Operations | Industrial Distribution

ID In-Depth: Motion Industries' Next-Gen Distribution

Motion Industries isn't complaining about Millennials. In fact, the company believes generational diversity is critical to doing business in the Internet age.

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How to Negotiate Distribution Agreements

With proper attention to detail when negotiating your next distribution agreement, you may diminish the likelihood of a premature end to the relationship.

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US Workplaces Ill-Equipped to Contain a Virus

Do workplace norms and policies help companies cope with a contagious virus, or do they accelerate its spread?

In this undated image provided by Cameron MacMillan, Jordan Davis, foreground, and Jason Wilson and Chad Wright, background work at the Better Collective Tennessee, RotoGrinders.com office in downtown Nashville. Sports can be a distraction at work the first few months of the year as pro football and college basketball hold their premier events. Business owners have to make a choice, whether, like McMillan at RotoGrinders.com, they'll allow or encourage staffers to enjoy the moment, or demand that everyone focus on work.

Super Bowl, March Madness Can Boost Morale

Many businesses are happy to let staffers have some fun amid major sporting events as long as they get their tasks done.

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Is Workplace Rudeness on the Rise?

In surveys, over half of respondents report being treated badly at least once a week.

This July 24, 2018, file photo shows a portion of the 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return form.

Trump Tax Plan Year 2: What to Know

While this year’s tax season is expected to be more sedate than last year, there are a few tweaks to be aware of.

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Prioritize 3 Factors to Drive Customer Experience

Distributors often develop a value proposition and then immediately fall back into status quo. Here are the factors to focus on when sharpening customer experience.

High-Quality Slitter INOX-Prime Grinder Wheels

Ideal for applications on carbon-based steels and stainless steel, Weldcote Slitter wheels are contaminant free and offer excellent work finish.

Flap Discs

The new flap disc maintains consistent performance throughout its life, yielding maximum economic efficiency for the user.

Jo Trizila, top right, President and CEO of Trizcom Public Relations, conducts a meeting with her staff Ann Littmann, right, Noel Hampton, bottom left, and Hayley Swinton at their office in Dallas on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The recent flu outbreak can really impact small businesses with small staffs and hurt a company's productivity. Some owners, like Trizila, are trying to mitigate the damage so the flu will not become a nightmare when they're trying to get clients' work done.

Businesses' Defense Against Flu

Don't let your small business be overwhelmed by flu-based employee absences.

In this July 11, 2012, file photo, John Arensmeyer, CEO of the advocacy group Small Business Majority, poses for a portrait at the Small Business Majority office in Washington. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, known as the SECURE Act, won final congressional approval in the Senate last month and was signed into law by President Donald Trump. One of the bill's features makes it easier for small businesses to band together to offer 401(k) and other retirement plans.“ Most small businesses simply don’t have the funds or staff to offer and manage retirement plans,” said Arensmeyer.

Law Boosts Retirement Options

Only half the workers in companies with fewer than 50 employees have access to retirement benefits

In this July 18, 2019 file photo, speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joins fellow Democrats and activists seeking better pay as the House approved legislation to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade — to $15 an hour, at the Capitol in Washington.

2020 Brings Higher Labor Costs for Small Biz

As of Jan. 1, there are higher minimum wages in a quarter of the states, and new federal overtime rules, along with several regional factors.

In this Dec. 17 photo, an Amazon robot sends a package down a chute, transporting packages from workers to chutes that are organized by zip code, at an Amazon warehouse facility in Goodyear, AZ. The tech giant is still rolling out new models descended from the Kiva line, including the Pegasus, a squarish vehicle with a conveyor belt on top that can be found working the early-morning shift at a warehouse in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear.

Warehouse Workers Adapting to Robots

There are growing concerns that keeping up with the pace of the latest warehouse productivity technology is taking a toll on human workers' health, safety and morale.

In this April 9, 2018 file photo a cashier rings up a purchase at a store in Salem, NH.

Businesses Facing New Overtime Rules

The jobs most likely to be affected are shift supervisors or assistant managers at restaurants, retailers and manufacturing companies.

More Mfg Workers Have Degrees

40 percent of manufacturing workers reportedly now possess a college degree, compared to 20 percent in the early 1990s.

Quick Hits: Shakeup in Top 10 Workplaces

Employees are changing their tune on what constitutes a top workplace.

Impact Resistant Glasses

Smith & Wesson Safety Glasses also offer all-day comfort and edgy, contemporary designs.

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Compliance Amid the Rise of OSHA Inspections

You probably won’t know when a compliance and safety officer will come knocking, but you can be prepared.

Detect Motor Faults Using ESA

The ATPOL II is a tool designed for complete Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) and Power Quality Analysis (PQA).

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Mfg. Capital Spending to Drop 2.1% in 2020

Though capital spending is forecasted to decrease, all 18 of ISM's manufacturing sectors forecast higher 2020 revenues than in 2019.

Warehouse Solutions Increase Worker Productivity

Zebra Technologies has announced a series of new warehouse offerings designed to optimize workflows, maximize productivity in the warehouse and improve employee onboarding.

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Screening Potential Employees: Do’s and Don’ts

With the change in technology, almost immediate access to background data and the proliferation of corporate ethics and compliance programs, the landscape for screening new employees has changed, especially in the last decade or so.

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Incumbent CEOs with New CFOs Earn More

Researchers studied 20+ years of data from S&P 1500 firms and found CEOs took home an average of 10% more compensation when working with a CFO who was hired after them.

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Overcoming the Pricing Dynamics Hindering Growth in MRO Distribution

Taking a closer look at how pricing decisions are made and how customer-specific price agreements are maintained.