology (IT) professionals to purchase office equipment, a project...

Managing the indirect spend.(OFFICE SUPPLIES)(Timken Co.'s indirect spending)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... While indirect materials typically make up less than 5% of a manufacturing company s annual buy, it's still important to leverage the spend. So says Steve Lee, general manager of indirect purchasing at Timken Co. in Canton, Ohio. "A lot of...

Canon introduces new multifunction products.(COPIERS)(Canon Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Canon added three new digital products to its line of color multifunction systems, including the Color imageRUNNER C2620 and imageRUNNER C3170 Series (C3170U and C3170i). These multifunction devices, the company says, "achieve a new level of...

OfficeMax.(OFFICE BRIEFS)(wins The Webby Awards)
August 11, 2005... OfficeMax was deemed Webby Worthy by The Webby Awards for its e-commerce website for contract business customers. OfficeMax is one of the nation's largest office supply distributors, based in Itasca, Ill. Its website was honored for its easy...

Office Depot.(OFFICE BRIEFS)(Office Depot Inc.'s quantified environmental performance)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Office Depot announced that in 2004, 65% of its U.S. paper sales came from recycled paper, a dramatic 373% increase from 2003. Office Depot, headquartered in Delray Beach, Fla., became the first company in the office products industry to set...

What's hot.(logistics)(containerized shipping services forecasts and trends)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Supply of containerized shipping services will catch up with demand--but not until next year. Clarkson Research Studies expects demand to exceed, supply by 1.4% in 2005, but says growth in supply will outpace demand by 2.5% in 2006. And Drewery...

Efficiency equals economy: experts weigh in with real-world advice on streamlining operations for cost savings.(10 SUREFIRE LOGISTICS TIPS)
August 11, 2005... Tip #1 Deconsolidate and DC bypass DC bypass is so named because it enables companies to bypass a stop at their distribution centers DCs). Freight moving through a DC bypass travels from a port of entry to a deconsolidation center, where...

Freight rate outlook.(PURCHASING MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE)(Illustration)
August 11, 2005... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Buyers expecting increases in next quarter (Transportation services price trend, 90-day) Up 55% Down 0% Same 34% Half of buyers plan to hold spending levels (Transportation services buying...

Kimberly-Clark Corp. has begun formal testing of Generation 2 RFID hardware this summer.(RFID NEWS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Kimberly-Clark Corp. has begun formal testing of Generation 2 RFID hardware this summer. Generation 2 hardware provides one solution to replace numerous incompatible systems with one system used worldwide. Cheryl Perkins, Kimberly-Clark's...

Also planning some RFID testing is Cape Systems Group.(RFID NEWS)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Also planning some RFID testing is Cape Systems Group, a provider of software technology for packaging design, pallet optimization, and supply chain execution. Cape is teaming up with Open Terra in establishing a state of the art RFID Test and...

Deutsche Bank Securities.(oil tanker industry forecasts)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Deutsche Bank Securities analyst Jordan Alliger recently initiated coverage in the oil tanker industry, predicting that supply and demand fundamentals should stay solid for 2005, but that the peak is near. "This [2005] will be another solid...

Demand and pricing for rail services will remain high, according to executives at the two largest U.S. railroads, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Demand and pricing for rail services will remain high, according to executives at the two largest U.S. railroads, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. At a recent investors conference, executives from both companies said demand for...

UPS.(United Parcel Service of America Inc. unveiled its quantum view inbound technology enhancement)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... UPS recently unveiled its Quantum View Inbound technology enhancement that automatically notifies customers of every package in the UPS system moving toward them. Quantum View Inbound provides proactive notification of UPS air express, ground...

Con-Way Transportation Services' Mexican operating company, ConWay Mexico Express, has opened a network of six logistics centers to serve the major commercial shipping markets in Mexico July 4.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Con-Way Transportation Services' Mexican operating company, ConWay Mexico Express, has opened a network of six logistics centers to serve the major commercial shipping markets in Mexico July 4. "Building this network is the next logical step in...

Yellow-Roadway.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Yellow-Roadway is working to integrate some of its recent acquisitions to make a more consolidated operation. To that end, it has shifted some of the coverage for its newly acquired USF divisions. The company closed its USF Dugan regional...

Schneider Logistics has agreed to acquire American Port Services, a leading U.S. provider of port transloading/deconsolidation, warehousing, and distribution services in Savannah, Ga.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Schneider Logistics has agreed to acquire American Port Services, a leading U.S. provider of port transloading/deconsolidation, warehousing, and distribution services in Savannah, Ga. "Linking the inland truckload/deconsolidation, intermodal...

What's hot.(mro/distribution news)
August 11, 2005... Looking for benchmarking data for the MRO/indirect buy? The MRO-Indirect Group of the Institute of Supply Management is conducting an extensive study this summer, surveying its membership on a wide range of topics from national agreements and...

BP challenges suppliers with unique requirements; partnership reduces costs.(STRATEGIC SOURCING)
August 11, 2005... One surefire way for MRO buyers to cut costs is to automate the procure-to-pay process. But, as most MRO purchasers know, often this is easier said than done. Two years ago, Jim Brannan, procurement team leader at Innovene in Grangemouth,...

Distributor receives patent for e-purchasing program.(Kenn Fischburg)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... The U.S. Patent Office has awarded Kenn Fischburg, president of Consumers Interstate Corp., Norwich, Conn., a patent for inventing an Internet procurement method. Fischburg says he filed the patent for his company's Priority Program on...

DoALL realigns.(INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2005... Industrial products supplier DoALL has realigned the company into two primary business units: DoALL Global Industrial Supply (DGI Supply) and DoALL Sawing Products. DoALL is based in Des Plaines, Ill. The DGI Supply division, headed by...

MRO book available now.(FROM THE BOOKSTORE)
August 11, 2005... How does your MRO sourcing operation measure up? For PURCHASING magazine's newest book, MRO Purchasing Best Practices, the editors interviewed MRO buyers who have deployed sourcing strategies at their companies considered by their peers to be...

Key supplier Web site locator.
August 11, 2005... www.stock-point.com IC'S--CAPACITORS--MEMORY & MORE Stock-Point is a WBENC certified minority broad line STOCKING distributor of all types of components, including but not limited to IC's, Capacitors, Connectors, & Memory. Is it...

Most leadtimes expand.(electronics leadtimes)
August 11, 2005... Leadtimes for 33 of 41 components tracked monthly by PURCHASING magazine expanded in July, indicating manufacturers are preparing to boost manufacturing for the end of the year holiday selling season. Every memory IC leadtime stretched in...