| August 15, 2007 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Buyout craze may see slowdown
The heightened trend of buyouts of major American companies is likely to slow as the credit markets tighten, according to some observers. "There is a crisis of confidence in the credit markets that is ... letting a little helium out of the buyout balloon," said the director of the Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship. The Washington Post
(8/12)
    
- Avnet reports growth in Q4
Avnet Inc. has reported that its fourth-quarter net income more than doubled, reaching $124.7 million. The electronic components distributor attributed the increase to its strong sales of Sun Microsystems products and ongoing improvement in operating efficiencies. azcentral.com
(8/9)
- Clip makes seatbelts more comfortable
Long-haul truck drivers shouldn't be without seatbelts, but many complain that they sit uncomfortably or rub the neck. The Master Design Seatbelt Adjuster is a cost-effective and widely available plastic clip designed to allow drivers to better position their seatbelts, increasing the likelihood that they will wear them -- while decreasing the risk of incurring a costly "Click it or Ticket" violation. TruckingInfo
(8/13)
| Best Practices | | |
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- Five "little things" to boost customer relationships
Some things business owners can do to build relationships with customers include letting their "inner customer" drive the agenda while engaged in strategic planning; disregarding process efficiency and focusing instead on added value; separating workflow from work process and instead combining it with the flow of information; and developing a comprehensive project plan for use on a professional project management tool. CustomerThink
(8/10)
- Web-based program eliminates video training overkill
Roswell, Ga.-based U.S. Security Associates decided to reject the "death by training video" concept for new hires and instead implemented an online program called USA Security Academy. The program offers interactive, personalized new-hire training for new security guards around the nation through a centralized, video-enabled, Web-based platform. Manage Smarter
(8/7)
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- Companies face big decisions in search-engine marketing
In managing search engine marketing initiatives, the majority of companies keep their operations in-house, according to a survey from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization. Companies considering whether to keep operations in-house or to outsource should look at factors such as the wide range of skills -- and training necessary -- the total cost of an in-house team and the nature of the investment. MarketingProfs (free registration)
(8/7)
| Distribution Trends Blog | | |
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Opportunity and risk
Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. highlights three articles in his latest Distribution Trends blog posting that focus on the private-label trend. He highly recommends reading and discussing these articles, which cover the different ways private labels can affect the wholesale distribution industry. Distribution Trends
(8/13)
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Don't Miss the Industry's Premier eBusiness Event-Sept. 18-20
IDEA teams up with NEMA, NAED, EFC and NEMRA to provide you with top notch speakers and insightful business ideas at the Electro E-Biz Forum 2007. Don't let your company fall behind. Discover The Power of Information and the latest trends that are reshaping the industry on the E-Biz Agenda Page.
Interested in learning more about advertising in NAW SmartBrief? Contact Henry Murphey at (202) 737-5500 ext. 245 or hmurphey@smartbrief.com
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| Executive Life | | |
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- Hurricane Flossie prompts tourists to cancel Hawaii vacations
With Hurricane Flossie on track to get within 100 miles of the Big Island, tourists have been canceling hotel and resort reservations. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center has encouraged everyone on the Hawaiian Islands to watch the progress of Flossie. "A northward shift in the track could potentially bring hurricane conditions to the Big Island," a statement from the hurricane center warned.  ClipSyndicate
(8/13)
, USA TODAY
(8/13)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Cost effective Virtual Terminal through Solveras
NAW teams with Solveras to provide wholesaler-distributors with the latest processing technology. Virtual Terminal allows processing from any computer with Internet access. It provides businesses lower cost card-not-present transactions. Mail, telephone orders can be processed through secure Web-based application that's easy to use. Get a FREE savings analysis to see the program savings. For information, visit http://www.solveras.com/naw.html or call (800) 613-0148.
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NAW's Large Company CEO/COO Networking Roundtable
NAW's Large Company CEO/COO Networking Roundtable, Chicago, Sept. 19 to 20, joins CEOs and COOs from wholesale distribution companies with sales $100 million and above to network and learn. Agenda topics are based on responses from the Executives community and address specific needs of the group, including Going Green, Driving Sales Beyond, Crisis Management, Today's Economy, and Ethics. Get more details and register here.
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Brand-new 5 Fundamentals for the Wholesale Distribution Sales Manager
This book from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence offers a practical but powerful approach for taking your sales force to the next level. It includes essential theories, key concepts and real-world stories taken from the front lines of wholesale distribution. Use this book as a foundation to help you become an effective, high-performing sales manager. Order your copies today!
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Do you consider your boss to be funny?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes, we are always laughing. |
| Not really, work is a place for work. |
| S/he certainly seems to think so. |
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Vanity began to whisper to me that I was of some importance, and my beloved tutor warned me against its siren power."
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