| August 21, 2008 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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- Will Cardinal Health spin off lucrative division?
 According to analysts, Cardinal Health Inc. is likely to spin off its distribution and manufacturing segments by 2010. "We cannot think of any reason why a split should not move ahead this fiscal year," analyst Lawrence Marsh said in a Lehman Brothers report. The company's Clinical and Medical Products division generates 40% of operating earnings on 6% of sales, and a decision regarding its spinoff will be announced before an earnings report is released in October, Cardinal said. American City Business Journals/Columbus, Ohio
(8/15)
    
| Best Practices | | |
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- Strategies to cut through the red tape
Dealing with bureaucracy can be the most frustrating part of a job, but there are ways to cut through the red tape. In this article, readers weigh in with their "bureaucracy-busting" suggestions. BusinessWeek
(8/14)
- CFOs taking more on their plates in an "age of risk"
Accustomed to seeing to a company's economic health, CFOs increasingly are being tapped to oversee their companies' risk management portfolio, with some organizations shifting their CFOs to chief risk officer positions, this article says. "Enterprises are looking at risk more systemically," said Stephen Lukens, global and Americas financial management leader of IBM Global Business Services. "Corporations acknowledge that they need to understand the material risks to their value drivers. Therefore, the number of CFOs focusing a portion of their time on risk has gone up." CFO.com
(8/13)
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- Online marketing an excellent b-to-b sales tool
Despite common knowledge that the majority of business-to-business customers use the Internet in the buying process, many executives still fail to see the value in online marketing. Companies that do market online can boost sales in various stages, including raising awareness of their product or service and generating discussion among potential buyers. MarketingProfs (free registration)
(8/12)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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- 401(k)s offer unique benefits in small businesses
Congress has changed the rules for 401(k)s, allowing individuals to put more money in the retirement plans and potentially drop an entire bracket in income taxes. "That is a great tax shelter for these folks," says Stuart Robertson, general manager of Sharebuilder401k, who along with other experts talks about how small businesses and sole proprietors can benefit from 401(k) investments. U.S. News & World Report
(8/15)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Terrorist watch list issues continue
Despite promises of a solution, many passengers are still waiting for years to get their names off the government's terrorist watch list. James Robinson, a commercial airline pilot licensed to carry a gun on board, still can't use kiosk or curbside check-in because his name is on the list. "I'm carrying a weapon, flying a multimillion-dollar jet with passengers, but I'm still screened as, you know, on the terrorist watch list," he said. The airlines and TSA say they are working together to streamline the system for innocent passengers. CNN
(8/19)
, The Washington Post/Associated Press
(8/20)
- Spain's Costa Brava exudes sense of pride
The towns that dot Catalonia along Spain's northeastern Mediterranean coast are small and surrounded by rolling farmland. The people speak Catalan and evoke a sense of local pride in their autonomous region, which features ancient churches, perfect beaches and an authenticity that is often lacking elsewhere. The New York Times (free registration)
(8/17)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Register for NAW's Billion Dollar Company CEO Roundtable
NAW's Billion Dollar Company CEO Roundtable, Chicago, Oct. 14 to 15, joins CEOs from distribution companies with sales of $1 billion and above to network/benchmark. Topics are based on responses from the CEO community, addressing specific needs of the group, including Associate Engagement -- Customer Loyalty; Action Plan for Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility; and Financial Markets -- The Impact on Our Industry. Register now!
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New Edition: Learn the Essentials of Profitable Wholesale Distribution
Making money in distribution gets tougher every year -- it's even harder during an economic slump! Running a successful company requires cooperative efforts from knowledgeable and motivated employees. Speed their learning and retention by giving them Essentials of Profitable Wholesale Distribution. Twice the size of the first edition, this second edition includes both brand-new and updated instructional text and all-new graphics!
| Weekly Poll | | |
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Has your company recently adjusted its pricing strategy?
After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like.
 | Yes -- We had to recover operational costs somewhere. |
| Not yet -- We are trying alternatives. |
| No -- We are doing well and have not found it necessary. |
| SmartQuote | | |
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