W.W. Grainger Inc.'s Elgin, Ill., branch contributed five $1,000 scholarships for students studying welding, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and industrial manufacturing at Elgin Community College...The Institute for Supply Management and Howard University are co-sponsoring the Fifth Annual Black Executive Supply Management Summit March 5-7...IBC added Tool Central Inc. as a distributor and Quaker Tool Grinding Co. and eye protection manufacturer H.L. Bouton Co. as preferred suppliers to its IndustrialSupplyPlus division...Kaman Industrial Technologies launched a new Web site, www.kamandirect.com...Snap-on Industrial won a $7.8 million U.S. Army contract to produce shop equipment, tools and sustainment items used by infantry personnel...Employees at Summit Electric Supply raised $2,365 for the Army National Guard. Summit matched the donations, which were converted into 189 Army Air Force Exchange Services gift stores...Advanced Handling Systems Inc. changed its name to TriFactor...Specialty metal, plastic, electrical and assembled component supplier EFC International celebrates its 25th anniversary this year...Employees at Rubbermaid Commercial Products worked three million hours without a lost-time injury...Binkelman Corp. announced a trio of developments: The power transmission products distributor opened a custom gearbox replacement center at its Toledo, Ohio, location; was named Goodyear Engineered Products' sole dual hose and conveyor belt STAR distributor; and opened its second Eaton Aeroquip Express location at its Saginaw, Mich., branch...

HD Supply's deal to sell its HVAC operations to distributor Watsco Inc. collapsed, but the Orlando-based building materials distributor's Canadian division bought 15 acres in Cramahe Township, Ontario, for a 70,000-square-foot facility as part of its 2006 Grafton Utility acquisition...Rexel's $4.6 billion takeover of Hagemeyer was approved by the European Union's anti-trust commission...Bearings Specialty Co. acquired Machine Parts Corp. and Machine Drives...ProBuild Holdings acquired Jasper Lumber Co. of Jasper, Ga....Saint-Gobain Abrasives acquired Moyco Precision Abrasives Inc. of Montgomeryville, Pa....DXP Enterprises Inc. acquired Rocky Mtn. Supply Inc. for roughly $4.6 million...Veyance Technologies Inc. acquired Monk Mining Supply and its subsidiary, Millennium Vulcanizing...Praxair Distribution Inc. acquired Kirk Welding Supply...Airgas Inc. acquired Merriam-Graves Corp....

Praxair's Surface Technologies division was named “Supplier of the Year” at the Dresser-Rand Supply Chain Performance Conference...Motion Industries was named a Top Ten Vendor of the Year by motor home manufacturer Newmar Corp....Fitz Chem Corp. was awarded a Distributor of the Year Gold Award Plaque by Wacker Chemie AG for 2006...Fastenal named Ergodyne as its 2007 Class Four Supplier of the Year for overall excellence in service.