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January 2024 News

Columbus McKinnon reports 33% operating income growth on 10% net sales growth
Columbus McKinnon Corp., a designer, manufacturer and marketer of intelligent motion solutions for material handling, reported net sales increased 10% to $254.1 million for its third quarter of fiscal 2024 – primarily driven by strength across all product platforms led by precision conveyance. Results include the addition of montratec, which was acquired on May 31, 2023 

BlackHawk awards two top suppliers
BlackHawk Industrial, a distributor of metalworking and other mission-critical industrial products, announced two award-winning suppliers at the inaugural BlackHawk Supplier Performance awards during its 2024 Sales Summit – Light the Fuse on Sales Excellence.

ISA convention packed with networking fun and exhibit hall opportunities
The Industrial Supply Association (ISA) announced a fresh take on networking during the upcoming ISA24 at the Charlotte Convention Center April 15 to 17, 2024. Attendees can anticipate an array of lively interactive activities, collaborative sessions, and unexpected engagement points throughout the event.

Polymer Resources launches sustainable materials portfolio
Polymer Resources Ltd., a U.S. compounder of high-quality engineering resins, announced the commercialization of its new and growing sustainable materials portfolio.

Custom Stainless Enclosures receives ISO 9001 certification
Custom Stainless Enclosures Inc., a manufacturer of custom-built stainless steel electrical enclosures for extreme indoor and outdoor environments, announced it has been awarded ISO 9001 certification.

Tecsys achieves Amazon Web Services supply chain competency
Tecsys Inc., a global provider of supply chain management solutions, announced it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Supply Chain Competency in the software offerings: Move, Enable, and Plan categories.

International Hardware Fair comes to Cologne March 3
EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair will showcase the most innovative ideas in the industry March 3–6 in Cologne, Germany.

Enpro Inc. completes acquisition of Advanced Micro Instruments
Enpro Inc., an industrial technology company, announced it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Advanced Micro Instruments Inc. (AMI), a provider of highly-engineered, application-specific analyzers and sensing technologies that monitor critical parameters to ensure infrastructure integrity, enable process efficiency, enhance safety and facilitate the clean energy transition.

AFFLINK hosts benefit for City of Hope
AFFLINK hosted its annual golf classic on January 15 at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. The tournament raised over $110,000 for City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center.

Zygo launches e-commerce store
Zygo Corp., a business unit of Ametek Inc., has launched an e-commerce store in the United States. It's is designed to enhance the customer experience by enabling online purchases at the customers’ convenience.

Teledyne FLIR debuts new calibration, service, and warranty packages
Teledyne FLIR announced its new service and warranty packages for select handheld and fixed-mount thermal cameras: FLIR CARE and FLIR PROTECT.

Rohde & Schwarz to host 'Demystifying EMC' conference
Rohde & Schwarz will host its annual Demystifying EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) industry event on February 6, 2024.

TrimLine takes delivery of conventional feed line from Dallas Industries
Dallas Industries, a manufacturer of coil handling, press feeding equipment and controls for the stamping industry, announced that TrimLine, division of Varbros, LLC, has taken delivery on a new conventional feed line. The feed line is installed at the LaGrange, Ohio facility of TrimLine.

Acqusitions, currency translation parlay into net positive for Applied Industrial Technologies
Applied Industrial Technologies reported net sales of $1.1 billion, a 1.6% YOY increase for its fiscal 2024 second quarter ended December 31, 2023.

December inventories up marginally from November
The U.S. Census Bureau reports December 2023 end-of-month inventories were $803.3 billion, up 0.8% (+/- 0.2%) from last month.

thyssenkrupp Materials de México opens new service center
thyssenkrupp Materials de México inaugurated its new service center in San Luis Potosí, Mexico on January 25.

New orders for manufactured durable goods flat in December
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December, up three of the last four months, increased $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $295.6 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.

NAW acquires Modern Distribution Management
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) announced its strategic acquisition of Modern Distribution Management (MDM).

Manufacturing attacked in the cloud more than any other industry
Netwrix, a cybersecurity vendor that makes data security easy, today revealed additional findings for the manufacturing sector from its survey of 1,610 IT and security professionals across more than 100 countries.

Richards Electric opens new Kentucky branch
Richards Electric announced the opening of a new location in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, that will serve contractors in commercial construction and industrial markets.

Tranzonic appoints chief corporate development officer
The Tranzonic Companies, a manufacturer of personal care and protection, contamination control, and cleaning products, has named Joe Vitale to the newly created role of chief corporate development officer.

DPA buying group launches DPA University
DPA (Distributor Partners of America) has cut the ribbon to unveil DPA University, a new online educational portal that offers free product training and soft-skills courses to all DPA distributors and their employees.

Thermal Technology Distribution Solutions buys Proheat
Thermal Technology Distribution Solutions (“TTDS”), a platform for the distribution of industrial temperature management and related products, announced it has acquired Proheat Inc., a distributor of heaters, sensors, controls, and comprehensive technical support to manufacturers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Platinum Tooling releases new catalog
Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc., the exclusive North American importer of standard and custom Live Tools, Angle Heads, and Multiple Spindle Tools manufactured by heimatec GmbH, has released its new catalog.

Wright names Service and Achievement Award winners
Wright announced the winners of its 2023 service and achievement awards, rewarding and honoring employees for their years of service.

Optimas announces key hires
Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer/distributor and service provider, announced two strategic hires expected to help further support the Company's complementary direct manufacturing and distribution business strategy. Jim Heller is the new senior vice president of distribution, and Chris Martens is the new vice president of manufacturing for the Americas region.

Matt Pavlinsky heads 2024 PTDA Foundation board
Members of the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) Foundation Board of Trustees have begun their 2024 leadership terms. Matt Pavlinsky, director of power transmission products, Applied Industrial Technologies (Cleveland, Ohio) assumes the role of president.

Tom Sellars receives Titan 100 Award
Tom Sellars, CEO and chairman of Sellars Absorbent Materials, has been named to the 2024 Wisconsin Titan 100, which recognizes the state’s top 100 CEOs and C-level executives who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision and passion.

Kano Laboratories acquires Synco Chemical
Kano Laboratories, maker of the iconic Kroil brand of lubricating penetrants, has acquired Synco Chemical Corp. and its line of premium synthetic, food grade lubricants designed for industrial applications. Synco is nationally known for its best-selling Super Lube line of premium synthetic lubricants.

Dorner appoints new business development manager
Dorner has hired Dave Giffels as business development manager. He will be working with the sales team to grow Dorner’s industrial and automation conveyor business into new markets and customer bases.

3M delivers strong Q4 results
3M reported fourth quarter sales of $8.0 billion, down 0.8% year-on-year, with organic sales decline of 1.9% year-on-year.

DSG's Lawson buys Emergent Safety Supply
Distribution Solutions Group Inc. announced its operating company, Lawson Products, completed the acquisition of Safety Supply Illinois LLC, DBA Emergent Safety Supply (ESS), a national distributor of safety products based near Chicago.

Global Industrial launches mental wellness initiative at U.S. Conference of Mayors
Global Industrial Co., a value-added national distributor of industrial products and MRO supplies, announced the launch of its "Open Space" initiative at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 92nd Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

ABC member addresses Congressional committee on workforce solutions
Testifying January 18 on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors before the U.S. House Committee on Education and The Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, Brandon Mabile, strategic development manager for Performance Contractors Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, discussed policies needed to expand construction career pathways for high school students nationwide.

Fastenal December sales flat YOY
Fastenal reported $5.1 million in net sales for December 2023, flat results compared to the same time in 2022. Safety products continue to be the company's highest-growing product categoy.

US cutting tool orders up 7.5% YTD
by Christopher Chidzik
November 2023 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $202.7 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

Stellar Industrial Supply names 3M Supplier of the Year
Stellar Industrial Supply named previous, multi-year winner 3M as its Supplier of the Year award winner for 2023.

FABTECH Canada returns to Toronto June 11-13
FABTECH Canada, the country’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event, has officially announced registration is open.

Air Systems appoints Dan Huber as regional manager
Air Systems International announced several team member changes, including the hiring of Dan Huber to the position of regional manager – West.

Gamified workplaces entice warehouse workers
Warehouse workers who play together, stay together, according to market study insights released from Lucas Systems, a distribution center technology company providing software to workers in more than 400 warehouses worldwide.

NAW praises House Action on harmful Joint Employer Rule
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), says it strongly supports the House of Representatives recent passage of H.J. Res 98, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution overturning the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) joint employer rule.

STAFDA announces education at Excellence in Distribution Program
STAFDA's Excellence in Distribution Program, March 12-14 at the Nashville Hilton, is a 2.5-day management school designed specifically for professionals in the construction/industrial distribution and supply chain channel. With several tracts and keynote events, the conference allows attendees to create their own specific agenda.

New research shows Top 10 states with widest unemployment gaps in 2023
FormRush’s recent research reveals disparities in state-level unemployment figures across America for 2023. While the latest national rate sits at a stable 3.6%, FormRush’s ranked analysis of 2023 data for individual U.S. states shows two distinct clusters – those succeeding at job growth and those falling behind.

Viega receives ASME B31 Board approval for ProPress and MegaPress
Viega, an industry provider of press technology for metal and plastic fittings and valves, announced that the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has given B31 Board approval to Viega to include ASTM F3226 Metallic Press-Connect Fittings as a listed component.

Mallory Safety and Supply expands into Mountain region
Mallory Safety and Supply, a large independent industrial safety distributor in the U.S., kicked off 2024 with the acquisition of Rocky Mountain Industrial Supply Inc. (RMI).

BlackHawk announces new vice president
BlackHawk Industrial, has promoted Trent Moss to the newly created position of vice president of sales – East. This strategic move underscores BlackHawk's commitment to its customer-facing processes and driving sustained success in the industry.

Air Systems releases 2024 Master Catalog
Air Systems International, Inc. introduced its new 2024 Master Catalog in print and digital forms.

Motion names new strategy & markets exec
Motion Industries Inc. named Chris Cleland to senior vice president of strategy & markets, effective immediately.

Brian Nowak takes volunteer helm at PTDA
The recently-elected 2024 Board of Directors and Manufacturer Council of the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) begin their leadership terms. Brian Nowak, president & CEO, Kurz Industrial Solutions (Neenah, Wisconsin) assumes the leadership of the association as president.

Growth sparks organizational changes at NetPlus Alliance
NetPlus Alliance recently announced a new hire and organizational changes to support its accelerated/rapid growth.

Allient buys SNC Manufacturing
Allient Inc. has acquired SNC Manufacturing Co. Inc., a premier designer and global manufacturer of electrical transformers serving blue-chip customers in defense, industrial automation, alternative power generation and energy, including electric utilities and renewable energy.

Bridgestone HosePower acquires Cline Hose & Hydraulics
Bridgestone HosePower (HosePower) LLC, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Bridgestone Corp., has acquired Greenville, South Carolina-based Cline Hose & Hydraulics LLC.

Newsweek ranks Acme Tools top 2024 online tool store
Acme Tools has been ranked first on Newsweek's list of Best Online Shops 2024. This prestigious award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

Emerson named ‘Industrial IoT Company of the Year’
Global technology and software company Emerson has been named the IoT Breakthrough “Industrial IoT Company of the Year” for the sixth year.

Marshall Wolf Automation executive elected to AHTS board
Tina Hueppe, president and CEO of Marshall Wolf Automation, was recently elected to the 2023-2024 board of directors of the Association for High Technology Distribution (AHTD).

AD Electrical – U.S. Division welcomes two board members
AD announced the appointment of Luis Valls, co-CEO and president of Turtle, and Lura McBride, president & CEO of Van Meter Inc. to the AD Electrical – U.S. Divisional Board, effective January 1, 2024.

NIBCO promotes two executives
NIBCO INC. has announced the promotion of Allen Stanley to vice president, fittings manufacturing and distribution, and Rudy Smith to vice president, valve manufacturing.

November manufacturing technology orders fall
by Christopher Chidzik
The soft landing the U.S. economy generally experienced through 2023 did not affect all sectors of the economy evenly. Even in the face of improving economic health, orders of manufacturing technology, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, consistently fell short of orders placed in 2022.

NAW opposes labor secretary renomination
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) announced it strongly opposes President Biden's renomination of Julie Su for Secretary of Labor.

Imperial Dade buys Insight Distributing
Imperial Dade, a leading North American distributor of foodservice packaging supplies, industrial products, and janitorial supplies, announced the acquisition of Insight Distributing Inc.

Wyatt Seal acquiring Florida Seal & Rubber
Wyatt Seal Inc. announced it has agreed to acquire Florida Seal & Rubber, LLC.

3M to freeze employees pension plans in 2028
3M announced it will freeze its U.S. pension plans for non-union U.S. employees, effective Dec. 31, 2028.

Enpro to appoint new chief financial officer
Enpro Inc. announced that Joe Bruderek has joined the company as executive vice president, finance, and Enpro’s board has appointed him as chief financial officer effective April 1.

Services sector expands again
Economic activity in the services sector expanded in December for the 12th consecutive month as the Services PMI registered 50.6%, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM Report On Business. The sector has grown in 42 of the last 43 months, with the lone contraction in December 2022.

November new orders bounce up 2.5%
New orders for manufactured goods in November, up three of the last four months, increased $14.9 billion or 2.6% to $592.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

US December unemployment holds at 3.7%
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000 in December, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

November metro employment mostly flat
Unemployment rates were higher in November than a year earlier in 214 of the 389 metropolitan areas, lower in 158 areas, and unchanged in 17 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

Tina Schulte promoted at anyseals Inc.
anyseals Inc. promoted Tina Schulte to vice president of operational excellence, effective January 2.

Streamlight appoints Evan Dalldorf
Streamlight Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting, has appointed Evan Dalldorf to regional sales manager for the company’s Industrial/Fire division in the Midwest region, which includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

PTDA releases conference lineup for industry newcomers
The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) will host a new talent development event, the PTDA Industry Immersion Conference, in Hollywood, Florida, on February 29.

Graybar chooses DataXstream OMS+
DataXstream LLC, an SAP solution provider focused on order management for sales and distribution, announced that Graybar, a leading North American distributor of high quality electrical, industrial, communications and data networking products, has selected OMS+ to transform its sales experience and provide a seamless transition to SAP S/4 while maintaining business continuity.

Singer Industrial buys HOSER Inc.
On December 20, Singer Industrial acquired HOSER Inc., which will operate within the Industrial Rubber Division of Singer Industrial. HOSER Inc. was Singer Industrial’s 10th acquisition in 2023.

NetPlus Alliance launches Digital Content Hub
NetPlus Alliance recently launched the Digital Content Hub, powered by DDS, a centralized product data center for NetPlus members. Distributors can now access best-in-class product content from thousands of manufacturers, spanning millions of products no matter what eCommerce platform they are on.

December new orders, backlogs contracting
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in December for the 14th consecutive month following a 28-month period of growth, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

Columbus McKinnon appoints vice president, investor relations, and treasurer
Columbus McKinnon Corp., a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of intelligent motion solutions for material handling, has named Kristine Moser vice president, investor relations, and treasurer.

Stellar Industrial Supply to acquire Memphis metalworking distributor
Stellar Industrial Supply has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire Memphis, Tennessee-based metalworking distributor IMC Supply (IMC). The closing was December 31, 2023.

November construction spending up 11% YOY
Construction spending during November 2023 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,050.1 billion, 0.4% (±1.0%) above the revised October estimate of $2,042.5 billion. The November figure is 11.3% (±1.5%) above the November 2022 estimate of $1,842.2 billion.