| January 7, 2009 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
 |  |
| News and Trends |  |  |
|
- Steel industry looks to economic-stimulus plan for rescue
The U.S. steel industry is looking to the infrastructure-stimulus plan from President-elect Barack Obama to rescue it from a slump. Part of the problem the industry faces stems from the way steel wholesalers have always operated -- a method that's too risky for today's economy, this article suggests. In the past, wholesalers purchased steel on credit and resold their inventories, but now the wholesalers cannot easily get credit and have resorted to selling off their inventories to raise cash. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(1/1)     
- Report: Japan tough market for foreign distributors
Japan still presents a tough market for foreign electronic components distributors, according to a report from Europartners Consultants. The top 10 Japanese suppliers account for 92% of the market, although Arrow Electronics Inc. and Avnet Inc. have made some inroads. EE Times
(1/2)
- Cardinal Health CEO plans to retire after spinoff
As chief executive officer of Cardinal Health, Kerry Clark plans to spin off the company's medical technology business early this summer. After the spinoff, Clark said he plans to retire from the company. "Some people might say, 'Well that's a bit odd, you sort of restructured yourself out of a job,'" Clark said. "My job first and foremost is to try to make changes for Cardinal that will make it successful for the future." American City Business Journals/Columbus, Ohio
(12/31)
| Best Practices | | |
|
- Leadership building-blocks helped CEO turn Lego Group into success
In an interview, Lego Group CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp discusses the leadership strategies that helped the company achieve increased financial stability and get on the course for growth. Knudstorp said that when he became CEO in 2004 -- a time when the company was struggling -- he made sure he was approachable to all levels of workers and then set out to boost the company's value. Harvard Business Review
(1/2009)
- Let hard lessons of 2008 be New Year's resolutions for boards
The business disasters of 2008 offer important lessons for company boards of directors on what not to do. Beverly Behan offers three New Year's resolutions for avoiding similar problems this year: Make sure the entire board is involved in a comprehensive strategy review; ensure that the full board gets updates from its committees on risk and compensation issues at least annually; and develop important skill sets that may be missing from your board table. Bloomberg Businessweek
(12/30)
| Sales | | |
|
- Don't let passive sales routine reduce you to an order-taker
As sales people fall into routines, it's easy to go from a sales-maker to a simple order-taker. Instead of asking customers if they need more of what they already have, a good sales-maker becomes a problem-solver and takes a proactive approach in finding opportunities that serve the customer well and boost their own sales at the same time. Manage Smarter
(12/31)
| Small Business Manager | | |
|
| Executive Life | | |
|
- Mutual fund outflow of $320 billion in 2008 sets record
In one of the biggest flights to safety in the industry's history, mutual funds recorded a net $320 billion outflow in 2008. But in December, investors put a net $23 billion into equity funds and withdrew only $3.5 billion from bond funds, a much smaller outflow than bond funds experienced earlier in the year. This suggests that the trend may have reversed in the closing weeks of the year. Financial Times (free content)
(1/1)
| NAW Insider | | |
|
-
Billion Dollar Company Roundtables -- peer groups like none other
NAW's Billion Dollar Company Roundtables provide a unique networking experience. Join your peers to speak in a noncompeting atmosphere about the issues and topics that affect your business today. Join the groups and learn more about the upcoming events here.
-
Enrollment in NAW Health Insurance Program is simple
Through a convenient and paperless telephone application process, member companies and their employees can easily apply for group coverage in the NAW Health Insurance Program. What are the advantages of enrolling in the Trust? Learn more about this unique group health insurance enrollment process.
-
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.
|
| Weekly Poll | | |
|
-
Would you be offended if someone "unfriended" you on a social networking Web site?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Europe |
| North America |
| South America |
| Australia |
| Africa |
| Asia |
| I don't buy wine. |
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it."
--W. Clement Stone,
businessman and philanthropist
|
| |
| |
|
Read more at SmartBrief.com |
|
A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, January 05, 2009
- Friday, January 02, 2009
- Wednesday, December 31, 2008
- Tuesday, December 30, 2008
- Monday, December 29, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
Contributing Editor: Nancy Melville | Robert Jones
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | |
| |
|
| © 1999-2012 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
