June 2026 News
NetPlus Industry Outlook finds distributors embracing opportunities, navigating challenges
A strong start to the year for NetPlus Alliance members is also signaling a strong 2026. In the group's latest quarterly Industry Outlook, distributors shared their optimism, which NetPlus says is grounded in sound strategies and industry observations.
Distributor opportunity: INKAS announces major North American manufacturing expansion across Canada, US
INKAS, a Canadian armored vehicle manufacturer and systems integrator, announced a major expansion of its North American manufacturing footprint, with three additional production facilities across Canada and the U.S. expected to be in full operation by July 31, 2026.
Kennametal names new vice president, chief human resources officer
Kennametal Inc. appointmented Amanda Cole as vice president and chief human resources officer, effective July 21.
May wholesale inventories up 0.3% from April
Wholesale inventories for May were estimated at an end-of-month level of $944.0 billion, up 0.3% from April 2026, and were up 4.3% from May 2025, according to the Advance Economic Indicators Report last week from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Wesco names 2026 Wesco Cares Champion of the Year
Wesco hosted its annual Day of Caring events for employees at locations around the globe, reinforcing the company's commitment to giving back to the communities where employees live and work.
Sunnen, TIBO partner on deep hole drilling machines
Sunnen Products Co. a global supplier of precision honing and bore finishing technologies, and TIBO Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH, a specialist in deep hole drilling machines and systems, announced a strategic alliance to expand their global capabilities in deep hole machining solutions.
Grainger marks 25 years partnering with American Red Cross
Grainger is celebrating 25 years of partnership with the American Red Cross. Together, the organizations are advancing disaster preparedness and response across the U.S., where the Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters each year.
Motion Industries introduces Tape Caddy
This week, Motion Industries Inc. announced a new exclusive product, the Motion Tape Caddy.
ORBIS golf outing raises nearly $440,000 for Children’s Wisconsin
ORBIS Corp., a global maker of reusable packaging solutions, hosted its sixth annual ORBIS Good Days for Kids golf outing that raised nearly $440,000 for Children’s Wisconsin, the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children.
April cutting tools up 21% YoY
Shipments of cutting tools totaled $258.9 million in April, a slight decrease of 0.1% from March but a significant leap of 21.1% from April 2025, according to the latest Cutting Tool Market Report from AMT and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI).
Manufacturers' rep C.R. Kinsman & Associates celebrates 50 years of success
C.R. Kinsman & Associates, Inc., a manufacturers’ representative agency headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Interpump Fluid Solutions comes to US, seeks distributors
Interpump Fluid Solutions, based in Italy, said it is expanding its presence across North America through strategic partnerships and new infrastructure with the launch of its first distribution center located in Norfolk, Virginia.
Sonnhalter announces 17th Annual Tool Drive for Cleveland Habitat for Humanity
Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in the construction, industrial, and MRO markets, will host its 17th Annual Tool Drive in partnership with Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity.
DXP Enterprises acquires General Repair Service
DXP Enterprises, Inc. announced it has completed the acquisition of General Repair Service.
Fed to keep interest rates from 3.5% to 3.75 – economist comments
In his first meeting at the helm, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh announced last week that interest rates would remain steady at a target range of 3.5% to 3.75% in a widely anticipated move.
ISM forecast: Economic activity to expand through '26
The U.S. economy is expected to continue to expand over the rest of 2026, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the (formerly known as the Spring ISM Semiannual Economic Forecast).
Interstate Threaded Products acquired by private equity firm
Rox Capital Partners, a Texas-based private equity firmhas acquired Dallas-based Interstate Threaded Products (ITP), a manufacturer of specialty threaded fasteners serving critical industrial end markets across North America.
CHANNELLOCK marks 140 years of American manufacturing
CHANNELLOCK, a sixth-generation, family-owned company, is celebrating 140 years of American manufacturing in 2026, marking a milestone that reflects not only the brand’s longevity but its commitment to producing tools in the United States.
DENIOS celebrates 40 years of safety innovations with year-long festivities
As part of the year-long festivities for its 40th anniversary celebration, DENIOS introduced “Vision Zero” – its four-step roadmap to a world without damage to people and the environment.
Fastenal becomes official partner of 2026 Special Olympics USA Games
Fastenal Company has been named as an official partner of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games ('USA Games'), to be held June 20–26 in Minnesota's Twin Cities area.
Texcel expands west with new Nevada warehouse
Texcel opened its sixth regional warehouse location in Fernley, Nevada, on June 1, strategically positioned just east of Reno in Northern Nevada.
Industrial measures remain steady amid rising machinery investment
By Kristin Bartschi
AMT Principal Economist Christopher Chidzik provided commentary this week on the latest report from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, which announced May U.S. industrial production increased slightly compared to April 2025 levels.
Danfoss to acquire Italian hose and assembly manufacturer
Danfoss announced it has entered into an exclusivity agreement to conclude the acquisition of Alfagomma.
Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dog outfitted with Blackline safety gas detector
Blackline Safety Corp., a global provider of connected safety technology, announced its partnership with MFE Inspection Solutions to integrate Blackline’s cloud-connected portable detector with Boston Dynamics' Spot, the world’s leading mobile industrial robot.
Partnerships, perspectives and possibilities take center stage at PTDA Canadian Conference
More than 160 power transmission and motion control (PT/MC) industry professionals gathered in Montréal, Québec, June 2–4, for the 2026 PTDA Canadian Conference.
Core & Main net sales flat for Q1
Core & Main Inc. announced net sales of $1,910 million, virtually flat for its first quarter. Gross profit increased 2% to $520 million, and gross profit margin increased 50 bps to 27.2%.
Monoflo, Premix Group partner on automation-ready packaging products
Monoflo International and Premix Group announced a collaboration to support the increasing need for ESD-safe, automation-ready packaging solutions as manufacturers integrate more electronics and expand high-performance, automated operations across North America.
Fluoramics resident awarded patent for Poly-U Thread Tape
Fluoramics Inc. President and Chemical Engineer Gregg Reick has been awarded a patent for Poly-U Thread Tape, an innovative polyurethane-based thread sealing tape developed as a PFAS-free alternative to traditional PTFE thread seal tapes.
Fastenal, FIRST Robotics team up to make competitions accessible to all
Fastenal Company has partnered with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to improve accessibility in all future FIRST Robotics Competition events.
Wesco acquisition to expand data cooling, lifecycle services
Wesco International, a provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services, and supply chain solutions, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Newark Engineering Group, a Singapore-based provider of engineered cooling solutions and lifecycle services for data centers.
Mi-T-M ePowerStation named '2026 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa'
Mi-T-M Corp. announced its ePowerStation has been named the winner of the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa competition, presented by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) in partnership with Nicolet National Bank.
Toyota North America awards packaging supplier ORBIS
ORBIS Corp., a provider of reusable packaging solutions, has been named Toyota North America’s “Returnable Packaging Fabricator of the Year.”
Swisslog appoints vice president over customer service account management
Swisslog, a provider of warehouse automation and software, has named Colman Roche as the new vice president, customer service account management.
Atlas Tube to form joint venture with Maruichi USA
Atlas Tube, a Zekelman company, announced it has entered into an agreement to form a joint venture with Maruichi USA to combine the operations of both companies under Atlas Tube’s management.
AMMEGA launches integrated conveyor portfolio under Ammeraal Beltech
Ammeraal Beltech, a brand of AMMEGA Group, announced it is integrating Chemprene, uni, and Green Belting under its name to create a unified conveyor solutions resource for U.S. customers.
Wesco ranks No. 195 in 2026 Fortune 500 list
Wesco International, a provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions, announced its inclusion in the 2026 Fortune 500 list, ranking 195 overall.
Columbus McKinnon reports order growth of 20% for FY 26
Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of intelligent motion solutions for material handling, announced record orders of $1.2 billion for its fiscal year 2026, an increase of 20% attributed to the company's Kito Crosby acquisition.
Identiv launches ID-Pixels 3.0 IoT tracking labels
Identiv Inc., a global provider of RFID- and BLE-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, announced ID-Pixels 3.0, a family of next-generation Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) inlays and labels.
May services sector expands for 23rd consecutive month
Economic activity in the services sector continued to expand in May, according to the latest ISM Services PMI Report. The Services PMI registered 54.5%, the 23rd consecutive month in expansion territory.
Orders for durable goods rise 7.9% in April
New orders for manufactured durable goods in April increased $25.5 billion or 7.9% to $346.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This followed a 1.3% March increase.
Reusable package-maker awarded for sustainability
ORBIS Corp., a global manufacturer of reusable packaging solutions, has earned a bronze medal rating from EcoVadis, one of the most widely recognized business sustainability assessment platforms used by global organizations to evaluate the performance of their supply chain.
Airgas sponsors SkillsUSA National championships
Airgas, an Air Liquide company, returns as the industrial gas supplier for the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) taking place this week, June 2–4 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
April wholesale inventories up 0.5% from March
The April international trade deficit was $82.4 billion, down $2.9 billion from $85.3 billion in March, according to the latest Advance Economic Indicators Report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Apex Tool Group names new chief executive officer
Apex Tool Group, a manufacturer of professional hand and power tools, appointed of Chris Keffer as chief executive officer and member of the board of directors.
Continental’s Customer Hub gains momentum
Continental reported its group sector ContiTech is seeing continued momentum following the December launch of its Customer Hub digital platform.
Packer Fastener opens new Indianapolis distribution center
Packer Fastener, a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based fastener and industrial supply distributor, opened its newest distribution center in Indianapolis.
US manufacturing activity expands in May
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May for the fifth consecutive month, according to the latest ISM Manufacturing PMI Report.
April construction spending up 0.9% YoY
Construction spending during April was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,172.4 billion, 0.4% above the revised March estimate of $2,164.5 billion. The April figure is 0.9% above the April 2025 estimate of $2,153.4 billion.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The July/August issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Global Industrial. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
