Purchasing articles from September 2003

Purchasing archives from September 2003

Purchasingdata.com's industrial supplies price index: monthly, weighted, 1992 = 100.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)
September 4, 2003... 0.7A Note: Price up indicated with A. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] After surging sharply in first-half 2003, the trend in industrial commodity prices flattened over the summer. Despite expectations that energy prices will remain high, buyers...

Forward demand suggests autumn rally.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 4, 2003... Forward demand suggests autumn rally Up Down Same Index Trend Business Activity Indexes * National 35% 26% 39% 54.8 A Northeast 32% 32%...

ePlus, Herndon, Va., has been awarded a U.S. patent (No. 6,505,172) for e-sourcing software.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * ePlus, Herndon, Va., has been awarded a U.S. patent (No. 6,505,172) for e-sourcing software. That could force other e-sourcing software companies--and, by extension, their customers--to pay license fees for technology that enables...

Look for applications of lightweight.(steels in North American automobile industry to increase)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Look for applications of lightweight high-strength steels in North American cars and light-duty trucks to increase by 4% in 2004 to an average 395 lb/vehicle from 379 pounds in 2003. Use of high-strength steels for motor vehicle assembly has...

Expect business spending.(to rise in Japan)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Expect business spending to rise in Japan, a harbinger of improving economic news. A new Bank of Japan survey shows that large companies plan to spend 4.9% more this year on plant and equipment--the first increase in more than two years....

Hiring of temporary labor is rising.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Hiring of temporary labor is rising, even though permanent jobs are still declining. It's a sign of the new economy. Companies are hiring contract workers to save money and avoid problems if the economy swoons again. Make sure your spend...

The huge mid-August power blackout makes passage of a new federal energy bill this year virtually certain.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * The huge mid-August power blackout makes passage of a new federal energy bill this year virtually certain. Moving up to the top of the list will be financial help for a national electrical grid and special breaks for new nuclear power plants,...

Check out purchasing.com.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)
September 4, 2003... * Check out purchasing.com for new Webcasts from the editors of PURCHASING magazine. First up on September 25 will be a detailed look at spend management strategies.

Purchasingdata.com's 90-day copper & brass price expectations.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... (Diffusion index, less than 50 = falling, more than 50 = rising) 8.3A Note: Price up indicated with A. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Next to energy, buyers are most worried about nonferrous pricing. Industry leadtimes, note, are averaging...

Price expectations, 90-days.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(By category of commodity)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 4, 2003... Price expectations, 90-days COMMODITY DIFFUSION CATEGORY PERIOD UP DOWN SAME INDEX Energy Aug 51% 14% 35% ...

Polypropylene (PP) suppliers are looking to impose a 3 cents/lb price hike.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Polypropylene (PP) suppliers are looking to impose a 3 cents/lb price hike and some sources indicate that polypropylene inventories are down more than 25% over the last three months. However, PURCHASINGDATA.COM's monthly commodity...

Keystone Steel & Wire now is trying to adjust a price increase on low-carbon wire rod product.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Keystone Steel & Wire now is trying to adjust a price increase on low-carbon wire rod product to $30/ton in September because of higher scrap costs instead of the $15 other mini-mills have proposed. This action would boost list prices to...

Microsoft has cut the price for its Office document.(software suite for the Macintosh computers)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Microsoft has cut the price for its Office document, spreadsheet and presentation software suite used in Apple Computer's Macintosh personal computers from $499 to $399. Microsoft, which dominates the PC industry with its Windows operating...

Corporate travel managers are looking for hefty discounts on employee business trips next year.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Corporate travel managers are looking for hefty discounts on employee business trips next year. Companies, spending at least 10% less on travel this year than they did last year want to repeat the cost-cutting in 2004. That's the word from...

Natural gas for September deliveries has risen past $5 per million British thermal units.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Natural gas for September deliveries has risen past $5 per million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Reason: Factories have continued to burn gas this summer instead of even-costlier oil-based fuels. Meantime, energy...

Prices for 300-millimeter blank wafers are expected to increase.(Price: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Prices for 300-millimeter blank wafers are expected to increase by 10% to $400 in the fourth quarter when demand for the large-diameter wafers is expected to be 50% greater than a year earlier. Asian foundries admit that manufacturing...

Purchasingdata.com's leadtime index, all commodities.(Economy: How Supply Managers See Business)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Monthly, weighted, 1992 = 100 6.0B Note: Price down indicated with B. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] If the economy accelerates, as expected, to a 4% growth rate in second half, leadtimes are going to go shooting out, Purchasing predicts....

Tracking the economy.(Economy: How Supply Managers See Business)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Tracking the economy LATEST PREVIOUS INDICATOR PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD Industrial production ('92=100) July 110.0 109.5 ...

The Fed's done cutting short-term interest rates.(Economy: How Supply Managers See Business)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * The Fed's done cutting short-term interest rates, according to a whopping 97.7% of economists surveyed monthly by Blue Chip Economic Indicators. Behind that sentiment is a view that U.S. economic growth will accelerate to near 4% (annualized)...

There could be no economic growth forecast without a litany of risks that would prevent its coming true.(Economy: How Supply Managers See Business)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * There could be no economic growth forecast without a litany of risks that would prevent its coming true. The new favorite: A recent strong rise in long-term interest rates (bond yields) is killing off the mortgage refinancing boom that has...

Manufacturing productivity grew at a 4.2% annual rate in the second quarter.(Economy: How Supply Managers See Business)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * Manufacturing productivity grew at a 4.2% annual rate in the second quarter, nearly maintaining the strong 4.9% pace set in Q1. That's good news. Productivity growth leads to profits growth, which, in theory, leads to innovation, investment,...

There's a glimmer of good news on the capital-spending front.(Economy: How Supply Managers See Business)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... * There's a glimmer of good news on the capital-spending front. PURCHASING'S diffusion index tracking 30-day buying plans (forward demand) for tooling rose to a slightly positive 55.1 in August as one in three buyers reported an increase in...

Energy costs inflate materials.(transaction prices)
September 4, 2003... Financial markets may have embraced the view that manufacturing is poised for better times ahead, but "industrial commodity prices have yet to receive much of a lift," from this optimism says senior economist Craig Alexander at TD Bank in...

Purchasing transaction price survey results.(transaction prices)
September 4, 2003... Transac- Buyer's tion forcast price * FERROUS METALS ...

Cessna wins 2003 Medal of Excellence.(Cessna Aircraft wins purchasing award)
September 4, 2003... Cessna Aircraft wins the 2003 PURCHASING magazine Medal of Professional Excellence for its transformation from a transaction purchasing organization to an integrated full supply chain process and for the results they achieved: * 86%...

Buyers encounter scattered supply shortfalls ...(Grassroots Report)(metals, electronics)
September 4, 2003... The long strike at the Sudbury, Ontario, smelter of Inco Ltd. is pushing nickel to the edge of a supply shortfall and causing short-supply woes for sulfuric acid buyers as well. Production has been stopped since June, causing a tightness in...

U.S. economy stages very slow comeback, buyers say.(Verbatims)
September 4, 2003... How's business? That's what PURCHASING asked in August--since buyers have a good handle on sales trends within their companies and their industry segments. Here's a typical answer: "Many quotes, but no significant sales to date. It is taking a...

... While sellers have trouble recouping high costs.(Grassroots Report)(manufacturing commodities)
September 4, 2003... Low levels of price inflation are apparent in the supply drain pipeline for manufacturing commodities components and assemblies. Economists explain a lack of pricing power leaves producers struggling to raise prices (to offset rising costs of...

LME launches probe into spot, futures trading.(London Metal Exchange is investigating possible collusion in the aluminum trading market)
September 4, 2003... The London Metal Exchange, is investigating price movements, supply levels, trading patterns, as well as "possible collusion between market participants" in the aluminum market. The benchmark price in early August was 4% higher than June 1, and...

ORBIS Corp.(Robert Reynolds is the new director of material logistics)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Robert Reynolds is the new director of material logistics for ORBIS Corp., a maker of plastic reusable packaging based in Oconomowoc, Wis. Reynolds will be responsible for coordinating efforts to lower material costs and facilities process...

Johnson Controls, Milwaukee, Wis.(appointed Titus Martin as supplier diversity manager for its Controls Group)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Johnson Controls, Milwaukee, Wis., has appointed Titus Martin as supplier diversity manager for its Controls Group. In this position, Martin will be responsible for strengthening relationships with diverse business development organizations and...

EaglePicher Hillsdale Division.(Bill Liu named global commodity buyer)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Bill Liu has joined EaglePicher Hillsdale Division, Inkster, Mich., as global commodity buyer. Liu will be responsible for developing the division's global commodity source strategies, coordinating supplier development, managing all supplier...

EVA measures competitiveness.(Commentary)(economic value added)
September 4, 2003... Economic value added (EVA) is a new and growing measure of competitive performance. Because EVA raises the performance bar from profit contribution (that is, revenue minus variable costs) to profit minus the cost of capital, firm's using the...

Soft auto, high-tech use hurts service center sales.(Copper)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Despite an optimistic outlook among copper service center executives at the start of 2003, shipments midway through the year were down 1.1% compared with the first half of 2002. Members of the Copper & Brass Servicenter Association (CBSA) buy...

Study puts total transactions under $10K at $456 billion.(Purchasing Cards)
September 4, 2003... Purchasing card spending in North America is expected to double in the next five years, according to the 2003 Purchasing Card Benchmark Survey Results. That's after doubling from $40 billion in January 2001 to $80 billion in January 2003. The...

Some unsettling questions.(murray's law)(contract cases)
September 4, 2003... Bob Adams works in the Supply Chain Management Division of the Amalgamated Corp. of America (AMA). Bob buys products and materials for AMA. AMA's engineers saw a demonstration of an X365 computerized lathe manufactured by Compulathe (C) that...

Buying on price alone can lead to high operating costs.(Lift Trucks)
September 4, 2003... Buying lift trucks may no longer be the straightforward price comparison it once was. Rather, it's evolving into a science as companies track more data on usage and costs. When it comes to buying lift trucks, companies usually assume what...

Corrections.
September 4, 2003... A story on Ford's TVM initiative [PUR; July 17. '03. p. 76] should have cited anticipated program savings at $350 million (not $350 billion). The following listing should have appeared as part of PURCHASlNG'S Software Buyers Guide [PUR:...

Howard Univ. will convene first Black executive summit.(Supply Management)
September 4, 2003... As a result of an effort spearheaded by Shelley Stewart, Jr., vice president of supply chain for Tyco International (Princeton, N.J.), Howard University in Washington, D.C., was able to create the Supply Chain Management Center in 2001. In its...

Professional profile.(Motor Harley-Davidson Company, Vice-President, Material Management and Product Cost)
September 4, 2003... Title: Vice-President, Material Management and Product Cost Company: Harley-Davidson Responsibilities: Berryman is responsible for all materials, which include all of the inbound and outbound, all of the delivery flow and...

What's hot.(fuel cell trends)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... If commercial fuel cell shipments expand the way optimists hope, total world platinum use could increase by 10% in a decade (to almost 6.7 million troy ounces), according to research firm ABI of Oyster Bay, N.Y. However, skeptics abound....

U.S. appeal stretches out Section 201 tariffs.(Steel Trade Wars)
September 4, 2003... Pascal Lamy, the European Union's trade commissioner, is looking for the U.S. to remove the controversial Section 201 steel tariffs in a very short period of time," now that the World Trade Organization has declared them illegal (twice). The...

Is the U.S. steel industry technologically impotent?(Metals Perspective)
September 4, 2003... We are in a global market, right? This IS a global economy, correct? The U.S. steel industry needs to compete not just with the guy down the street, but also with the guy halfway around the world, right? Then why is the U.S. steel industry...

Mills are eliminating hindrances to quality: is anything really new in steelmaking? How about the use of high-technology equipment in an 'old technology' industry.(steel technology report)
September 4, 2003... Measure. Monitor. Control. That's how managers at Gerdau Ameristeel Corp. are teaching steelworkers to use new equipment and machinery to reduce variability in the steelmaking process. Result: Better quality steel sheet, plate, bars and other...

Metalworking in summer hiatus.(Exclusive Business Data)
September 4, 2003... Metal-using manufacturing either went on vacation in August or the overall metalworking economy is adjusting to a future with less industrial activity. The metals-consuming marketplace's business activity of 53.1 is slightly lower than the 53.3...

Cessna soars: a world class supply chain process results in big improvements in quality, cost, delivery and customer service.(medal of excellence)
September 4, 2003... Integrated supply chain management has become a way of life at Cessna Aircraft Co., Wichita, Kan. As recently as 1997, the aircraft manufacturer had little strategic supply chain process. Relationships with suppliers were adversarial...

MRO buyers take the field: working with suppliers to solve everyday problems lands MRO buyers spots on Purchasing's All Star team.(The MRO All-Stars)(maintenance, repair and operations)
September 4, 2003... MRO Buyers on PURCHASING magazine's All-Star Team for 2003 are winners in any book. Nominated by their colleagues and/or suppliers for this year's team, the MRO buyers work for companies in a variety of industries: aircraft manufacturing,...

Supply chain management: what is it?(purchasing white paper)
September 4, 2003... The concept of supply chain management was invented in the 1980s at Chrysler Corp. by top buyer Thomas Stallkamp, who remains an active member of PURCHASING magazine's Editorial Advisory Board. "We redefined purchasing from buyers of parts to...

What's hot.(air cargo industry trends)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... U.S. air cargo volumes declined 5.9% last year according to a recent study released by the Colography Group, a logistics industry market research firm. The study found that more shippers were moving toward lower-cost ground alternatives as...

Maximizing value of outsource partners requires new skills.(Third-Party Logistics)
September 4, 2003... The increasing use of third-party logistics providers (3PLs) is changing the duties and skills required of today's logisticians. No longer are logistics managers responsible only for making sure inbound and outbound freight gets to where it is...

Broader advanced shipment regulations proposed.(by U.S. Customs and Border Protection )
September 4, 2003... The U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposed broader advanced shipment notification regulations July 22, requiring all shippers of goods to and from the U.S. in all modes to electronically transmit information about their goods and the...

Yellow-roadway merger will affect LTL pricing.(logistics)
September 4, 2003... The news that Yellow Corp. will be acquiring LTL rival Roadway sent shockwaves through the industry in July. While buyers were eager to learn about the effect this move would have on pricing, industry analysts predicted potential difficulties...

Accelerometers--low mass laboratory.(Omega Engineering, Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Omega Engineering, Inc. www.omega.com One Omega Drive, Stamford, CT 06907 Phone: 800-826-6342 Fax: 302-359-7700 info@omega.com OMEGA's model ACC104A laboratory accelerometer is ideal for use where accurate structural...

Adhesives, sealants and coatings.(Master Bond Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Master Bond Inc. www.masterbond.com Master Bond Inc. manufacturers over 3,000 grades of adhesives, sealants, coatings, potting compounds and impregnation resins. Products include epoxies, anaerobics, cyanoacrylates, silicones and...

Aluminum.(Yarde Metals)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Yarde Metals www.yarde.com Multi-metal distributors, featuring complete processing of sheet and plate, bar, tubes, angles and extruded products. Visit our website for a complete listing of our stocked inventory.

Building maintenance.(FBG Service Corporation )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... FBG Service Corporation www.fbgservice.com Are your profits being swept under the carpet? How much does it cost you to invoice multiple vendors? Let FBG's comprehensive facility management make your life simpler. Start saving money and...

Die casting.(Diecasting Development Council database)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Diecasting Development Council www.diecasting.org/ddc The Diecasting Development Council's searchable database of custom die casters details alloys cast, part size and weight ranges. The site also lists die casting industry suppliers...

Electronic components sourcing.(Crestwood Technology Group)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Crestwood Technology Group--CTG www.CTG123.com CTG offers a FREE Parts Search and Rapid Quote System for all electronic components, electromechanical parts and aerospace products. CTG stocks commercial, industrial, military and...

Forgings.(All Metals & Forge)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... All Metals & Forge www.steelforge.com 239 New Road Parsippany, New Jersey 07054, USA E-Mail: laweiss@steelforge.com For Sales: salesp@steelforge.com PH: 1.973.276.5000 FX: 1.973.276.5050 Your ISO9001:2000 and...

Electronic components sourcing.(netCOMPONENTS )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... netCOMPONENTS www.netcomponents.com netCOMPONENTS, launched in 1997, is the worlds largest destination for sourcing and procurement of electronic components in a direct, disclosed (non-anonymous), and vendor-neutral environment,...

Freight cost containment.(Spectrum Transportation Consultants, Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Spectrum Transportation Consultants, Inc. www.spectrumtrans.com Learn how our group purchasing power will reduce your freight costs while targeting areas for improving your supply chain. Our no-cost analysis will benchmark your current...

Filters.(The Filter Store Plus)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... The Filter Store Plus www.filterstore.com Phone: 800-828-1494 Fax: 585-624-1715 Single source supplier for all your filtration needs. We can supply, or cross, most major manufacturers of filters. We carry air intake,...

Hinges.(Stocker Hinge Manufacturing)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Stocker Hinge Manufacturing Company, Inc. www.stocker.com info@stocker.com Stocker Hinge has been North America's leading designer and manufacturer of continuous, butt and specialty hinges for OEM's and Distributors since...

Magnetic hand tools and conveyors.(Magni-Power Company / Magnetic Division )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Magni-Power Company / Magnetic Division www.magnipower.com Order on-line over 130 magnetic hand tools, separators, sweepers, and other magnetic products. In business since 1948 helping manufacturers with their magnetic and...

Metal fabrications and assemblies.(Magni-Power Company)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Magni-Power Company www.magnipower.com E-mail: info@magnipower.com Magni-Power company is a full service metal fabricator. Processing steel, aluminum, and stainless steel through 3/8 inch thick. Offering CNC punching, stamping,...

Metal stampings, fabrications, enclosures.(Triton Industries, Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Triton Industries, Inc. www.tritonindustries.com ISO-QS-9000 Certified--Automated prog. Die stampings, laser--cut prototypes, fabricated custom enclosures. Low--medium & high volumes. Aluminum stamped heat sinks. Stainless steel,...

OEM products.(GLOBEX Product Sourcing)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... GLOBEX Product Sourcing www.gbx.com E-Mail: info@gbx.com Phone: 1-888-445-6239 GLOBEX provides custom-manufactured, made-to-specification parts for OEM/ODM clients. All services are provided... from product design, on-site...

Plating/metal finishing.(Techtrix Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... TECHTRIX, INC. www.techtrix.com E-Mail: mail@techtrix.com PHONE (256) 543-2424 ISO 9002 We provide these quality finishes: * Cadium * Zinc * Silver * Tin * Nickel * Copper * Alodine * Gold * Passivation * Electroless...

Recruiting/professional placement.(Tonia Deal Consultants, Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Tonia Deal Consultants, Inc. www.toniadealconsultants.com TDC, Inc. specializes in technical and executive placement, focusing in Supply Chain Management. We are a 100% female owned small business with an outstanding reputation for...

Stainless steel fittings & stainless steel machining.(QMC Technologies, Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... QMC Technologies, Inc. www.qmctechnologies.com E-mail: rapidquote@qmctechnologies.com 4142 Broadway, Depew, NY 14043 (Since f976) 1-800-569-0810 FAX: (716) 681-0881 QMC manufactures custom OEM Stainless Steel fittings...

Stainless steel threaded fittings.(Key Supplier Web-site Locator)
September 4, 2003... buyfittingsonline.com www.buyfittingsonline.com E-mail: rapidquote@buyfittingsonline.com 1-800-569-0810 FAX: (716) 681-0881 Visit our fully enabled E-commerce site for the easiest way to buy premium quality Stainless NPT...

Tolling.(Tolling Services, LLC )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Tolling Services, LLC www.tolling.com Excess manufacturing capacity. Tolling Services provides the only E-Commerce platform that enables profitable manufacturers and their customers to confidentially form private joint ventures...

Transportation.(Roadway Express, Inc. )(Brief Article)
September 4, 2003... Roadway Express, Inc. www.roadway.com my.roadway.com Easy, round-the-clock access to real-time tracking, instant freight rates, images of proof of delivery documents, claims status, and other valuable shipment information, as well...

Leadtime stretching trend slows.(leadtimes)
September 4, 2003... With one or two notable exceptions, industrial supply conditions eased over the summer as lackluster manufacturing activity--in particular, a marked slowdown in automotive output--took pressure off supply pipelines. Leadtimes for many common...

Buyers' plans to buy freight.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Buyers' plans to buy freight services shot higher in August, a harbinger of rising manufacturing activity for the fall. The percentage of buyers who plan to boost outlays for LTL trucking, airfreight and other transportation rose to 37% last...

Intel has dropped prices for its Celeron.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(microprocessors)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Intel has dropped prices for its Celeron microprocessors for desktop computes by 7-14% depending on the speed. The 2.6 GHz Celeron's tag fell 14% from $103 to $89 while the 2.1 and 2.2 GHz versions fell 7% from $74 to $69. Expect Intel to cut...

Order office equipment now.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Order office equipment now. Shipments are stabilizing after two years of double-digit declines. Shipments will actually start growing early next year, according to a new forecast from the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers'...

Expect Congress to back construction.(of a natural gas pipeline from Alaska )(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Expect Congress to back construction of a natural gas pipeline from Alaska as part of a comprehensive new energy bill. Natural gas prices will remain high, but at least supplies will become slightly more secure. The real issue in the bill...

Keep an eye on fuel cell demand.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Keep an eye on fuel cell demand in the next eight months. Interest is booming because of the blackout. A New York-based company called Plug Power (plugpower.com) introduced last June the first fuel cell designed for power backup in the...

The connector industry book-to-bill ratio in July.(Tip sheet: key metrics and supply alert)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * The connector industry book-to-bill ratio in July increased to 1.03 from 0.99 in June. That means for every $100 of orders shipped, connector manufacturers got $103 of new orders. Sales revenue increased 15% in July compared to July 2002,...

Electronics business indicator.(PURCHASINGDATA.COM'S)(Illustration)
September 18, 2003... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Electronics outlook strengthens Electronics business continues to grow, but at a slightly lower rate. Business will likely improve in the next two months. Fifty-six percent of electronics buyers expect...

Look for liquid crystal (LCD) display desktop monitor tags to fall.(Prices: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Look for liquid crystal (LCD) display desktop monitor tags to fall as more units ship. The average price for an LCD monitor was $273 in 2002 and that will fall to $219 this year. By 2007, LCD monitor tags will average $162, according to...

New rules intended to help defend U.S. borders against terrorist activities threaten.(to slow the movement of cargo)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * New rules intended to help defend U.S. borders against terrorist activities threaten to slow the movement of cargo. U.S. freight carriers and manufacturers say the security rules, expected to take effect Oct. 1, also may disrupt just-in-time...

Timken Latrobe Steel and Carpenter Technology Corp. intend to raise prices.(Prices: factors affecting product cost)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... * Timken Latrobe Steel and Carpenter Technology Corp. intend to raise prices by 5% on high-speed tool steel products. Low-priced imports from expanded worldwide capacity and a lackluster market continue to squeeze margins of domestic mills.