May 2024 News
Wesco reports progress on 2030 ESG goals
Wesco International issued its annual sustainability report today. It outlines the company's progress and key initiatives for advancing its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals set in the 2021 report.
Global Industrial earns 'Great Place to Work' certification
Global Industrial Co., a value-added national distributor of industrial products and MRO supplies, is proud to announce it has received the prestigious Great Place to Work Certification.
Tencarva acquires Tri-State Coating & Machine
Tencarva Machinery Co., a Southeast value-added distributor of and service provider to flow control and process equipment solutions to industrial and municipal end-markets, will acquire Tri-State Coating & Machine.
IMTS show returns to Chicago
The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) will take place September 9–14 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Manufacturers challenge OSHA’s unlawful walkaround rule
The National Association of Manufacturers, joined by other business groups, filed suit in the Western District of Texas to challenge the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s final rule amending the Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process (Walkaround Rule).
OTR launches new customer portal
OTR Engineered Solutions has launched a new customer portal for online ordering. The site – otrb2b.com – now offers a convenient option for aftermarket customers to place orders any time of day.
Columbus McKinnon reports record net sales
Columbus McKinnon Corp. reported record net sales of $1.0 billion for its fiscal year 2024, up 8%, which is says was driven by growth across all geographies including the acquisition of montratec May 31, 2023.
Kennametal issues tornado-damage statement
Kennametal Inc. said its production facility in Rogers, Arkansas, sustained damage early Sunday morning, May 26, from a tornado that also affected the larger Rogers community. At the time of the storm, the facility was shut down for the holiday weekend and no employees were onsite. The extent of the damage is currently being assessed.
Red Sky Lighting wins Red Dot award
Red Sky Lighting's Modular Max Series (MDX) has won the prestigious Red Dot Award for Lighting Design in 2024. Red Sky is a California-based lighting manufacturer providing lighting products and solutions for industrial applications.
RAM motor technology receives patent
Bison, a provider of innovative motor technology, announces the issuance of a patent for its RAM Reverse Air Movement Blower Motor.
AIRMATIC celebrates 80th anniversary
AIRMATIC, an industrial distributor in Malvern, Pennsylvania, is celebrating eight decades of of providing top-tier bulk materials handling products and services to customers worldwide. The company is now under fourth-generation management.
Dynabrade named official sponsor of Juncos Hollinger racing team
Dynabrade Power Tools has partnered with Juncos Hollinger Racing Team as their official tool sponsor, starting at the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge.
Durable goods orders up 0.7%
New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up three consecutive months, increased $1.9 billion or 0.7% to $284.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.
Allient names new CFO
Allient Inc. has appointed James A. Michaud as chief financial officer, effective June 3. He succeeds Michael R. Leach, who previously announced his retirement from Allient.
Verusen expands executive sales leadership
Verusen, a provider of AI-powered MRO materials optimization and collaboration and one of Atlanta's 100 fastest-growing companies, announced the strategic hiring of new sales and revenue leadership.
Force Control adds West Coast manufacturer’s rep
Force Control Industries has added DJ Reps, Inc. as their new manufacturer’s representative for the West Coast.
LGG Industrial expands U.S., Canada branch capabilities
LGG Industrial announced it is making strides to expand capabilities across all its local branches. As locations across the U.S and Canada each serve specific industries, LGG Industrial branch locations are investing in capabilities and services reflective of those customers' needs, the company stated.
White Cap buys South Carolina distributor
White Cap has acquired WWJ Rebar, a provider of customized reinforcing steel solutions based in Aiken, South Carolina, serving industrial, commercial and residential projects across Georgia and South Carolina.
MRC report: Company reduced emissions 28% since 2022
MRC Global Inc. has published its 2024 Sustainability Report on www.mrcglobal.com.
March cutting tool orders up 2% from 2023
March 2024 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $212.4 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
Streamlight appoints new regional sales manager
Streamlight Inc. has appointed Joshua Jeter to regional sales manager, supporting the company’s Industrial/Fire division.
Honeywell project focuses on stabilizing power grids
Honeywell announced its partnership with Enel North America (“Enel”) to enhance building automation and demand response solutions for commercial and industrial organizations by using automation to control and regulate energy loads to help stabilize the power grid.
FLIR forges partnership for industrial imaging cameras
FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies, and UE Systems, a world leader in ultrasound inspection tools, have announced a business and technology partnership to provide industrial customers with leading-edge predictive maintenance solutions, beginning with the FLIR Si2-Series of acoustic imaging cameras: Si2-Pro, Si2-LD, and Si2-PD.
RBC Bearings reports 4.9% rise in sales
RBC Bearings Inc. reported fourth quarter net sales of $413.7 million, an increase of 4.9% over last year. Aerospace/Defense was up 16.8%, and Industrial dipped 0.4%.
April industrial production a mixed bag of small ups and downs
Industrial production was little changed in April the Fed reported. Manufacturing output decreased 0.3%; excluding motor vehicles and parts, manufacturing output edged down 0.1%.
White Cap receives 'Great Place to Work' certification
White Cap, a distributor of specialty construction supplies and safety products for professional contractors, has been certified for the second year in a row by Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture and employee experience.
Pilot Precision Products promotes Fazzio to VP, COO
Pilot Precision Products, a manufacturer of standard and custom broaching tools, promoted John Fazzio to vice president and chief operating officer.
ISM: Economic improvement to continue through '24
The U.S. economy will continue to softly expand for the rest of 2024, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the Spring 2024 Semiannual Economic Forecast. Expectations for the remainder of 2024 are similar to those expressed in December 2023, despite continued inflation concerns and geopolitical uncertainty.
Motion set to buy NY electrical/automation company
Motion Industries, Inc. has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Allied Circuits, an electrical and automation firm.
thyssenkrupp Materials Services opens new Texas service center
thyssenkrupp Materials Services, a global mill-independent materials distribution and service provider, celebrated the opening of its new, $32-million steel service center in Sinton, Texas, on May 7.
Southeast, West lead spike in manufacturing tech orders
By Chris Chidzek
Orders of manufacturing technology, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, reached $435.7 million in March 2024. Orders grew nearly 25% above the February 2024 level.
Summers Rubber expands into Columbus
Summers Rubber, a Singer Industrial Company, announced it has opened a new location in Columbus, Ohio, to better meet the needs of its customers.
Lucas Systems hits milestone: 100 billion warehouse picks
Warehouse workers made 100 billion warehouse picks using Lucas Systems software, according to an announcement from Lucas Systems, a distribution center technology company.
White Cap acquires National Ladder & Scaffold Co.
White Cap has acquired National Ladder & Scaffold Co., a Michigan-based distributor of safety products, equipment, and workwear for contractors serving residential, commercial, industrial and public infrastructure end markets.
Marsh Bellofram reorganizes sales territories
The Marsh Bellofram Group of Companies, an AS9100D and ISO9001:2015 certified manufacturer of high-performance OEM, industrial, and process control instrumentation, reorganized its sales territories to bring a more holistic approach to sales across its 12 business units.
MRC sales up 5%, income down
MRC Global Inc. reported first quarter sales of $806 million are a 5% improvement over the fourth quarter of 2023. Net income declined from $28 million in Q1 2023 to $13 million.
Allient industrial markets sales up 10%
Allient Inc. reported its first quarter net income increased 9% to $6.9 million. Revenue increased 1%, or $1.2 million, to $146.7 million.
PTDA Foundation launches student, employee scholarships
The demand for skilled professionals in the power transmission and motion control (PT/MC) industry has never been more urgent. Committed to helping PT/MC employers nurture current and upcoming talent, the PTDA Foundation has launched two new scholarships to empower individuals who are passionate about pursuing PT/MC careers.
BlackHawk acquires Texas tool distributor
BlackHawk Industrial has completed the acquisition of Factory Outlet Tooling (FOT) in Richardson, Texas. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Kennametal sales decline 4%
Kennametal Inc. reported sales declined 4% for its fiscal 2024 third quarter – $516 million compared to $536 million in the prior year quarter.
New tool automates supply chain management in response to pandemics
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has announced the publication of a new Technology Brief focused on automating the production and distribution of critical supplies in the event of future pandemics.
OTR to open Mexico facility August 1
OTR Engineered Solutions (OTR) plans to open and begin business operations on August 1.
Industrial Supply Association unveils improved forecasting tool
The Industrial Supply Association (ISA) has re-launched Top Line Pulse, an innovative modeling, data analysis, and forecasting tool designed to empower industrial supply professionals with powerful insights and strategic advantages––now with more functionality and forecasting features.
AD member sales increase 7% in first quarter
AD reported that member sales in the first three months of 2024 hit a record $19.5 billion, a 7% increase across AD’s 14 divisions and three countries.
Gartner recognizes GAINSystems as visionary for supply chain planning
GAINSystems, a supply chain performance optimization company, announced it has been positioned as a Visionary in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions.
Q1 sales dip 8.9% at Enpro
Enpro Inc. reported first quarter sales of $257.5 million, down 8.9%, with organic sales down 11.6%.
AD recognized with four workplace culture awards
AD announced it has received four recognitions in 2024 that celebrate its workplace culture. In the U.S., AD has been named a Top Workplace in the Delaware Valley for the sixth consecutive year. Additionally, AD has received national recognition as a Top Workplace in the USA.
March construction spending up 9.6% vs. 2023
Construction spending during March 2024 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,083.9 billion, 0.2% (±0.8%)* below the revised February estimate of $2,087.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Parker reports record sales of $5.07 billion
Parker Hannifin Corp., a global motion and control technologies company, reported fiscal Q3 sales were $5.07 billion compared with $5.06 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
Applied Industrial Technologies closes Kopar deal
Applied Industrial Technologies has closed on its acquisition of Grupo Kopar (Kopar), a provider of emerging automation technologies and engineered solutions. Kopar is based in Monterrey, Mexico. The acquisition closed on May 1 and terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Fastenal net sales rise 10.8% in April YOY
Fastenal reported April net sales of $6.5 million, an increase of 10.8% from April 2023.
Unemployment changes little for wholesale trade
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 175,000 in April, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.9%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Ingersoll Rand reports record first quarter revenue
Ingersoll Rand Inc. reported record first quarter revenues of $1,670 million, up 3% – on a two-year stack, up 24%. First quarter orders were down 4%.
DSG revenue climbs 19.5% in first quarter
Distribution Solutions Group reported its revenue increased $67.8 million, or 19.5%, to $416.1 million including $99.2 million of incremental revenue from 2023 and 2024 acquisitions.
Lawson Products buys S&S Automotive
Distribution Solutions Group Inc. announced its operating company, Lawson Products Inc., completed the acquisition of S&S Automotive, Inc., an automotive and industrial parts supplier based near Chicago in Woodridge, Illinois.
Wesco International Q1 sales dip 3%
Wesco International reported a 3% decrease in net sales for its first quarter of 2024.
ISM report shows backlogs contracting, production growing
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in April after one month of expansion following 16 consecutive months of contraction, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
