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January 15, 2009 News for the wholesale distribution industry   News and Trends    Henry Schein buys three European companies Henry Schein announced three separate acquisitions of companies based in Europe for undisclosed sums. The health care products and services provider purchased the Czech Republic's Noviko, Italy's DNA Anthos Impianti and Germany's Medka. Henry Schein, based in Melville, N.Y., reported net sales of $5.9 billion in 2007. Multichannel Merchant (1/12), Long Island Business News (N.Y.)/The Associated Press (1/12) Airgas deflates earnings guidance for Q3 Airgas Inc. reduced its profit estimate for the third quarter, which ended Dec. 31, to between 74 cents and 76 cents per share versus its earlier forecast of 82 cents to 84 cents. The industrial gases distributor said December sales dropped sharply amid overall sluggish economic conditions. Forbes/The Associated Press (1/9), Industrial Distribution online (1/9) HVACR sales dipped 14.1% in November versus year-ago period National HVACR distributor sales plummeted 14.1% in November 2008 compared to November 2007, according to a report from Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International. Modern Distribution Management (1/12) Other News Hagemeyer NA premiers 642-page electrical MRO products catalog Modern Distribution Management (1/12) FREE Magazine Subscriptions for Supply Chain Professionals! Get must-have market information with FREE magazine subscriptions from Reed Business Information including Purchasing magazine, Logistics Management magazine and Modern Materials Handling magazine. Click here to start.   Best Practices    Team building plus motivation can equal success Corporations can drive innovation and focus on enhancing the customer experience by challenging managers to come up with customer solutions. Using team building and motivation, businesses can help ensure that employees' goals are aligned with company expectations. E-Commerce Times/Chief Executive (1/11) Interested in succeeding? Avoid behaviors that drive business away Businesses interested in bringing in new customers while retaining their existing ones may want to avoid the five behaviors that accomplish the opposite. They include ignoring customer and supporter feedback, not caring about your brand or your business and maintaining a short-term perspective. MarketingProfs (free registration) (1/6)   Feeling the Pinch in Today's Difficult Credit Market? Increasing credit costs can ripple through your business to affect longer-term plans that are essential to growth. Download the CFO Research Services report produced in collaboration with American Express: No Stone Unturned: Strategies for Cash Management in Hard Times to gain insight on how midsize companies are adapting in order to maintain their competitive positions under tough circumstances.     Sales    Tough times are good times to make a rebound Leadership skills are more important than ever during tough times, which is when the top players will be laying the groundwork for a successful rebound for when circumstances eventually improve. As Stanford economist Paul Romer put it, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." SalesForceXP (1/2009) Download this FREE brochure to read about how Microsoft Dynamics® solutions can help distribution companies effectively deal with demands for lower prices, improved packaging, specific labeling, and tight delivery timelines.   Small Business Manager  Where are the stimulus dollars for small business? April Bettinger, general manager of Shirey Handyman Service in Issaquah, Wash., says small businesses are at risk of being overlooked in the federal government's economic stimulus plans even though small businesses provide more jobs than all the Fortune 500 companies combined. "Billions of dollars are being allocated to the 'big guys' and tax credits have been given to individual taxpayers," she says. "What are the resources available to help our small businesses bridge the gap?" The Seattle Times (1/12)     Sponsored Content    Suffering From a Case of Bad Economic News Fatigue Lightweight Nuclear Power? 7 Resolutions for Small Business Building Your Crack Export Dream Team Discipline is the Key   Executive Life  9 things to keep in mind as you travel in 2009 Traveling in 2009 will be different than it has been in the past, writes Christopher Elliott, ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. While it's impossible to predict the future, Elliott offers nine tips he believes will help ease your travel troubles -- both business and pleasure. CNN/Tribune Media Services (1/14) Lexus brings luxury to the hybrid market Lexus, at the Detroit Auto Show, unveiled its first dedicated hybrid car: The Lexus HS 250h has a 4-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine, and while official mileage figures aren't out yet, the company says the sedan should get better mileage than the Smart Fortwo, which gets 33 m.p.g. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/12)   NAW Insider  Critical tool for financial success in tough times In today's tough economic climate, it's vital that your employees understand the realities of how the finances of your business work. That's where the Official Guide to Wholesaler-Distributor Financial Success comes in. It's your complete employee training tool. It shows you how to transition employees at every level to financial management thinking. Buy multiple copies for everyone on your staff. Train inside sales reps how to generate profitable sales In today's economic climate, inside sales personnel are responsible for generating sales and making sure those sales are profitable. Essentials of Profitable Inside Sales in Distribution provides a real-world, in-depth understanding of the expanded role of inside sales. Use this training workbook to show your inside sales staff exactly how they contribute to the health and well-being of your company. Learn more about NAW -> Join NAW  |  Business Products  |  Publications  |  Meetings  |  Govt. Relations   Weekly Poll  What is your temperament style? After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like. Worker Talker Watcher Thinker GM Building Products Distribution Snavely Forest Products, Inc. Houston, TX Senior Purchasing Manager PoolCorp Covington, LA National Sales Manager, Distribution Roll, LLC Flexible   SmartQuote  Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another." --John Dewey, American philosopher and educator     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise National Account Director:  Jim Pataki (202) 407-7850 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Celia Rothschild (202) 470-1159   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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