| March 7, 2007 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Sysco founder dies at 91
Sysco Corp. founder John F. Baugh has died at 91. The businessman behind the nation's largest restaurant food supplier started the company in 1946, as a distributor of frozen peaches and strawberries. He is also known for his sizable donations to Baylor University and as a founding trustee of Houston Baptist University. Houston Chronicle
(3/5)
     
- Daylight-saving time move may cost more than hour of sleep
Companies that don't install software "patches" to ensure electronics update according to the new daylight-saving time schedule by Sunday may face costly or time-consuming changes later. The one-hour-forward jump is occurring three weeks earlier, on the second Sunday in March, and falling back an hour one week later, on the first Sunday in November, starting this year. Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.)
(3/5)
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| | NEED HELP MANAGING YOUR WAREHOUSE?
Effective warehouse operations can make or break your business. For innovative ideas on how to streamline the operations of your warehouse, click here to download IBM's Warehouse Management eKit. It features Adam Fein's article on Warehouses Go Wireless, a cost justification whitepaper and more! | |
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| | Wholesale Distributor Cuts Invoice Costs by 50%
Learn why Main Electric Supply (wholesale distributor) outsourced the sending of invoices to Transcepta with this Customer Case Study. Leading distributors are reducing costs and hassle driven by high invoice volumes. Request a brochure to learn more about Transcepta including its unique remote web install that takes just an hour. | |
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- Customer insight means helping them succeed
Gaining creative and useful customer insight that helps them succeed will give you an edge over your competitors, one customer relationship consultant says. Encourage customers to become your partner by your actions, not just by writing it on your advertising. CustomerThink
(3/5)
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Private labels and channel links
Industrial maintenance products and services provider Kimball Midwest works closely with manufacturer-suppliers to develop private-label products that reach more customers, a useful approach that Pembroke Consulting President and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellow Adam J. Fein, Ph.D refers to in his blog as "man bites dog."
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| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Put pizzazz in finance pitch
Create a pitch worth remembering when addressing investors for financing. The most successful presentations are those that are simple but informative, thought-provoking, and well-planned. BusinessWeek
(2/20)
| People & Personalities | | |
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| Executive Life | | |
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- Lyon offers French food, ambiance with a twist
As a tourist attraction, Lyon is a city with all the charm of Paris, but a little bit quirkier and much less formal. The casual cafes serve up meals built around local specialties, the beaux-arts buildings are a must-see and, much like Paris, there's always something to see and do. Chicago Tribune
(3/4)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Improved margins & a 15% inventory reduction! Coming out of Chapter 11, SLi Lighting (Mullins, SC) faced reduced market share, stiff price competition and rising inventories. Click Here to learn more about how the deployment of Salient's UXT® performance management solution, helped SLi regain market share, improve margins and reduce inventories.
Large or small operation, you can improve warehouse performance and productivity now. Distribution leaders have honed their techniques to yield results and they are ready to share them with you. Learn the best practices and practical takeaways that will maximize ROI in your DC. Click to learn more.
Effective Pricing Management Leads to Greater Profits
Learn pricing principles that can have an immediate impact on the profitability of your business in Strategies for Driving Profitable Revenue Growth for Distributors: Today and Tomorrow, a joint Webinar from pricing experts PROS® and Advanous® on March 28th at 2pm (EST). Please click here to register.
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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| NAW Insider | | |
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NEW "Facing the Forces of Change" report available now!
Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain by the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, is now available. This all-new study provides practical insights into key trends impacting the wholesale distribution supply chain and is packed with specific action ideas and planning tools that executives can use today to lead the way in their supply chains.
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NAW and The Hartford
NAW has partnered with The Hartford to offer insurance expertise and comprehensive coverage tailored to the specific needs of wholesaler-distributors. The Hartford also offers expedited claims handling services and a countrywide network of loss control and risk management experts to help wholesaler-distributors protect their businesses and minimize loss costs. More information available here.
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Rethink salesforce comp plans
What's Your Plan? an eye-opening book from the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence shows why tinkering with salesforce compensation plans in isolation can create more problems than it solves. The best strategy starts with development of overall company goals and leads to what author Mike Marks calls "alignment" of these goals with compensation.
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Do you have employees that telecommute full time?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes, at least one employee works off-site all the time. |
| No, everyone works in the office. |
| Not yet, but a plan is in development. |
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| Account Manager/Branch Mgr 1 or 2 | Valley National Gases, Inc. | Bluefield, VA, USA |
| Sales Manager | HireElements | Seattle |
| Branch Manager | Wilson | Long Beach, CA |
| Inside Sales Representative | Wilson | Long Beach, CA |
| Director of Quality | Summit Electric Supply | Albuquerque, New Mexico corporate headquarters |
| Corporate Purchasing Manager | Crescent Electric Supply Co. | East Dubuque, IL |
| Marketing Analyst | Industrial Electric Wire & Cable | New Berlin |
| Outside Sales Rep - Tampa, Florida | HISCO, Inc. | Tampa/Orlando, Florida Area |
| Lean Implementation Leader and Administrator, Quality and Safety | Werner Electric Supply Company | Neenah, Wisconsin |
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Touch your customer, and you're halfway there."
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Read more at SmartBrief.com |
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| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, March 05, 2007
- Friday, March 02, 2007
- Wednesday, February 28, 2007
- Monday, February 26, 2007
- Friday, February 23, 2007
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
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