| September 25, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Wolseley profit drops 22.1% due to U.S. housing market
British building materials distributor Wolseley plc's annual profit dropped 22.1% to $1.37 billion amid the weak housing market in the U.S., compared to last year's profit of $1.71 billion. The company might sell its American Stock Building Supply division, which was a main contributor to the loss. "We have continued to take action to reduce costs and drive working capital improvements, in response to challenging market conditions," Wolseley CEO Chip Hornsby said. Industrial Distribution
(9/22)
, Modern Distribution Management
(9/22)
     
- G&L Beijer signs letter of intent to acquire certain Carrier operations
G&L Beijer AB intends to acquire Carrier Corp.'s refrigeration wholesale distribution operations in Europe and South Africa. The combination of the two entities' refrigeration wholesale distribution operations in these areas would provide a firm base for global expansion, G & L Beijer said. Under the deal, G & L Beijer would issue stock to Carrier so that G & L Beijer's current shareholders and Carrier would have a roughly 67% and 33% voting interest, respectively, in G & L Beijer. Carrier Corp. is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. RTT News
(9/22)
- Ports looking at liquefied natural gas to fuel trucks
Some West Coast ports are looking to liquefied natural gas fuel systems to provide energy efficiency, cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. "The ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and to a smaller extent Oakland are leading the charge to replace old, dirty diesel trucks that are 15 to 20 years old on average," said Andy Douglas, sales manager for specialty markets at Kenworth Truck Company, which now has in full-time service eight T800s equipped with LNG fuel system technology from Westport Innovations. Douglas says Kenworth's LNG fuel system saves $1 to $1.50 per gallon, while according to Westport Innovations, the trucks reduce greenhouse gasses by 20%. Fleet Owner
(9/22)
- Trends emerge as companies grapple with talent crunch
Companies are trying a variety of tactics in order to counter the unprecedented talent crunch that is anticipated. Four trends, however, are emerging: recruiting for rapid growth; developing deep skills and commitment in their people; training new hires to achieve early results; and allowing leaders to seize opportunities. Knowledge@Wharton
(9/22)
- Ease the work burden by slacking off -- responsibly
With multitasking being a way of life for many workers, a little slacking off may not always be a bad thing. Some tips include setting aside e-mail for a designated time, not being afraid to say "no" to a task when you're overburdened, eating lunch away from your desk and taking short breaks from time to time as a means to stay fresh and productive. CNN/CareerBuilder.com
(9/22)
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| | The Five Keys to World-Class Distribution
In a changing marketplace and a tightening economy, distributors must be willing to make changes to their procedures, concepts and customer service in order to stay paced with the competition. Click here for a free white paper and learn what it takes to achieve success in the modern era of distribution. | |
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- Tips for boosting your lead-nurturing strategy
A recent survey found that nurturing long-term leads was the area of lead generation strategies that tech marketers would most like to improve. Three suggestions for accomplishing that include adding or enhancing human-touch strategies, getting back to basics with plain-text e-mails, and measuring effort to make sure focus is in the right place. MarketingProfs (free registration)
(9/16)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Activant provides technology solutions and services to more than 4,200 wholesale distributors throughout North America. A leading technology provider for the distribution industry, Activant develops comprehensive, user-friendly software that increases sales, improves customer service, and maximizes the return on technology investments.
Can you really afford the luxury of untrained salespeople in these difficult times? Invest where you'll see a dramatic return on your investment. Send your salespeople to Dave Kahle's Top Gun Seminar for Distributor Salespeople. Coming to a location near you. Call 800-331-1287 or click here for more information.
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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- With stress in the air, New York chefs offer comfort
New York chefs are putting their own imprint on classic comfort foods in an effort to appeal to the city's stressed residents. Glenn Harris has added macaroni and cheese, pizza and a new take on old-fashioned fish sticks to The Smith's menu. His crab hush puppies, a blend of New England lump crab cake and a Southern corn fritter, are designed "to appeal to my son and to a 48-year-old," he said. New York Post
(9/21)
- Mark Levinson follows Media Console with power amp
Shipping now, the No532 Dual Monaural Power Amplifier is Mark Levinson's follow-up to its No502 Media Console, the company said. The amp contains a pair of 400-watt monaural power amps built on a single chassis with three piers -- the audio circuitry is built into the outer piers -- all of which the company said provided "distortion-free power and crystal-clear sound." CEPro.com
(9/19)
| NAW Insider | | |
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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.
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Sales executives: Give a copy to every front-line salesperson!
Distributor salespeople need a consistent sales model that provides them with the structure to effectively use their talents and skills for increased profitability -- especially today. Objective-Based Selling in Wholesale Distribution provides exactly that sales model. It is specifically geared to distributor salespeople in all lines of trade. It will teach your salespeople how to sell more at higher gross margins!
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Does your company perform internal control audits of day-to-day processes?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes, we regularly perform them as part of our other business evaluations. |
| We do them from time to time but not regularly. |
| We do not perform such audits. |
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 | Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example."
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| | Recent NAW SmartBrief Issues:
- Wednesday, September 24, 2008
- Monday, September 22, 2008
- Friday, September 19, 2008
- Thursday, September 18, 2008
- Wednesday, September 17, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
Contributing Editor: Nancy Melville | Robert Jones
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Small-business owners should not wait out the economic crisis but instead actively adapt to its new realities, says San Francisco business consultant Victor Cheng. Cheng said changes need to be made quickly when revenue begins to fall and owners need to examine all the business parts to determine which make money and then shift emphasis to those moneymakers. 
