May 3, 2007
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| Association Weekly Update | |
May 3, 2007 | |
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STEEL PRICES ON THE WAY BACK UP
Purchasing magazine reports that sheet steel prices have moved upward from $508/ton in February and probably will be close to $600 in June. The shift is due to short supply, rising global prices and a slowdown in imports. Purchasing reports that North American demand has been "anemic" this year, and many end-user and service center buyers have built up "more than enough" inventory. Imports have fallen because demand in global regions is strong and prices overseas are in many cases higher than in the U.S. More .... FOLLOW UP ON LEADS YOU HAND YOUR SALESPEOPLE
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MANUFACTURING EXPANDS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT
MONTH Despite apparently weak growth in GDP for the first quarter, manufacturing is hanging on. The latest Institute for Supply Management report indicates that manufacturing activity increased in April, reflecting significant improvements in new orders and production, as well as employment. Manufacturers are in their ninth month of inventory reduction so supply chains are returning to balance. On the other hand, prices continue to rise at a rapid rate, with metals and energy being the greatest area of concern to buyers. More ....
FROM MDM: INFLATION BY COMMODITY GROUP – FIRST
QUARTER WOLSELEY IN EUROPE
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CHANGING WITH THE TIMES: KASS INDUSTRIAL
SUPPLY This Construction Distribution article provides a great example of how close attention to shifts in the local market can mean the different between just getting by and thriving for a distribution company. Kass Industrial Supply, in Bronx, NY, started as a neighborhood hardware store more than 50 years ago – as its customer base has changed, it has changed with it. At first, it served sheet metal houses, cabinet makers, lamp makers, window makers and casket makers. Those moved South or were replaced by offshore competition. At the same time, the industry was moving from plaster to drywall, and Kass was one of the first in the area to sell what was then a new thing: drywall screws. It now focuses much of its business on drywall and carpentry supplies. Kass also expanded the type of product it would sell – including safety supplies as buildings grew taller and the need for reliable safety equipment increased. Also, as big-box and other national competitors started to emerge, Kass became a master distributor, selling to area dealers to help them compete by providing deeper inventories. More .... | |||||||||||||
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U.S. MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS AT RISK INTERNATIONALLY
The author of this article in IndustryWeek argues that traditional American manufacturing no longer cuts it in today's rapidly changing world economy. One government study suggests that Americans are behind in producing a labor force that will allow it to keep up. In the U.S., about 32% of undergraduates receive their degrees in science and engineering. Compare that with China, where the figure is 59%, and Japan, 66%, and Germany, slightly higher at 36%. In 2005, more than 600,000 engineers graduated in China; in India, it was 350,000. In the U.S., it was 70,000. The author asks: Are we doing enough to ensure that our organizations continue to provide services to meet increasing expectations? "Customers will continue to want the materials and products when, where and how they choose. Fluctuations in the international marketplace will change their needs at an increasingly accelerating rate … customer service may, in fact, be the only competitive advantage for companies in the distribution industry." More .... | |||||||||||||
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DISTRIBUTORS TARGET TRANSPORT, WAREHOUSING EFFICIENCIES
GASOLINE PRICES FUELED BY SUPPLY SHORTAGES
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Sign up other members of your staff to receive breaking news, industry and association information. To sign them up, click here. ISA members receive access to more than five years of research and articles on trends and best practices for wholesale distribution companies through an exclusive agreement with Modern Distribution Management, a newsletter and information service. For more information, visit the ISA Research Center. ABOUT ISA ADVISOR ISA Advisor is a weekly news and industry update provided as a member service of the Industrial Supply Association. More information about ISA member benefits and services is available at the web site of the Industrial Supply Association. ISA Advisor is published weekly by Gale Media, Inc., publisher of Modern Distribution Management, on behalf of the Industrial Supply Association. 100 North 20th Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103. All rights reserved. To unsubscribe from this e-mail newsletter, please use the links below. | |||||||||||||
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