MSC Industrial Sales Up 5.8% in First Quarter
Profit increased 5.6 percent to $63.2 million.
January 10, 2013
Sysco Makes Four Acquisitions
Sysco adds about $520 million to its sales with the acquisition of four businesses in December.
Innovation at ‘Center’ of 3M’s Plans for 2013
3M is building a new laboratory to house 700 scientists, to open in early 2015.
MAPI Report: Manufacturing Grows at ‘Nominal Pace’
Composite index undergoes 13th straight quarter above 50, yet 10th consecutive decline.
November Wholesale Trade Revenues Up 2.3% from October
November 2012 revenues were up 5.6 percent from November 2011.
Bunzl Makes 3 Acquisitions, Enters South America
Bunzl acquisitions include two packaging distributors in the U.S.
Analysis: Sales Grow, But Distribution Profits Stagnate
The following analysis by long-time industry expert Al Bates examines key profit drivers in wholesale distribution across 40 lines of trade monitored by the Profit Planning Group. This article looks at historical data from the past five years, and particularly trends in 2011, the last year for which full data is available. The pattern that year is a marked deviation from what was seen in previous business cycles.
This article provides insight into this trend and provides recommendations to improve profitability, including the single most important issue distributors should address in 2013.
Bates is author of Triple Your Profit!, available from MDM at www.mdm.com/tripleyourprofit.
Prior to 2011, distribution firms followed a somewhat predictable pattern in relationship to the economy. As the economy entered a recession, sales and profits tumbled. Coming out of the recession, both sales and profits improved dramatically. This pattern changed in 2011 (the last year for which information is available). Sales increased sharply, but profits did not. To understand why, it is necessary to examine the key profit drivers of distribution – the factors that put profit on the bottom line the quickest.
The key profit drivers in distribution are:
MDM Reader Survey: Top Distributor Concerns, Plans for 2013
A recent survey by MDM in partnership with NetSuite asked wholesale distribution companies about their key concerns and priorities going into 2013. This article provides a summary of the results and highlights key trends for the next year.
The latest MDM Annual Reader Survey, conducted in partnership with NetSuite, revealed a diverse set of concerns and priorities for 2013. Revenue growth remains the top priority for many distributors and manufacturers, with more than half of survey respondents (55 percent) listing it as a top priority for 2013, about the same as last year.
Selling more to existing customers
MDM News Digest 4301
News briefs from Dec. 26-Jan. 10, 2013
Commentary: Fragmented Markets Bring Opportunity in 2013
As I begin my 21st year with Modern Distribution Management, I’m struck by the continued degree of fragmentation in wholesale distribution. That may run counter to conventional wisdom as we have entered another strong cycle of consolidation and M&A activity.
But it only takes a brief review of MDM’s Top 40 Industrial Distributors Market Leaders list to realize how diverse
ISM Semiannual Forecast: Capital Spending to Grow by 7.6% in 2013
Economic growth in the U.S. will continue in 2013, say the nation’s purchasing and supply management executives in the December 2012 Semiannual Economic Forecast from the Institute for Supply Management. The manufacturing sector expects revenues to increase in 17 manufacturing industries in 2013, and the non-manufacturing sector predicts that 14 of its industries will see higher revenues.
Capital expenditures, a major driver in the U.S. economy, are expected to increase by 7.6 percent in the manufacturing sector and by 7 percent in the non-manufacturing sector. Manufacturing, however, expec
Download this Issue in PDF: Jan. 10, 2013
This is the PDF of this issue of Modern Distribution Management.
Table of Contents:
- Analysis: Sales Grow, But Profits Stagnate
- Commentary: Fragmented Markets Bring Opportunity
- Reader Survey: Top Concerns, Plans for 2013
- ISM Semiannual Forecast
Are you a subscriber? Simply log-in to view this issue.
MDM Industrial Inflation Index: November 2012
Modern Distribution Management's Industrial Inflation Index measures a cross-section of industrial supplies.
Netsuite Acquires Retail Anywhere, Builds on SuiteCommerce Platform
Acquisition enables industrys first cloud-based system unifying POS and e-commerce in a single application.
Univar Names D’Alessandro CFO
D'Alessandro joins Univar after 29 years at Graybar.
