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December 31, 2008 News for the wholesale distribution industry   News and Trends    Distribution centers flock to Topeka A central location and low operating costs make Topeka, Kan., an attractive option for distributors, according to this article. Large marketers with distribution centers in the capital city of Kansas include Target, Del Monte Foods and Goodyear Tire & Rubber. The Topeka Capital-Journal (Kan.) (12/29) Owner: Green warehouses preserve conscience, save cash Knoxville Wholesale Furniture in Tennessee has spent thousands of dollars on recycling machines and other earth-friendly measures, owner Tim Harris says. The benefit for the environment is great, but so are the savings, he says. While it cost $125,000 for machines to recycle cardboard, plastic and plastic foam, he says, the company will recoup that money within a year. Modern Distribution Management (12/29), The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tenn.) (free registration) (12/25)   Gain Success in Distribution – Improve Industry Performance In this FREE white paper, Jon Schreibfeder, a leading authority on the distribution industry, offers insight into the complexities of improving inventory performance. Learn how distributors can maximize profitability by improving the way they analyze and manage inventory using Microsoft Dynamics®. Download now.     Best Practices    Forward-looking capacity sets leaders apart from the rest An international survey of tens of thousands of working people finds honesty to be the No. 1 requirement of a leader. The second most-valued trait, according to those surveyed, is a forward-looking quality that enables a leader to envision an exciting future and rally others around a shared goal. Harvard Business Review (1/2009) Use problem solving, practice to improve training A survey of nearly 5,000 training participants found that training that included problem-solving exercises, multiple examples, practice and action planning had a much greater effect on their own perception of their job effectiveness. Manage Smarter (12/23)   Feeling the Pinch in Today's Difficult Credit Market? Increasing credit costs can ripple through your business to affect longer-term plans that are essential to growth. Download the CFO Research Services report produced in collaboration with American Express: No Stone Unturned: Strategies for Cash Management in Hard Times to gain insight on how midsize companies are adapting in order to maintain their competitive positions under tough circumstances.     Sales  Align sales and marketing to stay competitive History has shown that sales and marketing alignment is essential, and as companies adjust to the recession, customer-centric processes and metrics will come to the foreground and override departmental divides. Andrew Boyd offers tips to make this happen and stay competitive in these troubled economic times. E-Commerce Times/CRM Buyer (12/26) It's time to get strategic about hiring. Reach thousands of engaged professionals with SmartBrief Jobs. Need to find the best and the brightest? SmartBrief Jobs will deliver your openings directly to the people who matter the most. Start your focused recruiting campaign now.   Small Business Manager  Some new businesses find success despite economic weakness Some businesses that opened as the U.S. economy weakened are actually thriving. Many of these new businesses are successful because they are in a niche that thrives during a downturn. However, others say that deals they negotiated this year have fallen apart. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)/The Associated Press (12/25)   Executive Life  Seeking higher returns, retirees open to asset shift A MetLife survey found that 42% of retirees are unhappy with the performance of their investments and are thinking about moving to new kinds of assets, but many don't have a clear idea of how to do it. Of those questioned, 44% said they don't believe that the returns from their retirement investments will keep up with the future rising costs of their essential needs. Pensions & Investments (12/24) Pension rules await final approval in White House Three key defined-contribution pension rules are unlikely to be approved by Jan. 20 when the presidency changes hands, which means they could be subject to delay because of review by a new administration. One creates rules for offering investment advice to plan participants, another details fee information and the third establishes fee and compensation information for service providers. Workforce Online (12/24)   NAW Insider  Turn your distributor-supplier relationship from dysfunctional to highly effective It takes a long time to develop good distributor-supplier relationships, but it only takes a short time to destroy them. Working at Cross-Purposes examines what drives these relationships, how often they go bad and why. Especially with today's challenges, both partners can avoid the economic and other consequences of a relationship turning sour by correcting problems before they become critical. Branch managers: Master the 5 fundamentals of superstar management In today's economic environment, what does it take to become a "superstar" manager of a wholesale distribution branch? Written by Jim Ambrose, 5 Fundamentals for the Wholesale Distribution Branch Manager shows current and aspiring branch managers how to succeed and excel through the mastery of five key skills. Read this book and quickly see why it's our No. 1 best-seller! Essential reading for every sales manager and his/her supervisor 5 Fundamentals for the Wholesale Distribution Sales Manager 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. During this economic slowdown, use this book as a foundation to help you become an effective and high-performing sales manager. Learn more about NAW -> Join NAW  |  Business Products  |  Publications  |  Meetings  |  Govt. Relations   Weekly Poll  What is your New Year's resolution? After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like. Spend less Lose weight Exercise more Get a new job Spend more time with family Other National Sales Manager, Distribution Roll, LLC Flexible Customer service representative/Export division Summit Electric Supply Houston, TX Technical Customer Service Representative RAASM USA, Inc. Charlotte (Southend), NC   SmartQuote  As you grow in this business, you learn how to do more with less." --Morgan Freeman, recipient of 2008 Kennedy Center Honors Award     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise National Account Director:  Jim Pataki (202) 407-7850 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Celia Rothschild (202) 470-1159   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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