The Leading Source for Industrial Distribution News
Auto Supplier Visteon Tries To Rally From Chapter 11
October 25, 2010 5:34 am | News | CommentsVAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Auto supplier Visteon Corp. took steps Friday that will allow some of its current shareholders to sell as much as $2.94 billion in stock. The company, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month, filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission that would allow the shareholders to sell nearly 47 million shares of common stock without restrictions.
India, Japan Ink Trade Agreement
October 25, 2010 5:33 am | by Malcom Foster, Associated Press | News | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — The leaders of India and Japan signed a broad agreement Monday aimed at increasing trade and agreed to speed up talks toward a civilian nuclear energy deal — despite sensitivity in Japan over India's past atomic test blasts. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the conclusion of nearly four years of negotiations on the economic partnership agreement a "historic achievement.
Not Just Any Solution, But The Right One
October 22, 2010 12:36 pm | Articles | CommentsDistributors with large and sophisticated supplier communities should seek productivity and automation solutions that drive profitable business relationships. Owens & Minor (O&M) is a major player in healthcare distribution and supply chain management, with sales approaching $7B and 4,600 employees.
Robots Perform Grape Surgery
October 22, 2010 10:57 am | Videos | CommentsWhile most manufacturing processes do not take this level of precision, this "surgery" on a grape proves just how advanced robotic technology has come in recent years. The drive of competition has pushed even the most heavy-duty of industrial robots to become increasingly accurate as well.
Spat With China Means Japan Looks Elsewhere For Tech Materials
October 22, 2010 9:33 am | News | CommentsOctober 22, 2010 by Shino Yuasa, Associated Press Writer TOKYO (AP) — Japan plans to mine in Vietnam for rare earth metals used in high-tech manufacturing in a bid to reduce its dependence on China, which virtually monopolizes the global supply of the strategic materials, officials said Friday.
Master Appliance Launches Youtube Channel
October 21, 2010 7:25 am | News | CommentsRACINE, Wis. – Master Appliance, a designer and manufacturer of heat tools for industrial purposes, has recently launched a Youtube Channel. Check out Master Appliance’s first video, entitled “Replacing a Defective Capacitator on an IMac G5 Motherboard” here .
General Tools & Instruments Joins ffiliated Distributors Industrial Supply Division As Preferred Supplier
October 21, 2010 5:56 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK -- General Tools & Instruments is extremely proud to join Affiliated Distributors Industrial Supply Division as a new preferred supplier. Now a 9-star supplier in the Core MRO Circle of Profit category, General has restructured its sales team to better support the industrial/commercial channel and has custom designed a sales program to specifically accommodate A-D Members.
Toyota Recalls 1.53M Vehicles For Brake Fluid And Fuel Pump Issues
October 21, 2010 4:55 am | by Malcom Foster, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — Toyota is recalling 1.53 million Lexus, Avalon and other models, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, for brake fluid and fuel pump problems, the latest in a string of quality lapses for the world's No. 1 automaker. Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will call back for repairs about 740,000 cars in the U.
Caterpillar's Profits Soar By 96 Percent
October 21, 2010 4:54 am | by Josh Funk, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Strong sales growth in developing countries pushed Caterpillar's third-quarter earnings 96 percent higher, and the world's largest maker of mining and construction equipment increased its outlook for this year. Caterpillar said Thursday it earned $792 million net income, or $1.
Grainger Posts 3Q Sales Of $1.9 Billion
October 20, 2010 6:05 am | News | CommentsCHICAGO -- Grainger recently reported results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010. Third quarter sales of $1.9 billion increased 19 percent versus the 2009 third quarter. Both quarters had the same number of selling days (64). Net earnings for the quarter increased 4 percent to $150 million versus $145 million in 2009.
Graybar Named To InformationWeek 500 For Innovation
October 20, 2010 6:04 am | News | CommentsST. LOUIS -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, was named to this year's InformationWeek 500, a listing of some of the most innovative users of business technology. 2010 marks the eighth consecutive year Graybar has appeared on the list.
Grainger Acquires SafetyCertified's Assets
October 20, 2010 6:03 am | News | CommentsCHICAGO -- Grainger, North America's leading broad line distributor of facilities maintenance products, today announced it has acquired substantially all of the assets of SafetyCertified, Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "As North America's largest distributor of safety products, we are committed to helping businesses and institutions manage and operate safe and healthy workplaces," said Mike Pulick, President of Grainger's U.
Bossard Sees Positive Sales Trend Continue Through 3Q
October 20, 2010 6:01 am | News | CommentsZUG, Switzerland -- The positive sales trend in the first half of the year continued throughout the third quarter of 2010. Bossard Group reached sales of CHF 119.4 million, an increase of 32.2 % in local currencies. All three sales areas again reported double digit growth. Given the weaker Euro and U.
A Greener Supply Chain
October 20, 2010 5:31 am | by Michael Brittingham, Manager, Marketing Communications, 4Front Engineered Solutions | Articles | CommentsIf a company isn’t practicing sustainability yet, chances are good that someone who is part of the supply chain will either ask or demand that they do. More and more companies are becoming aware of the need for a greener supply chain. A recent Material Handling Institute of America survey of material handling and logistics management found that 79 percent of facilities have instituted or are planning to institute sustainability goals for their operations.
Trust Your Gut
October 19, 2010 12:16 pm | by Mike Schmidt, Associate Editor, Industrial Distribution | Articles | CommentsSalespeople often find themselves readily embracing the latest and greatest tech devices, but it's important to remember that while providers are experts on their respective offerings, it’s the customers who are the experts when it comes to their respective needs and wants. When it comes to new technology, I’m hardly a bandwagon-jumper.
High Heat-Resistant Cable
October 19, 2010 8:43 am | Product Releases | CommentsCerro Wire (Hartselle, AL) now offers SLiPWire, a thermoplastic high heat-resistant nylon-coated (THHN) cable. Jacketed with a self-lubricating polymer, SLiPWire is designed to reduce the time, labor, and cost for installation. Furthermore, it is also meant to eliminate the materials and labor needed for lubricating the wire, and avoids messy clean-up activities.
Introducing The Perminator
October 19, 2010 8:20 am | Product Releases | CommentsW.R. Meadows (Hampshire, IL) now offers the Perminator vapor barrier. Designed to reduce the penetration of moisture and water vapor through structure slabs, it helps to reduce fungus, mildew, and mold growth. PERMINATOR is also designed to help reduce the amount of radon gas from entering the structure, and it is available in 10 mil and 15 mil thicknesses.
Monitor Your Material Handling System
October 19, 2010 8:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsDematic (Grand Rapids, MI) has introduced the Alert Monitoring Service, a new support capability for users of automated material handling systems. The Alert Monitoring Service provides a constant view of a user’s material handling system. It monitors trends to reveal issues before they become critical and potentially lead to unwanted downtime.
Safety First
October 19, 2010 8:08 am | Product Releases | CommentsESAB (Florence, SC) announces the launch of a new line of its Weld Warrior line of personal protection equipment. The line features a number of types of helmets, as well as other safety-related equipment. It includes: New-Tech™ ADC Plus auto-darkening reactive welding helmets OrigoTM-Tech 9-13 helmets Globe-Arc helmets safety glasses and goggles protective clothing welding gloves Check out www.
Boeing Pares Employee Benefit Plan, Cites 'Cost Pressures'
October 19, 2010 5:12 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The big aircraft maker Boeing Co. says "cost pressures" from the new health care law are part of the reason it's asking employees to pay more for their medical benefits next year. In a letter mailed to employees late last week, Boeing said deductibles and copayments are going up significantly for some 90,000 nonunion workers.
