Distribution Industry News

Optimas Solutions: Forward Faster strategy delivering results

Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer/distributor and supply chain solutions provider, has moved into a new phase of its Forward Faster transformation strategy introduced late last year.

Enerpac Tool Group sales up 6.1 percent

Enerpac Tool Group said its fiscal 2022 third-quarter net sales were $152 million, representing a 6.1 percent increase from $143.1 million in the same period last year.

RBC Bearings earns Boeing Supplier of the Year honors

RBC Bearings has received recognition from The Boeing Company as one of its top suppliers at the company’s 2022 Supplier of the Year event in Los Angeles.

anyseals names head of finance

anyseals inc. announced the hiring of Brian Weisbarth as head of finance and controllership in the U.S.

Lawless Group West adds regional sales manager

Lawless Group West has welcomed Raz Ghazikhanian as a new regional sales manager Industrial/Welding.

EVERWIN North America names new GM

Daniel Burgjohann has been named the new general manager of EVERWIN North America.

NEFCO acquires Jiffy Fastening Systems

NEFCO has completed the acquisition of Jiffy Fastening Systems Inc., headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.

Allied Motion Technologies acquires Airex

Allied Motion Technologies has acquired Airex, a privately-owned manufacturer of precision-wound components.

Chicago Fed: Economic growth declined in May

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index fell to +0.01 in May from +0.40 in April.

Endries International acquires Store Room Fasteners

Endries International announced that it has acquired Store Room Fasteners based in Montgomery, Alabama.

DPA Buying Group announces award winners

The DPA Buying Group recently announced its 2020 & 2021 Industrial Excellence award recipients and the winners of the Industrial Distributor and Supplier awards.

Sphere 1 raises over $154,000 for Building Homes for Heroes

Sphere 1 members-distributors and preferred suppliers raised more than $154,000 to benefit a charity that builds homes and completes home modifications for veterans and their families.

Peterson named ISN president

Integrated Supply Network (ISN), international distributor of automotive tools, garage equipment and supplies, promoted Pete Peterson to president of its U.S. division.

Manufacturing technology orders up 27.5%

April 2022 orders of manufacturing technology totaled $513.4 million, the second month in a row surpassing half a billion dollars, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT.

WESCO's Dosch to retire

WESCO International announced the retirement of Theodore A. Dosch, executive vice president, strategy and chief transformation officer, effective Aug' 5, 2022.

Vallen Distribution joins AD

AD announced that Vallen Distribution, a distributor of indirect industrial, metalworking, and safety supplies and services, with locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has joined AD.

Clarion Safety Systems acquires Machine Safety Specialists

Clarion Safety Systems, a manufacturer of safety labels, signs, and tags, has acquired Machine Safety Specialists, a machine safety and compliance consulting practice.

Kennametal names new CFO

Kennametal Inc. announced that Patrick S. Watson, currently vice president finance and corporate controller, will assume the role of vice president and chief financial officer.

Solve Industrial Motion Group acquires MasterDrive Inc.

Solve Industrial Motion Group has acquired MasterDrive Inc., a supplier and manufacturer of sheaves, belts, timing pulleys, and couplings that benefit a broad range of industrial applications.

PIP acquires Industrial Starter S.p.A.

Protective Industrial Products has acquired Industrial Starter, S.p.A, headquartered Vicenza, Italy, which includes all of the Industrial Starter affiliates throughout Europe.

Bonomi North America moves North American headquarters

The Bonomi Group, a manufacturer of valves and flow control products, is nearly tripling the size of its North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Stanley Black & Decker names new president

Stanley Black & Decker has named Donald Allan Jr., currently president and chief financial officer, to chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2022.

ASC welcomes 16 new members

The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) welcomed 16 new members to its ranks since the start of the year.

Fastenal's May sales up 23.5 percent

Fastenal's sales of $589.2 million in May grew by 23.5 percent from $477.2 million in May of last year.

Winsupply opens OKC distribution center

Winsupply announced the grand opening of its sixth regional distribution center (RDC), located just south of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Worthington Industries acquires Level5 Tools

Worthington Industries announced the acquisition of Level5 Tools, a provider of drywall tools, including automatic drywall taping and finishing tools, skimming blades, hand tools and accessories.

MSC acquires Engman-Taylor

MSC Industrial Supply has acquired Engman-Taylor, a Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin- based distributor of metalworking tools and supplies.

MCE acquires Lone Star Machine Works

Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE) has acquired Lone Star Machine Works based in Mabank, Texas.

Manufacturing and construction employment grew in May

The month of May produced job gains in manufacturing and construction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Dayton Superior becomes preferred Evergreen supplier

The Evergreen Marketing Group announced that Dayton Superior is now a preferred supplier in the concrete chemicals category.

Motion launches MiFluid Power Solutions brand

Motion Industries announced the formation of its fluid power business brand: Mi Fluid Power Solutions (Mi FPS).

Manufactured goods orders grew in April

New orders for manufactured goods increased 0.3 percent in April to $533.2 billion.

Productivity decreased 7.3 percent in Q1

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased 7.3 percent in the first quarter of 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, as output decreased 2.3 percent and hours worked increased 5.4 percent.

Alaska Rubber Group acquires Industrial Supply Inc.

Alaska Rubber Group has acquired Industrial Supply Inc. in Bellingham, Washington.

White Cap acquires CSI Geoturf

White Cap Supply Holdings has closed on an agreement to acquire CSI Geoturf, a Michigan-based wholesale distributor of civil site construction geosynthetic and landscape supplies.

AD merges with Canadian buying group Torbsa

AD and Torbsa Limited, a leading building supplies buying group in Canada, have agreed to merge the two groups. The merger is expected to close July 1, 2022.

Manufacturing continues slow growth trajectory

The May Manufacturing PMI from the Institute for Supply Management registered 56.1 percent, an increase of 0.7 percentage point from the reading of 55.4 percent in April.

April construction spending improves

Construction spending during April 2022 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,744.8 billion, 0.2 percent above the revised March estimate of $1,740.6 billion.

Lawless Group adds jobsite specialist

Lawless Group West has hired Travis Valera as a jobsite specialist for the West territory.

Field Fastener names new president, EVP and CFO

Field Fastener, a family owned, global supplier of inventory management, technical support services, and complete supply chain solutions for fasteners and other “c” class items, has announced the company’s leadership succession plan.

Lane Supply Company acquires Air Center

Lane Supply Company has acquired Air Center Inc., a distributor and service provider of Kaeser Compressed Air Systems and Stanley Assembly Tools.