News and Trends

• Reliance Steel acquires HLN Metal assets
  Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. announced its acquisition of HLN Metal Centre Pte. Ltd.'s Singapore operation for around $2.6 million. Singapore-based HLN Metal's core business is the processing and distribution of custom machined materials and the sawing of metal products and components. Reliance Steel said it wanted to expand into the Asian market for international growth opportunities. RTT News (9/17) , Modern Distribution Management (9/17)

• Ingram Micro sees weak demand for products in U.S.
  Ingram Micro Inc., the world's top computer distributor, reports seeing softened demand for technology in most North American markets for the last three to four weeks amid slack spending in Asia and Europe for the months of July and August. Ingram recently lowered its fiscal third-quarter outlook. "We are faced right now with an uncertain marketplace," said William Humes, the chief financial officer for Ingram. Reuters (9/16) , Forbes (9/16)

• Wall Street, banking crisis could impact trucking industry
  The financial crisis confronting the U.S. may have a ripple effect on the trucking industry. Some fleet owners are worried about whether they can receive loans to purchase new vehicles as banks tighten up credit for small businesses. The recent drop in the cost of fuel, however, is good news for the trucking industry. Fleet Owner (9/16)

• Other News

• Avnet on InformationWeek's list of top innovative IT users
  The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (9/17)

	Whitepaper Reveals How Pricing Drives Profitable Growth Visionary distributors and resellers recognize a focus on pricing drives renewed growth and competitive advantage not realized with cost-cutting and process efficiency initiatives. Download the Zilliant white paper Pricing in Distribution: Five Opportunities for Profitable Growth, and learn how your company can drive significant profit gains.
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Best Practices

• Internal controls can keep ship sailing smoothly
  Operational audits of day-to-day processes can offer important safeguards to keep established policies running smoothly. Such internal controls dictate work flow, lines of authority and the apportionment of duties, and they can help catch shortfalls while preparing for growth. Manage Smarter (9/16)

• Think twice before holding out for more when cashing out stock
  When considering cashing out your stock -- and grappling over whether to hold out for more -- don't think about cashing out in terms of having enough money to retire on, this business expert advises. The decision should really be about gaining financial security, which is effectively the comfort of knowing that you can survive a downturn. American City Business Journals (9/15)

	Supply Chain Innovations: Executive Kit Distribution industry expert, Dr. Adam Fein shares the four main topics of his acclaimed book Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain in this compilation of articles. Click here to download IBM's executive kit for strategic insight and innovations for your supply chain.
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Sales

• Non-cash incentives can win sales staff's loyalty, boost productivity
  As two business examples show, non-cash incentives such as flat-screen TVs may go further than commission checks in terms of boosting a sales staff's performance and loyalty. Both businesses reported that their sales increased after working with Incentives Marketplace, a Twin Cities-based provider of non-cash incentives programs, to implement in-house rewards programs. SalesForceXP (9/2008)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by NAW SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Don't let self-fulfilling prophecies bring you down (CEO Strategist)

• McJunkin Red Man appoints Andrew Lane as CEO (Modern Distribution Management)

• The best of the best in NYC Italian food (The New York Times)

• New BMW sedan won't feature distinctive rear end (BusinessWeek)

• Strategize to build confidence for sales success (Entrepreneur)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Small Business Manager

• Some small businesses hurt by Wall Street woes
  Small business owners who depend on big financial companies are suffering as a result of the troubles on Wall Street this week. Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business, said most small-business owners will see little effect from the unsettling financial market, unless consumer spending becomes a factor. MSNBC/Your Biz blog (9/16)

Executive Life

• Bang & Olufsen teams with Aston Martin for 007 sound system
  James Bond will once again skirt danger in a souped-up Aston Martin in the upcoming "Quantum of Solace" movie. To mark the occasion, the car maker has tapped Bang & Olufsen for its BeoSound surround-sound system featuring 13 speakers that are sure to blow any spy's cover. ElectronicHouse.com (9/16)

• Your cheat sheet for wine pairings
  Over the years, wine experts have compiled a long list of helpful wine pairings for some conventional, and not so conventional, foods, including barbecue, popcorn, cheese grits, Thai food, pizza and Thanksgiving dinner. The Dallas Morning News (9/12)

NAW Insider

• Distributor Success Stories: Profiting Despite the Difficult Economy
  The 2009 NAW Executive Summit focuses on the most important issue facing you in the coming year: the economy. We know your time is valuable, so we won't tell you what you already know -- that "the economy is challenging." Instead, we'll tell you what other distributors are doing to succeed despite difficult economic conditions. Register at the early-bird discount.

• Brand new! The Distributor Specialist: Customer Champion, Profit Generator
  Specialists are used by a supermajority of top-performing distributors. As defined, the specialist supports the "front-line" sales team and other departments by playing a specific -- usually product- or technology-related -- role in the sales process. The specialist furnishes technical support, sales backup, marketing direction and product management. Learn how to use the specialist to be more profitable in today's down economy.

Weekly Poll

• Does your company perform internal control audits of day-to-day processes?
  After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.

	Yes, we regularly perform them as part of our other business evaluations.
	We do them from time to time but not regularly.
	We do not perform such audits.

VP of Information Systems D&H Distributing Company Harrisburg PA.

SmartQuote

Cherish forever what makes you unique, because you're really a yawn if it goes." --Bette Midler, actress and singer