From Link Magazine:

For decades there has been the argument that much of the work taking place in large office spaces could be accomplished from home. Businesses were loath to test the theory for fear that there would be a reduction in employee productivity, but now, out of necessity, more and more businesses are realizing that the opposite is true. Employees are embracing the challenge; with Covid here for the foreseeable future, working from home effectively is one way to help your business survive.

IFE Americas is proud to announce that we are now working in cooperation with R.L. English to offer a high quality range of fluid system components with a first class service level.

Marty Nolan runs the R.L. English Co., a manufacturers rep group located in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Marty is a 35 year veteran of the fastener industry and has been involved with several fasteners associations locally and nationally over the years. In 2019, Marty was inducted into the Fastener Hall of Fame. His company covers Ohio and the surrounding states as well as some national accounts. 

Fastener Fair USA announced today the decision to postpone the show scheduled for June 22-24, 2021. The event has been rescheduled for November 8-10, 2021 (Conference: November 8 | Expo Hall: November 9-10) at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Ohio.

“After extensive consultation and ongoing monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made this decision with the wellbeing of all our customers and partners as our highest priority,” said Marie Brown, group vice president, Reed Exhibitions. “We are developing additional channels and digital tools to complement the live event in order to serve the industry, support our loyal exhibitors, and to ensure our attendees have access to find the solutions they need.”

From the NAW Blog

It has become a universally accepted truth that the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated customer expectations for buying online. Many distributors report a dramatic shift toward customer orders placed on e-commerce platforms. This trend has confirmed what many have said for several years: distributors must invest in modern e-commerce platforms to remain a viable source for meeting customer expectations. But is doing so enough? Is there a more vital lesson that many distributors are missing? Will distribution miss a critical opportunity for locking in unbreakable customer loyalty if they remain blind to the bigger picture? 

From the NAW Blog

2020 has been a tough year for most distribution sales teams. In certain markets — such as janitorial and sanitation, HVAC, home improvement and landscaping — shifting consumption patterns have spurred rapid growth. Customers increasingly engage with suppliers through e-commerce, market platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba, and virtual meeting platforms. These new, emerging buyer and seller engagement models present compelling value and efficiencies that are certain to endure beyond the pandemic.

From the NAW Blog

In our playbook for distributors to SURGE ahead using customer stratification, we outlined ways distributors could segment customers to boost profitability — particularly to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe it is a foundational analytics practice for any distributor. And its applications in the pursuit of profitable growth are almost endless.

S.W. Anderson Company, a specialty and class C component distributor, has acquired OEM Fastening Systems, a specialty fastener distributor in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

"We're excited to welcome the OEM Fastening Systems employees to the S.W. Anderson family" stated Jim Degnan, president of S.W. Anderson. "OEM's reputation in the southeast U.S. as a customer-focused product expert aligns closely with S.W. Anderson's value proposition. We look forward to working with our new team members to extend our products and services to OEM’s customer base. "

Buckeye Fasteners and its affiliated companies have a new mobile app that will give users direct access to five manufacturing plants in North East Ohio:

• Brainard Rivet
• Buckeye Fasteners
• Joseph Industries
• Ohio Nut & Bolt
• Plan-E-Tech Tool and Die

You can use it to request a quote and can include your agent if you have one. The app will be useful in the field or in your office.

Epicor has just released its newest version of Prophet 21. Some of the new enhancements include:

• Access to Prophet 21 remotely using any device in the P21 Web App
• Epicor Commerce Connect (ECC) brings you a full line of eCommerce offerings
• Epicor Rentals Management makes the rentals process more efficient
• Automate work, increase customer satisfaction, and grow service revenue with Service Pro
• Process shipping transactions quickly and efficiently with Epicor QuickShip
• Create budgeting, forecasting, and planning reports/dashboards with Epicor Data Analytics (EDA)
• Allow each user to create more intuitive reports with Prophet 21 Report Studio

Click here to view the full list

The International Fastener Expo (IFE), North America’s largest expo for industrial fasteners, tooling and machinery, held the first digital event of its kind on November 11–12, 2020. Match & Meet by IFE focused on facilitating and deepening industry connections with education and networking opportunities, through a proven AI-powered platform. The digital event’s success was marked by great participation from partners, exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees. Over 500 attendees and 60 exhibitors came together during the event. Within the two days, 3,800 total connections were made and 8,500 messages were exchanged, leading to more than 700 meetings and video calls. The Match & Meet platform will remain open until mid-2021 and participants can continue to connect until that time.

The two-day conference agenda of ten sessions featured industry professionals who presented on a variety of topics including product standards and materials, new technology, and industry trends. Sessions kicked-off Wednesday morning with The Fastener Training Institute discussing distributor quality assurance. “As our first virtual event, our team recognized the importance of producing an exceptionally strong conference schedule that would captivate our audience and create excitement,” said Morgan Wilson, show manger, International Fastener Expo. As part of the Match & Meet platform, sessions are available to view on-demand until mid-2021.

IFE Group is excited to announce Tom Buddenbohn of Budd Sales as a manufacturers’ representative for the states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

"With more than 40 years of industry sales experience and technical expertise, Tom will be a great connection to our south-central customer base and a valuable resource to our team. We look forward to growing and strengthening these valuable partnerships together."

Tom Buddenbohn served on the NFDA Board of Directors from 2008 to 2013 and was Membership Chair for ten years.

From the NAW Blog

One of the most valuable resources distributors have is their data. Data can reveal what your customers are likely to buy, what growth opportunities you’re missing out on and where you can cut costs. Distributors with the right data can meet customer needs and dominate competitors. But acquiring and handling data properly is no easy task.

From the NAW Blog

Last year, I suggested a holiday conversation about the future of distribution as distributor families gather for Thanksgiving. Our idea was that distributors’ sons and daughters, whether they work in distribution or elsewhere, can share vital insights. With the ongoing pandemic, this year’s conversations are even more critical. 

Buckeye Fasteners Company continues to expand their product lines by adding many new items to their catalog. With the addition of headed concrete anchors, shear connectors and the expansion of their CD and Arc stud lines, Buckeye positions themselves to better serve their customers. Buckeye is also offering CD and Arc stud equipment and accessories to support these recently added items. Buckeye is now carrying hex flange weld nuts in both the Ford and GM specifications which are available for immediate shipment and delivery. Strux® nuts, square pierce nuts, flat head carriage bolts, nylon insert locknuts (in both the flanged nut and wing nut variations) have also been added to their ever-growing product offerings.

Check out all of Buckeye’s products on their website www.buckeyefasteners.com

From the NAW Blog

It’s no secret that contracts are a great way to secure valuable business for distributors. For many companies, they account for a significant portion of annual revenue and are critical in bringing in key customers. Unfortunately, if they are not managed carefully, contracts can become an area of business where profit leaks or slips through the cracks.

From the NAW Blog

If you’re considering analytics as a means to drive profitable growth in 2021, you’re on the right track. The distribution industry is facing an uncertain market, digital acceleration and a changed landscape. Analytics can help distributors make data-driven decisions to stay on course and be successful.

From the NAW Blog

When was the last time you saw an ad for FedEx? Yet their brand remains synonymous with fast shipping. As Peter Drucker says, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself.”

Beacon Fasteners and Components is thrilled to announce the launch of its new website! The redesigned website features a customer account dashboard, easy to navigate product catalog and shopping cart to request a quote. The updated content pages provide valuable information on product, inventory solutions and company culture.

“After months of hard work from the Beacon team and our partners at INxSQL, we are excited to debut our new site and showcase all its new features,” commented Kameron Dorsey, national sales manager. “Our goal was to create a more user-friendly design across all devices so our customers could quickly access product and order information.”

From NAW

The COVID Effect on Purchasing

From NAW

Virtually every distributor I encounter understands that mastering data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) is essential if distributors are to survive and thrive in the digital age. However, very few leaders have a comprehensive game plan for turning their company into a data-driven business.