| December 23, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Nash Finch to acquire three GSC distribution plants
Nash Finch Co. announced an agreement to purchase three distribution plants from GSC Enterprises Inc. for around $80 million in cash. The distribution centers, in Pensacola, Fla., Junction City, Kan., and San Antonio, Texas, each serve military facilities. The food distributor said the acquisitions should generate around $740 million in annual revenue. Yahoo!/The Associated Press
(12/18), RTT News
(12/18)     
- CEO: AmerisourceBergen "very comfortable" with its prospects
R. David Yost, the president and chief executive officer of drug distributor AmerisourceBergen Corp., said the company remains resilient in a soft economy. "Our liquidity is very, very strong," Yost said. "We have cash, we have access to the capital markets," with $1.7 billion available, per this article. "We're very comfortable with where we are and we're very comfortable with our prospects going forward," said Yost. CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires
(12/18)
- Survey: Energy costs number one supply chain-related risk
According to a survey by AMR Research, manufacturing and retail executives ranked energy costs as the No. 1 risk confronting the supply chain. More than half the respondents predicted that the risk of energy price volatility would increase in the upcoming year. Rounding out the top three risks cited were transportation costs and commodity prices. Purchasing.com
(12/18)
| Best Practices | | |
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- Get up to speed with effective marketing dashboard
Designing an effective marketing dashboard is getting more complicated due to the ever-increasing number of tools and technologies. A good dashboard should include the metrics and key performance indicators that best communicate your contribution to the business, and once it is set up, companies need to dedicate a person or team to take on the task of data analysis. Manage Smarter
(12/18)
| Sales | | |
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- Weekly sales forecasting offers new insights
By forecasting sales on a weekly basis, Right90 has managed to see opportunities well beyond the traditional 90-day forecast. The company learned that it should stay focused on selling to larger organizations, and an official notes that patterns and trends may be important in a forecasting process, but the "why" behind them is also essential. Selling Power (free registration)
(12/16)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Small-business sector is "lost in this equation"
Interest-rate cuts have not increased lending to help small businesses resolve cash-flow shortages. Because banks are refusing to make loans and the government is focusing on big-business bailouts, small businesses are "lost in this equation," says Raymond J. Keating, chief economist with the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council. Small firms, which create 60% to 80% of new jobs and generate 50% of the private sector's GDP, are hurting. NYTimes.com
(12/17)
| Executive Life | | |
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- 60 Minutes examines airport security
In a segment that aired on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes, security expert Bruce Schneier says airport screening procedures still amount to little more than "security theater" -- a charge TSA Administrator Kip Hawley strongly denies. "This isn't theater. This is war," Hawley tells correspondent Lesley Stahl. Schneier suggests the $40 billion spent on airport security since the 9/11 attacks has been largely wasted. CBS News
(12/21)
| NAW Insider | | |
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OUTLOOK 2009: Get the latest on key industry trends!
OUTLOOK 2009 provides an update on the major and emerging trends identified in 2007's Facing the Forces of Change. It emphasizes practical steps for distributors to take for real success. Read it and make a personal commitment to knowledgeably respond to key industry trends, share information with your staff, and plan for success through strategic thinking, analysis and positive action.
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New Edition: Learn the Essentials of Profitable Wholesale Distribution
Making money in distribution gets tougher every year -- it's even harder during an economic slump! Running a successful company requires cooperative efforts from knowledgeable and motivated employees. Speed their learning and retention by giving them Essentials of Profitable Wholesale Distribution. Twice the size of the first edition, this second edition includes both brand-new and updated instructional text and all-new graphics!
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