News

One of the Nation's Largest Wholesalers Newest Member of Internet Trading Network

Yardley, PA July 26, 2006 - Activant® welcomes ORS Nasco, the nation's largest wholesaler of industrial, welding, safety, oilfield, and construction related supplies, to Activant Trading Partner Connect, an Internet trading network.

"Activant is pleased to welcome ORS Nasco to the Trading Partner Connect network," said Steve McLaughlin, senior vice president and general manager of Activant's wholesale distribution group. "Both Activant and ORS Nasco have been working in parallel for years - including both as members of the Industrial Supply Association (ISA) and Affiliated Distributors (A-D) - going forward, this partnership will provide our customers with more efficient and complete service."

Trading Partner Connect, an Internet trading network for distributors, expedites sourcing, expands geographic reach, and streamlines transactions by opening an information channel for distributors and manufacturers to electronically exchange data in a secure environment. Manufacturers and suppliers who join Trading Partner Connect find that their relationships with distributors improve, as they are able to view point of sale information, reduce supply chain costs, automatically upload ship dates, and much more.

"Trading Partner Connect was designed with suppliers like ORS Nasco in mind," said Mike Wentz, Activant's director of national accounts. "Hundreds of ORS Nasco distributors are also members of Trading Partner Connect, and many will see an immediate benefit from this relationship."

A Seamless Program

Based in Muskogee, OK, ORS Nasco serves distributors in the industrial, welding, safety, construction, oilfield, rental, janitorial, electrical, plumbing, PVF, and HVAC markets from eight strategically located distribution centers across the nation.

According to Scott Rosenzweig, vice president of sales for ORS Nasco, Trading Partner Connect offers the functionality the company needs to take business to the next level with participating distributors and further its position as an industry leader. "Our role in the marketplace is to provide efficiencies in the supply chain between manufacturers and distributors, so leveraging Trading Partner Connect makes great business sense," said Rosenzweig.

Mike Denning, vice president of information technology for ORS Nasco, appreciates how Trading Partner Connect streamlines the communication process between ORS Nasco and their distributors. "What appealed to us from a technological standpoint was how Trading Partner Connect helps facilitate e-commerce and direct business-to-business connections," Denning said. "We want to focus our energy on things that make doing business with our customers easier, and Trading Partner Connect provides that."

Endless Value

Serving more than 14,000 distributors, ORS Nasco offers unparalleled access to more than 146,000 products from over 600 manufacturers. Distributors benefit from the ability to reach customers outside of their marketing area, and consolidate product lines that reduce overall inventory investment. With Trading Partner Connect, distributors will see additional benefits.

"Our relationship with Activant will not start and finish with Trading Partner Connect," stated Larry Davis, vice president of marketing and customer service. "We have developed exceptionally rich Web content that we plan to lease to distributors, allowing them to plug that content into Activant's Web-based storefront solution, B2B Seller, and leverage punch-out technology."

About ORS Nasco

The nation's leading pure wholesale supplier of premium-branded and private-label products, ORS Nasco streamlines the entire purchasing cycle so distributors can focus on serving customers and growing business. As a single-source provider who sells exclusively to distributors, ORS Nasco eliminates supplier competition for end-customer business, while eliminating time-consuming phone calls, follow ups, paperwork, and order tracking.

ORS Nasco is committed to helping distributors buy smarter and more efficiently, consolidate product lines, free up working capital to reinvest into the core of their business, and pass these benefits onto their customers. To help distributors grow their customer base, ORS Nasco offers customized promotions and co-branding opportunities.

About Activant's Wholesale Distribution Solutions

Activant provides technology solutions and services to more than 3,800 wholesale distributors throughout North America. A leading technology provider for the distribution industry, Activant develops comprehensive enterprise software solutions to help distributors improve customer service and maximize the return on their technology investment. In addition, the company offers an Internet trading network that expedites sourcing, expands geographic reach, and streamlines transactions between distributors and manufacturers. Activant solutions are backed by a host of professional services, including support, consulting, and educational programs.

Activant Solutions Inc. ("Activant") is a leading technology provider of vertical business management solutions serving small and medium-sized retail and wholesale distribution businesses. The company serves three primary vertical markets: automotive aftermarket, hardlines and lumber; and wholesale distribution. Founded in 1972, Activant provides customers with tailored proprietary software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics. More than 30,000 customer locations use an Activant solution to manage their day-to-day operations. Activant has operations in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Canada, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

About Activant / Legal & Trademark Information

###

---

Prospective customers are encouraged to fill out and submit the convenient Activant Web Contact Form.

Back to Top