Distribution Industry News

Dematic hosts high schooler robotics team

Dematic hosted a demonstration and luncheon last month for a high school student-led robotics team. Dematic, a supply chain automation and solutions provider, held the event for the G3 Robotics Team at its global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 10 in support of "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology" (FIRST), a robotics education nonprofit.

November metalworking machinery orders climb 16.8%

By Christopher Chidzik

Orders of manufacturing technology totaled $448.8 million in November, 16.8% higher than October, and 12.4% higher than November 2023, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

Stellar Industrial Supply names 2024 Supplier of the Year 

Stellar Industrial Supply has named Kimberly-Clark Professional as its Supplier of the Year (SOY) award winner for 2024. 

Wholesale trade employment remains flat in December

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 256,000 in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

National Safety Apparel buys Warren Heim 

Blue Point Capital Partners and its portfolio company National Safety Apparel  (NSA) have acquired Warren Heim Corp., a Florida-based manufacturer of insulated bags designed to protect workers in the electrical utility market.

Tencarva Machinery acquires Detroit Pump

Tencarva Machinery Co. a Southeast distributor and service provider of flow control and process equipment solutions to industrial and municipal end-markets, has acquired Detroit Pump & Mfg. Co. 

MSC fiscal Q1 net sales decrease 2.7% YoY

MSC Industrial Supply Co. reported net sales of $928 million in its fiscal first quarter represents a decrease of 2.7% YoY.

BlackHawk Industrial appoints Great Lakes regional GM

BlackHawk Industrial, a market-leading distributor of metalworking and other mission-critical industrial products, has appointed Anthony DeSalvo as general manager of the Great Lakes region.

Service sector expands, wholesale trade makes the growth list

Economic activity in the services sector expanded for the sixth consecutive month in December, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM Report On Business. The Services PMI registered 54.1%, indicating expansion for the 52nd time in 55 months since recovery from the coronavirus pandemic-induced recession began in June 2020.

November durables orders dip 1.1%

New orders for manufactured durable goods in November, down three of the last four months, decreased $3.0 billion or 1.1% to $285.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.

DataXstream releases OMS+ 4 for faster sales execution across SAP

DataXstream LLC has announced the fourth release of its award-winning OMS+ platform that significantly accelerates quote and order processing capabilities within SAP S/4 HANA On-Premise and SAP S/4 HANA Private Cloud environments.

December manufacturing contracts again

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in December for the ninth consecutive month and the 25th time in the last 26 months, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

Centro acquires LECORP 

Centro Inc. has acquired LECORP, a provider of innovative system designs, equipment supply, and construction services for material handling, process solutions, and dust control.

MSC executive joins ISA board

The Industrial Supply Association (ISA) welcomed Sara Dulski to its board of directors as of January 1. She is head of business unit – metalworking at MSC Industrial Supply Co., where she leads a portfolio that includes metalworking production tools and innovative value-added services.

Applied Industrial Technologies completes acquisition of Hydradyne

Applied Industrial Technologies completed its acquisition of Hydradyne LLC on December 31.

November construction spending flat from October

Construction spending during November 2024 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,152.6 billion, virtually unchanged from (±1.0%) the revised October estimate of $2,152.3 billion. The November figure is 3.0% (±1.5%) above the November 2023 estimate of $2,090.7 billion.