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February 2, 2007 News for the wholesale distribution industry     News and Trends  Bush questions executive pay, Sarb-Ox President George W. Bush said during his visit to Wall Street Wednesday that it is not the role of government to set limits on executive compensation, but he warned corporate directors they "need to pay attention" to the size of compensation packages they approve. Bush also restated his concern that the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley law is "costly for businesses" and "may be discouraging companies from listing on our stock exchanges." Bloomberg/ClipSyndicate (1/31) , The New York Times (2/1) , The Washington Post (2/1) , Los Angeles Times (2/1) , The Wall Street Journal (2/1) Fed leaves rates unchanged, suggests progress on inflation: The Federal Reserve voted to hold the federal funds rate steady at 5.25%, keeping the benchmark at the same level it's held since June. Fed policy-makers continued to signal that the U.S. economy was heading for a soft landing, and that "readings on core inflation have improved modestly in recent months," according to the policy-makers' statement. The Washington Post (1/31) , Financial Times (free content) (1/31) HD Supply reaches distribution deal with Resin Systems HD Supply Utilities, a branch of HD Supply, has completed a deal to be the exclusive distributor of Resin Systems Inc.'s utility poles in North America. The CEO of Resin Systems said he believes the deal will increase his company's reach in North America. Industrial Distribution (1/31) Expanded sales force, bigger orders spurs Sysco profits America's largest food wholesaler-distributor announced a quarterly profit increase for the first time in more than a year. Sysco CEO Richard Schnieders said he credits the increase to closer customer-salesperson interaction and the decrease in gas prices. Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg (1/29) Airgas sees increased profits Industrial, medical and specialty gases wholesaler-distributor Airgas Inc. reported a fiscal third-quarter profit increase of 5%, following stronger sales. "Trends in non-residential construction, industrial production and energy markets continued to support core revenue growth, and our strategic product platforms were strong," said Airgas' chairman and CEO. Progressive Distributor (2/2) , Forbes/Associated Press (1/30) Other News Xpedx looks to increase global reach through Paris-based deal American City Business Journals/Cincinnati (1/26)   Best Practices  Let employees know what they're worth There are five ways to give employees praise and credit for their work. Each form of praise -- personal, written, electronic, public and indirect -- is viable in its own right; it's a manager's job to know which praise an individual employee will appreciate the most. And what is most important is taking time to acknowledge the work of employees. American City Business Journals (1/29) Talk to the boss if you feel overworked There's a proper time and place to suggest to your boss or superior that you feel overworked; however, being able to prove your bad work habits are not the source of your problems is important. Once you've ruled out your own procrastination, maintain an open communication with the boss about your workload, and remember to delegate in the meantime. CIO (1/2007)   Sales  Price-confirming proposals help achieve many sales goals Confirm an offer with a written proposal in order to appear professional, increase follow-ups and avoid pricing or delivery mistakes. Selling Power (free registration) (2/2)   Small Business Manager  Don't fall prey to common small business scams Con artists and scammers are developing savvy ways to deceive and swindle hard-working and caring small business owners. Making themselves aware of such scams and avoiding the costly messes that may arise is the job of the entrepreneurs, as is helping others by spreading the word. Entrepreneur (1/2007)   Executive Life  AARP to brand lifetime-income annuity AARP, the lobbying group representing retired people, is placing its brand on a lifetime-income annuity designed by New York Life Insurance Co. The annuity includes a "cash back" feature, which returns to the heirs premiums paid minus any money already paid out. The Wall Street Journal (1/31) Americans compete for biggest TVs for Super Bowl Sunday Football fans have been racing to consumer electronics retailers to buy bigger and better TV sets ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, while retailers have been pushing promotions for the event. About 2.5 million consumers plan to buy a new TV for the big game, a survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association found. The New York Times/Reuters (1/30)   NAW Insider  Try Remote Deposit Capture risk free for 30 days Securely deposit paper checks from the convenience and safety of your office. NAW has negotiated group discounts and a risk free 30-day trial offer for Remote Deposit Capture technology through Solveras Payment Systems. Visit the NAW/Solveras Web site to watch a short video clip of checks being scanned, deposited and digitally archived, or call 800-613-0148 today. Creating a Return-to-Work Program Employees are one of your firm's most important assets, so implementing a return-to-work strategy can be a positive step for your business. If an employee is unable to work due to a work-related injury or illness, productivity falls and costs rise. Learn about return-to-work programs. Learn more about NAW -> Join NAW  |  Business Products  |  Publications  |  Meetings  |  Govt. Relations   Weekly Poll  How often do you make suggestions at work? After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like. Anytime one comes to mind Only when I feel that they are very important Almost never Sales - Account Manager Johnstone Supply Orlando/Tampa Bay/Ocala/Gainesville, Florida Director of Information Technology APA Search Tampa, FL Outside Sales Representative Grimco, Inc. Baltimore, MD National Sales Manager W&O Supply, Inc. Jacksonville, FL   SmartQuote  Baseball is what we were. Football is what we have become." --Mary McGrory, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Associate:  Henry Murphey 202-737-5500 ext. 245 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Lee Vanderwerff 202-737-5500 ext. 248   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful Web site for SmartBrief readers including: Breaking News Industry Home Competitor News Readers' Choice Press Releases Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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