August 2014 News
Airgas opens ND branch
Airgas recently opened a new location in Dickinson, N.D., to serve customers in the Bakken shale oil region.
Real GDP up 4.2% in 2Q
Real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2014, according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Durable goods orders soar in July
New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 22.6 percent in July to $300.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.
Infor Unveils SX.e 10.1 Software Solution
Infor announced the availability of Infor Distribution SX.e 10.1, the latest version of Infor's industry-specific distribution management solution.
MAPI Economic Outlook: Growth but no surge
The outlook for the U.S. economy is for steady growth but there is little expectation for a significant upward trajectory, according to a new report.
Applied creates mobile app
Applied Industrial Technologies has developed a new mobile app for its digital catalog.
Evonik names business line director
Christian Edlinger was promoted to Business Line Director, Interface & Performance, in the Consumer Specialties Unit of Evonik Corporation.
Temple joins Lafert North America
Lafert North America announced the addition of Matthew Temple to its outside sales force.
Barrett named COO of United Stationers industrial group
United Stationers Inc. announced that Paul Barrett will serve as chief operating officer industrial effective immediately.
Osborn parent acquired by Quinpario Acquisition
Quinpario Acquisition Corp. announced the completion of its transaction to acquire Jason Incorporated, Osborn’s parent company.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index shows growth
Led by improvements in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National
Activity Index rose to +0.39 in July from +0.21 in June.
Strong growth in PT industry
The PTDA Business Index for 2Q2014 indicates strong growth in both business activity and new orders.
TTI earnings jump 15.9%
Hong Kong-based global power equipment and floor care company Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. said its profit jumped 15.9% in the first half of 2014 to $136 million.
Applied earns Honda supplier award
Applied Industrial Technologies has been honored by Honda as one of its top suppliers in 2014.
Advance registration open for PTDA Industry Summit
The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) convenes its 2014 Industry Summit, October 22–25, 2014 at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fla.
GHX and McCarty Equipment add branches
Houston-based GHX Industrial and McCarty Equipment Co., subsidiaries of The United Distribution Group, announced the opening of three new locations and the expansion of one current location.
Luedtke joins W.P. & R.S. Mars Company
Minnesota-based W.P & R.S. Mars Company announced that Brett Luedtke has joined the firm as field sales manager.
Kennametal's Cardoso to retire
Kennametal Inc. announced that chairman, president and CEO Carlos Cardoso will retire from the company effective Dec. 31.
PFERD names applications specialist
PFERD INC. announced the appointment of Sean Lindley as applications specialist.
Tencarva Machinery breaks ground in Nashville
Tencarva Machinery Company, based in Greensboro, N.C., recently broke ground on its new facility in Nashville, Tenn.
Kimball Midwest to open Savannah warehouse
Columbus, Ohio-based Kimball Midwest has purchased a warehouse in Savannah, Ga., to serve as its Southeast distribution center.
ISA members see growth
Economic expansion continues for ISA members, according to the August ISA Economic Indicator Report (EIR) from the Industrial Supply Association.
NIBA and PTDA to hold joint summit
The boards of directors of NIBA—The Belting Association and the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) announced a NIBA/PTDA Joint Industry Summit to be held in the fall of 2017.
Allied Motion income soars
Allied Motion Technologies announced net income increased 229% to $2.69 million, or 29 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30.
Industrial Supply Co. saves Habitat for Humanity project
Things looked desperate when nearly all of the tools were stolen from a Habitat for Humanity construction site in Salt Lake City in June.
Lift-All to celebrate 50 years in business
Lift-All will celebrate its 50th anniversary of manufacturing in the sling and load securement industry on Oct. 16.
June cutting tool consumption up 9.9%
June U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $181 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
July sales up 6% for Grainger
Grainger reported sales results for the month of July 2014 increased 6 percent versus July 2013.
Applied sales and income dips
Despite showing improvement in its fiscal fourth quarter, sales and income for Applied Industrial Technologies dropped in 2014.
IBC wins Honda Supplier of the Year award
IBC announced its selection as a Honda 2014 Supplier of the Year.
Hyde Industrial Blade promotes two employees
Hyde Industrial Blade Solutions (IBS), a manufacturer of industrial knives and blades, today announced the promotion of two long-term employees to new and expanded roles in the organization.
NAED joines Industrial Careers Pathway
The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) recently joined the Industrial Careers Pathway as ICP’s sixth Alliance Partner.
Machine Tools Supply names COO
Machine Tools Supply, Costa Mesa, Calif., named Bryan Rigney chief operating officer.
Graybar opens Waco location
Graybar announced the opening of a new location in Waco, Texas.
FCX acquires Corrosion Fluid Products
FCX Performance has completed the acquisition of Corrosion Fluid Products Corp., based in Farmington Hills, Mich.
Afflink welcomes 11 new distributors
AFFLINK announced that 11 new distributorships in the U.S. and in Canada have joined the organization since the beginning of 2014.
NetPlus Alliance adds four distributors
NetPlus Alliance welcomed four new distributor members to the marketing and buying group.
Manufacturing technology orders down 2.1%
June U.S. manufacturing technology orders fell 2.1% to $405.73 million compared to $414.26 million in June 2013.
Manufacturing productivity rises
Manufacturing sector productivity increased 3.6 percent in the second quarter of 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Capital Safety acquires Fall Protection
Capital Safety has acquired Fall Protection Group Inc., a Calgary, Alberta-based provider of at-height training and consultation services in Canada and the United States.
Graybar profits jump 32.7 percent
Graybar reported record net sales of $1.52 billion for the second quarter, an increase of 3.4 percent compared to the same period in 2013.
RBC Bearings sales up 10 percent
Increased volume in mining, oil and gas, and the general industrial markets drove a 10% increase in sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 for RBC Bearings.
Leadership transition at Klein Tools
Klein Tools announced that Mathias Klein III (Mat) will retire as chairman of the board in June 2015 but will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors.
Parker Hannfin posts record sales
Parker Hannifin said its fiscal 2014 sales were a record at $13.2 billion, compared with $13.0 billion in fiscal 2013.
AD member sales up 8 percent
Affiliated Distributors (AD) reported 8% growth across all AD Divisions in the second quarter.
Apex Tool Group acquires Niagara Tools
Apex Tool Group announced the acquisition of specialty cutting tool manufacturer Niagara Tools of St. Catharines, Ontario.
NetPlus Alliance adds three suppliers
NetPlus Alliance welcomed Rust-Oleum, Sunex Tools and Enviroguard to the buying and marketing group for industrial and contractor supplies distributors.
NN Inc. sales up 10.8 percent
NN Inc. said its net sales for the second quarter of 2014 increased 10.8% to $106.7 million, compared to $96.3 million for the second quarter of 2013.
Fastenal July sales up 14.7 percent
Fastenal reported that its July sales increased by 14.7 percent to $323.6 million.
Manufactured goods orders up in June
New orders for manufactured goods increased 1.1 percent in June to $503.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today.
Kaman sales up 12.6 percent
Second-quarter sales for Kaman Industrial Technologies grew by12.6% to $304.1 million.
Brady names new president/CEO
Brady Corp. announced the appointment of J. Michael Nauman as president, chief executive officer and director, effective immediately.
New Deb Group organizational structure
Deb Group Ltd announced a new North American organizational structure following its recent acquisition of the STOKO Professional Skin Care business.
Interline Brands posts 2Q loss
Interline Brands reported a loss of $38.6 million for the second quarter after recording a non-cash write-off of $67.5 million.
ISM manufacturing index up in July
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in July for the 14th consecutive month, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
Saint-Gobain acquires Z-Tech
Saint-Gobain has completed the acquisition of Z-Tech LLC, located in Bow, New Hampshire.
Factory and construction job increases
The total number of factory and construction jobs increased in July according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
MAPI: U.S. export competitiveness woes
A new analysis from the MAPI Foundation, the research affiliate of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, finds an alarming downward trend for U.S. export growth to Asia since 2009, leaving an uncertain future for the U.S. to regain its trade prominence.