Lane Systems & Supply

October 2007

Just outside of Bangor, Maine, lies the small city of Brewer, population 8,897. It's a tight-knit community almost equidistant from Boston and Montreal. That's probably the last place you'd expect to find a company some call one of the most technically knowledgeable distributors in New England. But this rural city is home to Lane Systems & Supply, a power transmission, materials handling and conveyor specialist that prides itself on providing solutions to complex problems facing its changing customer base. (read article)

Mid-City Supply Company

October 2007

Incoming ASA President Jeff New is a happy guy. Maybe people who know him better have witnessed angry or sullen moments, but after numerous encounters, this reporter has trouble picturing him without a smile on his face. And it’s not just him. His Mid-City Supply Co., based in Elkhart, IN, teems with friendly faces, many of whom have been there almost all their lives. Something feels very right about this company and its leader. (read article)

Mettam Safety Supply

July/August 2007

While other safety distributors have lost sales to industrial and construction distributors encroaching on their territories in the past few years, Mettam Safety Supply continues to achieve impressive results. The company's sales have increased every year since moving into a new building in Danville, Ill., in 2001. It did so by remaining committed to its roots as a safety specialist and by broadening its reach into industries and customer segments that value the services a safety distributor can provide better than competitors. (read article)

Landrum Supply

June 2007

I'm in the habit of concluding interviews with a standard question: "Is there anything we haven't covered that you want to make sure to convey to our readers?" John Landrum's response nicely summarized his business philosophy in a few concise sentences. "I can't say enough about the people I work with, or my customers. It's really neat to work with and sell to people who are your friends. All it takes is trust, integrity, knowledge and a little bit of inventory and service." (read article)

D&D Tool & Supply

May/June 2007

What does a local, family-owned distributor do when its only customer base leaves the area?

Reinvent itself or die.

D&D Tool & Supply evolved from a $3 million distributor serving the San Diego wood industry, to a $38 million distributor that serves a broad base of manufacturers in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. (read article)

Tipco Technologies

March/April 2007

You know you've made a lasting impression when customers begin incorporating your recommendations into their engineering requirements. That's what happened to Tipco Technologies after the Baltimore-area hose distributor demonstrated to major customers how it uses the NAHAD Hose Assembly Guidelines in its quality program. (read article)

Eastern Bearings, Inc.

March/April 2007

When Richard Gorsey started Eastern Bearings, Inc. in 1963 in a Waltham, Mass., storefront, he had to face some misperceptions people had of him and his fledgling company.

An independent distributor, he only had a few product lines back then, and much of the inventory appeared to be contained in the trunk of his car. (read article)

Fuchs Machinery

May/June 2006

Hank Turner of Empire Machinery and Tom Berger of Fuchs Machinery have adopted lean principles at their companies to eliminate waste in every process. (read article)

Elco Tool

May 2004

Elco Tool is a distributorship that prides itself on the tools it sells its customers. Selling a tool that performs well is the goal at Elco, because customers who are satisfied with their purchase are more likely to return to their distributor...and buy more tools. (read article)

Tipco Technologies

April 2004

Picture it: One Monday morning you walk into your parents' company offices and find they have been cleaned out. No, not the inventory or office supplies. But their offices themselves are cleaned out. The metaphorical sign, "Mom and Dad don't live here anymore," swings from squeaky hinges above their doors, like some eerie Western movie. Suddenly, it hits you. "It's up to me now."

"It was almost bizarre," says Rob Lyons, president and co-owner of TIPCO Technologies, Inc., an industrial hose and hose accessories distributor for the industrial, high-purity and construction markets, headquartered in Owings Mills, Md., of his parents' night-time evacuation. "To come in Monday morning and find both my mother's and father's offices are cleaned out. And we have to sit in them!" (read article)

Omni Services, Inc.

March 2004

A company's corporate goals should be the basis of any compensation strategy. Knowing those goals gives you a good place to start your planning.

"All compensation plans should revolve around the company's corporate goals. Take a baseball team as an analogy—in this case, the goal would be to win a pennant. Your compensation plan should dovetail with the goals of your company," says Chuck Connors, president of Omni Services, Inc., an industrial hose and connector distributor covering New England and headquartered in Worcester, Mass. (read article)

Ziegler Tools

January/February 2004

With a storied past dating back more than a half-century, Ziegler Tools is poised for new growth and profitability. (read article)

Guaranteed Supply Co.

December 2003

It isn't unusual for High Rock Waterproofing, Inc., to run out of a critical product at the most inopportune time. A Salisbury, N.C.-based waterproofing contractor offering a variety of waterproofing options, including joint caulkings and coatings, High Rock Waterproofing works on tight deadlines, solving water problems for customers that include major universities.

When Jeff Welty, president of High Rock Waterproofing, recently ran out of materials over the weekend, he knew exactly who to call for help: Guaranteed Supply Co., of Greensboro, N.C. He says the distributor is "always willing to deliver" the waterproofing materials, sheet goods, traffic coatings and joint sealants that High Rock needs to keep a job on schedule. (read article)

Sanders Tools & Supplies

November/December 2003

Strong leadership and dedicated employees give Sanders Tools and Supplies a new lease on life. (read article)

Strong Tool & Supply

November/December 2002

Like a horse freed from its bridle, Strong Tool Company is bursting with energy. Purchased in April 2002 from Kennametal Inc. by former Bowman Distribution executive Cedric Beckett, the company is anxious to explore the advantages of independence. (read article)

Duncan Equipment Company

May/June 2002

Duncan Equipment Company discovered that distributors can make the transition to charging fees for services. (read article)

General Industrial Tool & Supply

May/June 2001

In an era when distributors struggle to define their value in the supply chain, General Industrial Tool & Supply adopted a value-added documentation approach that proves its worth to customers. (read article)