Distribution Industry News
Employment rate holds steady at 4.3%
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 130,000 in January, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.3%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Feb. 11.
Carson’s Nut-Bolt & Tool joins the AD community
AD, the contractor and industrial products wholesale buying group, announced Carson’s Nut-Bolt & Tool Co., Inc. joined the AD Industrial & Safety Division – U.S. effective January 1.
Wesco announces record fourth quarter
Wesco International, a provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions, announced a record fourth quarter with net sales of $6.1 billion, up 10% YoY. The company released full year 2025 results, as well.
Columbus McKinnon reports 10% sales growth
Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of intelligent motion solutions for material handling, announced third quarter net sales of $258.7 million increased 10% with strength in lifting, linear motion, and automation across both North America and EMEA.
IDCO welcomes Klondike Lubricants as newest endorsed supplier partner
Industrial Distributor Co-op (IDCO), also known as The Hoser Network, announced Klondike Lubricants has joined the cooperative as its newest supplier partner.
Prime Industrial Fasteners to be featured on 'World’s Greatest' tv show
Prime Industrial Fasteners, a family?owned fastener distributor serving South Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean, has been selected to be featured on the nationally syndicated television program, "World’s Greatest" airing on the Bloomberg Network.
Walter appoints global sales director for workholding group
Walter has appointed André Vasconcelos as global sales director for workholding. He currently serves as the company's sales manager and has been instrumental in the development and growth of the brand in recent years.
Manufacturing technology orders set record in December
New orders of metalworking machinery hit a record level in December 2025, reaching $814.3 million, 86.7% over November 2025 and 59.9% over December 2024.
RBC Bearings reports 17.0% increase in third quarter net sales
RBC Bearings Inc., an international manufacturer of highly engineered precision bearings, components, and essential systems for the industrial, defense and aerospace industries, reported its third quarter net sales of
Fastenal net sales rise 7% in January
Fastenal reported January net sales climbed 6.9% to $6.9 million.
Services sector expands again in January
Economic activity in the services sector continued to expand in January, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest ISM Services PMI Report.
Chemcraft brand marks 50 year anniversary
Chemcraft, a supplier of industrial wood coatings, is celebrating five decades in the North American market.
Columbus McKinnon completes acquisition of Kito Crosby
Columbus McKinnon Corp., a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of intelligent motion solutions for material handling, has completed its acquisition of Kito Crosby from funds managed by global investment firm KKR.
DXP Enterprises Inc. spreads West with manufacturers rep acquisition
DXP Enterprises Inc. has completed the acquisition of Ambiente H2O Inc.
Kennametal Q2 sales up 10%
Kennametal Inc. announced its second quarter sales totaled $530 million, an 10% increase on both a reported and organic basis from the prior year quarter.
Manufacturing sector expands in January
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in January for the first time in 12 months, preceded by 26 straight months of contraction, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest ISM Manufacturing PMI Report.
AD member sales reach record $100 billion in 2025
AD repored record results for 2025 in member total company sales, member purchases from AD supplier partners, and net distributions to its owner-members.
Electrical distributor sets high bar on warehouse automation, urban space efficiency
Global AutoStore partner Kardex provided an automated solution to Codale, a Utah-based operating company of Sonepar, a global B2B electrical distribution company.
2026 PTDA Foundation increases scholarships
Entering its third year, the PTDA Foundation's scholarship program has raised the number of student scholarships from five to eight and employee scholarships from four to six.
November manufacturing orders rise 5.3%
November new orders for manufactured durable goods increased $16.4 billion or 5.3% to $323.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Parker sales climb 9% in second quarter
Parker Hannifin Corp., a global provider of motion and control technologies, reported second-quarter sales increased 9% to a record $5.2 billion – and organic sales increased 6.6%.
Fed holds rates steady after strong capital investment from manufacturers
By Kristin Bartschi
In a move widely telegraphed since their last meeting, the Federal Reserve opted to leave the benchmark interest rates steady at a target range of 3.5% to 3.75% on Jan. 28, their first meeting of 2026.
Grainger 2025 sales increase 4.5%
Grainger reported fourth quarter sales of $4.4 billion, up 4.5%. For the full year, sales of $17.9 billion increased 4.5%, or 4.9% on a daily, organic constant currency basis compared to the prior year.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The January/February issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Grainger. 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.
