Distribution
INDUSTRIAL
R
[EDI TORIAL] ANNA WELLS
Positive Notes to Close Out the Year
With all of the bad stuff in the news these days, it’s no surprise Forbes recently said that the
majority of Americans report unhealthy
stress levels. From ISIS and Ebola to
more business-specific concerns like
wage stagnation and employment issues,
Americans are mentally juggling more
variables than ever.
And stress doesn’t simply live in a vacuum — its existence has many damaging
effects. According to Forbes, 70 percent
of individuals who are stressed experience
physical symptoms, lower productivity at
work, and disruptions in their family and
social lives.
While we can’t do anything about
Ebola, the good news is that much of
the industrial distribution marketplace is
exhibiting something of a healthy glow.
In this issue we take a look at Lawson
Products (page 18), a Big 50 distributor
with an eye towards organic growth.
Lawson has spent the last few years
building a foundation towards expansion
and is now ready to hit the ground running. This means hiring more sales reps,
growing business in existing territories,
and perhaps even examining acquisition
opportunities.
Lawson isn’t the only company that’s
showing signs of success. On our website ( IndDist.com), Jack Keough recently
reported on Fastenal’s latest earnings.
This powerhouse distributor had a few in
the industry scratching their heads when
they announced earlier this year they’d
be closing 45 stores in the second half of
2014. The company says that these stores
were profitable but believed there was a
“better approach to growing our business
profitability.”
A few months hence, it appears
Fastenal already has some positive news
to share. “We’re positioned really well
going into 2015,” Fastenal CFO Dan
Florness said in an earnings call with
financial analysts. “Our trends year-to-
date, our daily gains in overall business,
in the fastener and non-fastener business
are quite strong as we approach 2015.”
In addition to the company’s U.S. and
Canadian business, international business
in Europe and Asia grew 50 percent in the
third quarter compared to the same quar-
ter last year.
It appears the independents have been
busy as well. The AD Industrial Supply
Division (ISD) recently hosted their largest
North American Meeting in the history of
the Division, with 712 attendees representing 131 AD member companies and
134 Supplier Partner companies. Likewise,
NetPlus Alliance says it’s on a steady and
upward path of growth this year, with
group purchases in the second quarter
up year-over-year by 13. 4 percent. For
more from independents, check out page
30, where Mike Hockett talks to several
independent distributors about the role
customer service plays in their growth
strategies.
While it's unrealistic to think that
everyone will be ahead, all the time, it's
important to shine a light on the success
stories in order to learn from our peers
and replace some of the stress with hope,
potential, and ambition. What better time
than now to start fresh?
We'll see you next year! Thanks for your
loyal readership in 2014.
- Anna Wells, Executive Editor
Anna.Wells@advantagemedia.com
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