News and Trends

• Pay package for Home Depot CEO may lead to changes
  The $210 million severance package for Home Depot chief executive Robert Nardelli has raised more than a few eyebrows. "For what the shareholders left on the table, versus what Bob Nardelli is going to take home, I would classify that not as pay for performance, but pay for attendance or pay for ego," said one compensation expert. And Congress may agree. Incoming chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Barney Frank said he would hold hearings on the matter and push for legislation to give shareholders more input in CEO pay. Bloomberg (1/4)

• Lowe's has big plans for boomer markets: Incoming Home Depot CEO Frank Blake faces a weakening homebuilding market among other challenges, while Lowe's eyes markets in the Northeast, Florida and California where baby boomers have money to invest in aging homes. BusinessWeek (1/4)

• Book W-D files for bankruptcy, leaves publishers empty handed
  Book wholesaler-distributor Advanced Marketing Services filed for bankruptcy Friday, citing as much as $200 million worth of debt to numerous publishing companies. Publishers, not authors or consumers, are likely to bare the brunt of the filing. "The publishers are going to end up taking a big loss," one executive said. The New York Times (1/5)

• OSHA open for public comments
  Workers who would like to give their input into possible changes in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Standards Improvement Project can do so online until Feb. 20. This is the third step in the agency's plan to "streamline standards and reduce regulatory burdens." IndustryWeek (1/2)

• Praxair buys assets of Blue Rhino, expands Canadian distribution
  Praxair Distribution, a wholesaler-distributor of industrial, medical and other gases, has made a deal with Blue Rhino to acquire about 900 propane tank-exchange display cages throughout Canada. Praxair will now be responsible for filling tanks at retail locations throughout the country as well as marketing their propane tank-exchange through its own trademark, PropaneQuikSwap. Progressive Distributor (1/4)

	Wholesale Distributors Send More Invoices Per $ of Revenue Many distributors now outsource their invoicing to reduce costs. Top invoicing services send via postal, email and fax and process / reconcile incoming payments. On-boarding over the web in less than a day with no upfront costs is critical for rapid ROI. Learn more with a Complimentary Study from analyst PayStream Advisors. Request a Brochure from an innovative vendor: Transcepta.
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Best Practices

• Identity management software important security measure
  Investing in and applying identity management software is the best way to manage who can view your company's applications and sensitive information. It also allows for quickly eliminating access by employees who are let go or otherwise no longer involved with the business. Baseline (free registration) (12/22)

• Take risks, see growth
  Global growth will be key to succeeding for many companies in the coming years, despite barriers including terrorism, natural disasters and pandemics. "Companies create value by taking risks and protect themselves by moving well beyond traditional business continuity planning," says Mark Layton, Deloitte & Touche's global leader of enterprise risk services. Business Finance (12/1)

Sales

• Keep it local to attract worn-in sales territories
  Use local Web-searching tools, buy airtime on area radio stations and develop added-value marketing tools that provide key information to re-energize sales in older territories. Manage Smarter/Sales & Marketing Management (12/26)

Hot Topics

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

• How to be sales rep No. 1 (CEO Strategist)

• Home Depot chairman and CEO resigns (Bloomberg)

• Don't just make a resolution, accomplish it (Employee Benefit Adviser)

• Graybar snags five DOD contracts, sees Y-to-D sales increase (Modern Distribution Management)

• Raises, adding workers a priority for 2007 (InformationWeek)

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

Small Business Manager

• Could you handle your significant other being your boss?
  Think about your personalities, business skills and conflict resolutions before jumping into to a start-up with your spouse, partner or significant other. Inc.com (12/1)

	The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) TheLadders.com SeekWeek 2007 Learn From Experts; Make Your Move Week-long free webinar series featuring practical information about job search best practices and perspectives on recruiting by top recruiting experts. January 8-12, 2007. 12 noon EST. Register now SeekWeek 2007. (Archives available on demand) Interested in learning more about advertising in NAW SmartBrief? Contact Henry Murphey at (202) 737-5500 ext. 245 or hmurphey@smartbrief.com

Executive Life

• Samsung aims to improve video technology for cell phones
  Samsung Electronics unveiled technology designed to improve the delivery of video to cell phones by making use of TV broadcasters' digital signals. New Samsung handsets would enable wireless users to receive video via the wireless network as well. The Wall Street Journal (1/4)

• Celebration in the sky: Planes become popular party venues
  Private jetliners are becoming a popular venue for parties and celebrations. The trend is driven by an increase in private jet travel and marketing by the aviation industry. JetNetwork says its clients took 220 flights to celebrate special events in 2006. The Wall Street Journal (1/5)

NAW Insider

• Order NEW Facing the Forces of Change report now!
  Facing the Forces of Change: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain, eighth edition in acclaimed series by NAW's Distribution Research and Education Foundation, is ready for ordering. This all-new report is packed with trends, action ideas and thought-provoking questions for your management team. Every distribution executive should read this book. Order now!

• Invest your training dollars wisely and develop top performers
  NAW/DREF publication Smart Investments addresses the long-ignored aspect of the industry training and development. Let it help you identify a strategy for employee development, engage your staff to move forward with common vision and purpose, ensure that your training dollars are invested wisely and think about how to use training and development activity to reach your strategic business objectives.

Weekly Poll

• Would you consider starting a business with your significant other?
  After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.

	Done it once and would do it again
	It's a thought
	Wouldn't even consider it
	Been there, done that but didn't work

Territory Manager-Philadelphia, PA Manufacturers Reserve Supply Southeastern, PA, Southwestern, NJ & Northern, DE Commercial/Institutional Products & Service Consultant A.W. Hastings Enfield, CT Industrial Marketing Specialist Crescent Electric Supply Co. East Dubuque, IL Manager, Marketing Research and Analysis Crescent Electric Supply Co. East Dubuque, IL VP Regional Manager United Pipe & Supply Co., Inc. Portland, Oregon

SmartQuote

If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?" --Steven Wright, comedian, actor