Supply Chain | Industrial Distribution

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Federal Watchdog Denies Grainger's Protest of MSC Industrial Contract

Grainger argued that a major government contract awarded to MSC was unreasonably evaluated, with bids improperly valued.

Aerial view of the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports.

Southern California Ports Delay Fines for Backlogged Cargo

The reprieve comes because of early compliance by companies in clearing cargo since the penalties were approved last month.

Trucks line up to enter a Port of Oakland shipping terminal on Nov. 10, 2021, in Oakland, CA.

Supply Shortages Fueled by Americans' Spending Spree

Households flush with cash from stimulus checks, booming stock markets and enlarged home equity have felt like spending freely again — a lot.

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Ensuring Supply Chain Resiliency at Every Touchpoint

In this Feb. 23, 2021, file photo, Ricki Mills looks out from her home as she waits for a fire hydrant to be turned to get water, in Dallas on Feb. 23, 2021. Texas is again at high risk of power blackouts this winter because of extreme weather like the catastrophic February storm that buckled the state's electric grid and left millions of people without heat for days, regulators said Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.

Report: Texas Still at Risk of Winter Power Blackouts

Shipping containers are stacked over a truck at the Port of Los Angeles Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, in Los Angeles. One month after President Joe Biden announced an agreement to have the Port of Los Angeles operate round-the-clock to help break a cargo backlog at the docks, officials disclose that hasn’t happened as they contend with a shortage of truck drivers and accessible warehouse space.

Plan to Run LA Port 24/7 to Break Backlog Falls Short

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, right, poses for a photo with her counterpart Koichi Hagiuda prior to their meeting in Tokyo on Nov. 17, 2021.

Japan, U.S. Set Outline for Talks on Trade, Broader Ties

Make or Break Metrics

Make or Break Metrics

Understanding KPIs as they relate to your industry and business is essential for any growing business. The immense amount of information available to decision-makers today can also be overwhelming, so we narrowed it down to the 20 most important metrics.

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Blame the Supply Chain for Inflation, and Why it's Here to Stay

One set of research suggests that current pricing conditions are already the new normal.

Cargo containers sit stacked at the Port of Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2021 in San Pedro, CA.

White House to Put $17B Toward Port Upgrades

The funds aim to tamp down inflation caused by ships waiting to dock and a shortage of truck drivers to haul goods.

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Fastener Distributor Index Improves in October Despite Supply Chain Disruption

Commentary remained focused on very elevated freight costs, shipping congestion and raw material/semiconductor chip shortages, though demand is still strong.

Commissioner of Central Investigation Bureau Jirabhob Bhuridej holds a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. The commissioner announced that they have arrested the head of a company suspected of cheating overseas buyers of medical rubber gloves during the coronavirus pandemic.

Thai Companies Accused of Fraud in Sales of Medical Gloves

One failed to deliver 2 million boxes of nitrile gloves worth $15.5 million.

Members of the United Auto Workers strike outside of a John Deere plant, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Ankeny, Iowa. The farm equipment manufacturer reached a tentative labor agreement Saturday, Oct. 30, with the United Auto Workers union.

Deere, UAW Reach Tentative Pact; Strike Continues for Now

Union workers would get wage increases of 10% in the first year.

President Joe Biden and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen talk to reporters about pausing the trade war over steel and aluminum tariffs during the G20 leaders summit, Rome, Oct. 31, 2021.

U.S., Europe Reach Agreement on Steel Tariffs

The deal would crack down on "dirty steel."

Aluminum Shortage Disrupts Montana License Plate Production

Others who have the metal don’t want to sell it because of the same supply shortage.

,Cargo containers sit stacked at the Port of Los Angeles, Wednesday Oct. 20, 2021 in San Pedro, Calif. California Gov. The Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex will begin fining shipping companies if they let cargo containers stack up as the nation's busiest twin harbors deal with an unprecedented backlog of vessels. The Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions voted Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 to implement a 90-day “container excess dwell fee” that sets time limits on how long containers can stay at marine terminals.

LA, Long Beach Ports Will Issue Fines for Backlogged Cargo

The number of ships waiting to unload has risen to record volumes.

In this Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, photo trucks line up next to containers at the Port of Los Angeles in san Pedro, Calif. The Vincent Thomas Bridge suspension bridge, crossing the Los Angeles Harbor links San Pedro with Terminal Island. California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021 issued an order that aims to ease bottlenecks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that have spilled over into neighborhoods where cargo trucks are clogging residential streets. Last week the White House allowed the ports complex to become a 24-hour operation in an effort to break the logjam and reduce shipping delays.

Ports of LA, Long Beach to Fine Firms over Container Backlog

It's the latest step aimed at relieving the logjam of cargo ships that has interrupted the global supply chain.

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Managing Raw Material Volatility

Diversification, optionality and access to capital will be key in positioning for growth.

Gooten uses a Direct to Garment (DTG) printing method that directly applies the ink onto the t-shirt with inkjet technology.

Why We Should Never Go Back To A Pre-Covid Supply Chain

A smarter supply chain can meet and exceed seemingly impossible expectations.