| March 14, 2007 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Wolseley eyes the future
Wolseley Plc is facing a housing market slowdown and some layoffs, but the heating and plumbing supplies wholesaler-distributor and its CEO Chip Hornsby are still looking ahead toward growth, new hires and the construction of its new North America headquarters in Newport News, Va. "Our expectation is to double our size every five to seven years," Hornsby said. Daily Press (Newport News/Hampton, Va.)
(3/11)
     
- Airgas wraps up bulk gas business acquisition
Industrial gases wholesaler-distributor Airgas Inc. has concluded its purchase of Linde AG's U.S. bulk gas division, which produces and supplies industrial and medical gases. The new acquisition will be named Airgas Merchant Gases and is now led by SVP Tom Thoman. AZoM
(3/12)
- More businesses get lean
The lean ideology, that is to "oversimplify" and reduce waste, might have gotten its start in manufacturing, but lean practices are making their way into every leg of the supply chain, from distribution to logistics. "Lean is about exposing problems and exposing waste and recognizing that what is hiding the problems is inventory," said the president of one third-party logistics service provider. "If you can reduce inventories, you can expose problems that exist in the organization." DC Velocity
(3/2007)
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| | Wholesale Distributor Cuts Invoice Costs by 50%
Learn why Main Electric Supply (wholesale distributor) outsourced the sending of invoices to Transcepta with this Customer Case Study. Leading distributors are reducing costs and hassle driven by high invoice volumes. Request a brochure to learn more about Transcepta including its unique remote web install that takes just an hour. | |
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- Improve customer service by knowing what customers want
Customers want to save time, avoid repeating themselves and have an individually tailored experience in their business dealings. Companies can offer these types of customer experiences by making products or services available online, keeping thorough records of previous transactions and making notes detailing customer data and comments. Supply House Times magazine
(3/2007)
- New ways to increase funds
Personal banks and home equity lines are no longer the only avenues from which entrepreneurs can seek new funding. Small-business owners can now look to credit unions, commercial banks or companies such as AdvanceMe that specialize in merchant cash advancement lending and small-business investing. BusinessWeek
(2/26)
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| | How to Turn Better Pricing into Bigger Profits.
Discover how effective pricing and margin management can deliver dramatically higher profits to your distribution business in Strategies for Driving Profitable Revenue Growth for Distributors: Today and Tomorrow, a joint Webinar from pricing experts PROS® and Advanous® on March 28th at 2pm (EST). Please click here to register. | |
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| Sales |  | |
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- Q-and-A: Answer to the age-old sales question
The bottom line on whether a good salesperson is born or made is that some people may be born with the aptitude to sell but not with the desire, and most anyone can learn the principles of selling. If a company ascribes to salespeople being born, not made, then they are simply refusing to invest time in improving their reps' abilities, says sales guru Dave Kahle. "Salespeople are made and developed, not born," he says. DaveKahle.com
(2/27)
| Distribution Trends Blog | | |
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Capturing new profits from services
Long-valued expectations and ideas "are often the biggest barrier to capturing new profits from fee-based services," says Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., in his latest blog entry.
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Gain confidence to succeed where others fail
Whether entrepreneurial skills are in-born or learned is up for debate; what's important is to build self-confidence and overcome fear of risks to succeed. "...[A] fundamental belief in one's ability to earn hefty amounts -- even if it means starting over again a couple times -- is at the heart of almost every great entrepreneur's success story," Wall Street Journal news editor George Anders writes. The Wall Street Journal
(3/12)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Airlines offer more film, television options
New technology is allowing airlines to add more movies, television shows and music to their in-flight entertainment offerings. Additionally, some carriers show films rated "R." United Airlines recently showed "Little Miss Sunshine" and received "a tremendous amount of positive feedback," a spokesman said. The Denver Post
(3/11)
- Study: Beta carotene supplements don't improve vision loss
Beta carotene pills are not likely to be effective in correcting age-related macular degeneration, according to a new study. Earlier research had shown that when taken with certain vitamins and zinc, beta carotene could slow or prevent vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration, for which there is no cure. The new study, based on data of more than 21,000 males doctors followed for an average of 12 years, found beta carotene supplements alone are not effective against the disease. Forbes/Associated Press
(3/12)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Large or small operation, you can improve warehouse performance and productivity now. Distribution leaders have honed their techniques to yield results and they are ready to share them with you. Learn the best practices and practical takeaways that will maximize ROI in your DC. Click to learn more.
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Interested in learning more about advertising in NAW SmartBrief? Contact Henry Murphey at (202) 737-5500 ext. 245 or hmurphey@smartbrief.com
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| NAW Insider | | |
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NAW's Large Company Human Resources Networking Conference
NAW's Large Company HR Networking Conference, May 16 to 17, in Chicago, convenes top-level HR executives from wholesale distribution companies with sales of $100 million and above to network and benchmark. Agenda topics are based on responses from the HR community and address specific needs of the group, including ROI of HR, succession planning, recruitment and retention. Get details and register here.
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Visa and MasterCard announce national processing rate changes
Visa/MasterCard announced nationwide interchange rate increases, effective April 2007. If you accept credit cards, these changes could significantly impact your bottom line. NAW has negotiated a deal through Solveras Payment Systems to lock in pre-increase rates if you enroll in the NAW/Solveras program before March 31. Visit the NAW/Solveras Web site, or call (800) 613-0148 for complete details. Some restrictions apply.
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Should you become an acquisitive distributor?
This NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence book The Acquisitive Distributor pinpoints steps to success when one wholesale distribution firm sets out to acquire another. It can help you grow your business by showing you how the best acquisitive distributors operate.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Does your business have a blog?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
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| Not yet but we might develop one |
| We used to have one but not anymore |
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