News and Trends

Avnet begins work on new facility
Avnet Inc. has started construction on its new integration and logistics facility in Chandler, Ariz. The 228,000-square-foot facility should be ready for occupancy in May 2008 and will feature state-of-the-art systems building and shipping technology, which will support the electronics and computer parts distributor's newly acquired Access Distribution business. eChannelLine Canada (4/18)

Applied Industrial has record fiscal Q3
Applied Industrial Technologies reported an 8.5% profit increase in its fiscal third quarter ending March 31 from the same time period in 2006. "While the economic expansion is less robust than it was last fiscal year, our actions to reduce operating costs helped us continue our improvement in earnings," CEO David Pugh said. Crain's Cleveland Business (4/18)

• AIT to repurchase up to 1.5 million shares: Applied Industrial Technologies has announced plans to buy back as many as 1.5 million shares of its stock, replacing an earlier plan for the company to repurchase more than 1.4 million shares. Industrial Distribution (4/19)

Other News

• Hagemeyer performs as expected in European markets
  Forbes/AFX News Limited (4/20)

Best Practices

Look for these attributes when hiring
Set time aside for preparation before interviewing a new candidate. Look for a positive attitude, useful experience and intelligence in potential employees to get the most out of new hires. American City Business Journals (4/16)

Building the civilized workplace
Nasty people don't just make others feel miserable, they also create economic problems for their companies. The author of this article, a Stanford University professor, argues companies can take specific and interrelated steps to root out jerks and bullies and build a more civilized workplace. The McKinsey Quarterly (free registration for SmartBrief readers) (4/2007)

Sales

Understand, defeat barriers to marketing effectiveness
Marketing effectiveness is finding the balance between creative execution and quantitative results. Analyze feedback data, accordingly modify the campaign's focus and always look to the future in order to effectively budget and spend on marketing. MarketingProfs (free registration) (4/17)

Distribution Trends Blog

Recruiting Generation Me
The newest generation of up-and-coming employees is a unique one. Is your company willing and able to recruit them? Read more and discuss on the Distribution Trends blog. Distribution Trends (4/24)

Small Business Manager

Small-business marketing and the Web
Now is the time to embrace the Internet as a viable marketing tool, even if you have thus far found success without it. Nowadays, more customers are judging your credibility -- and their decisions -- on your Web presence. Creating a Web site or even a company profile on a social-networking site can be simple, inexpensive and lucrative if correctly done. USA TODAY (4/19)

Executive Life

Maritime Aquarium transforms South Norwalk, Conn.
The city center of South Norwalk, Conn., is a bustling area filled with restaurants, bars, boutiques and tree-lined streets. It's quite a change from 25 years ago when the area was filled with homeless people, broken windows and run-down businesses. In the late 1980s, the city invested in the Maritime Aquarium, a move that transformed the area and turned it into a tourist destination. CNN/Coastal Living (4/23)

Study: Liquor more harmful to women than men
Women suffer more physical and mental damage from drinking alcohol than men do, including damage to the liver and the heart, as well as cardiovascular and cognitive functions, a study found. Yahoo!/Agence France-Presse (4/24)

NAW Insider

Save on overnight shipping with DHL ShipReady
NAW and DHL have partnered to offer a unique delivery service from DHL Express. Members can ship anywhere in the continental U.S. for one flat rate with no weight limits, extra fees or fuel surcharges. Receive two free envelopes with your first order by visiting the ShipReady site and entering the promo code NAWSR07.

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.

Increase profitability and productivity: Attend this education session

The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and Deloitte have released the Distribution Value Map. Attend a free, online education program by Neil Gholson on how to use this framework to transform your business processes so they are repeatable, easy for your trading partners and improve productivity. This transformation will lead to excellence in operations and improved profitability. Register here.

Weekly Poll

Has your company adopted any "green" practices?
 We are very environmentally conscious
 We have some environmentally friendly policies
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 What's "green"?

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