| August 10, 2007 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Wolseley acquires two firms
British building materials distributor Wolseley plc has purchased two companies in North America and Europe through its Ferguson Enterprises division in the U.S. and its Danish DT Group division. The company expects the overall $18.5 million purchase to add about $29 million in annual revenues. Wolseley also announced plans to acquire a French roof truss manufacturer. Industrial Distribution
(8/6)
    
- Performance Food posts stronger Q2 profit
Performance Food Group said strong sales in its customized and broadline segments helped boost second-quarter profits 5%. The national and private-label food distributor posted net income of $12.8 million, up from $12.2 million in the same quarter a year ago. Forbes/Associated Press
(8/7)
- Feds to clamp down on illegal hiring
The federal government is expected to announce strict new rules requiring employers to fire employees with false Social Security numbers and will back up those rules with increased workplace raids, The New York Times reports. The Department of Homeland Security proposed the rules last year but held off on implementation until Congress completed its debate on potential new immigration legislation, which died in the Senate. The New York Times
(8/8)
| Best Practices | | |
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- Smaller vendors should consider electronic invoicing
A number of relatively simple technical solutions are available to companies looking to make their invoicing process more efficient. Electronic invoicing provider Transcepta, for instance, has designed the Electronic Invoicing Community, a network that can make these types of invoicing systems worth the effort for smaller vendors. Inbound Logistics
(7/2007)
| Sales | | |
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- Consumer-led technology makes headway in corporate environment
Companies are advised to bring consumer technologies into their business-to-business product set, as such technologies gain ground in corporate computing environments. Software vendors should stop thinking of consumer-led technology as an "unavoidable nuisance" and embrace the trend as a potential opportunity, according to market research firm Gartner. Selling Power (free registration)
(7/25)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Identity theft scams expand beyond individuals to companies
In one of the latest twists in identity theft scams, criminals will move into the same building as a company, apply for corporate credit cards under the company's name, have them delivered to themselves and then sell the cards on the street, vanishing before the company discovers the problem. The so-called "business bust-out" scam is part of a growing trend of identity theft that targets companies, instead of individuals. BusinessWeek
(7/23)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Alaska Airlines does away with ticket counters, to good results
Alaska Airlines has pioneered a way to move passengers more quickly through ticketing and baggage check. The carrier has included numerous self-check-in kiosks and manned baggage drop-off stations, in lieu of ticket counters, at its hub in Anchorage and will soon update its hub at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to reflect the successful new design. The Wall Street Journal
(8/9)
- FreshBattery gives online shoppers more notebook options
Online retailer FreshBattery has launched its Legacy Power line of new batteries for a large variety of older laptop models. "Battery cells available today allow users to get greater battery capacity into their older machines. For example, an original Apple PowerBook G4 15-inch Titanium with 3600 mAh cells would run for two and a half hours. Now with a FreshBattery Legacy Power replacement battery that uses 4400 mAh cells, that same computer will run for three hours and 10 minutes," FreshBattery's Bob Schaffer said. TWICE
(8/8)
| NAW Insider | | |
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The global economy brings new insurance challenges -- are you covered?
Two forces, economic globalization and the shifting of manufacturing facilities overseas, have changed the way many wholesaler-distributors operate. Instead of shipping goods only within the boundaries of the lower 48 states, many today ship globally. Wholesaler-distributors need the ability to protect commodities as they are shipped across international borders. For more information, visit http://www.naw.org/smartbrief.
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