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October 2023 News

New scholarship memorializes the late Bailey Squier, metrology legend
With the June passing of Bailey Squier, co-founder of Digital Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC), the company's board of directors contemplated ways to ensure his accomplishments and legacy are not forgotten. As a symbol of gratitude and admiration for the life and legacy of Squier, the DMSC board established the Bailey H. Squier DMSC Metrology Memorial Scholarship.

AD owner members achieve record sales
AD reported that owner member sales through nine months of 2023 reached a new record of $57.6 billion, an increase of 3% across 14 divisions and three countries.

Midway Industrial Supply joins IDCO co-op
Midway Industrial Supply is the latest member to join IDCO, the cooperative network of independent distributors championing hose, fittings, gaskets, and related products.

E Tech Group to present, showcase oligonucleotide automation advancements at Rockwell Automation Fair
E Tech Group, a provider of high-quality automation, control, and engineering services for industrial clients and Gold Certified Rockwell Automation Partner, announced the company will be leading three separate presentations at the 2023 Rockwell Automation Fair and exhibiting in Booth #232. Automation Fair will take place November 6-9 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Semiconductor industry pulls down Enpro's sales results
EnPro Industries, Inc. announced sales of $250.7 million for third quarter ended September 30, a 10.5% decline.

TRUMPF group sales revenues up 27% in anniversary year
At the close of the fiscal year 2022/23 on June 30, 2023, the TRUMPF Group recorded a significant 27% increase in sales to 5.4 billion euros/5.7 billion U.S. dollars (fiscal year 2021/22: 4.2 billion euros/4.7 billion U.S. dollars), the highest sales revenues in the company's 100-year history to date.

Global Industrial Co. partners with Helen Keller National Center for day of service
Global Industrial Co., a value-added national distributor of industrial products and MRO supplies, and the Helen Keller National Center have partnered for an annual day of service.

TIME names inventory-tracking pixel technology to Best Inventions list
Wiliot, the Internet of Things pioneer whose IoT platform is enabling trillions of “things” to gain intelligence, announced that its ambient IoT Pixels and Visibility Platform have been named to TIME’s list of the Best Inventions of 2023.

Kennametal names William M. Lambert as chairman of the board
Kennametal Inc.'s Board of Directors has unanimously appointed William M. Lambert as chairman of the board effective November 1. Lambert succeeds Lawrence W. Stranghoener, who is stepping down from the chairman role after serving as either chairman of the board or independent lead director since 2015.

BlackHawk expands in Idaho
BlackHawk Industrial, a market-leading distributor of metalworking and other mission-critical industrial products, announced it has acquired Advanced Industrial Supply in Pocatello, Idaho. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Industry veteran, NAHAD supporter Keith Collett dies
NAHAD reported that Keith Collett passed away on October 24, 2023, at the age of 74.

New orders for durable goods climb 4.7%
New orders for manufactured durable goods in September, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $13.2 billion or 4.7% to $297.2 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.

White Cap partners with Arbor Day Foundation, Trees Atlanta
White Cap, a distributor of specialty construction supplies and safety products for professional contractors, and Arbor Day Foundation, the world's largest membership nonprofit dedicated to planting trees, announced an Atlanta-area planting day in partnership with local tree-planting nonprofit Trees Atlanta.

Parker annnounces leadership changes for key operating groups
Parker Hannifin Corp., the global supplier of motion and control technologies, announced that William R. “Skip” Bowman, vice president and president – fluid connectors group, and Roger S. Sherrard, vice president and president – aerospace group, will retire on December 31, 2023, after 40 and 34 years of service to the company, respectively.

Grainger delivers sales of $4.2 billion in third quarter
Grainger reported results for the third quarter of 2023 with sales of $4.2 billion, up 6.7%, or 8.7% on a daily, constant currency basis, and diluted EPS of $9.43, up 14.1% compared to the third quarter of 2022.

Applied Industrial Technologies reports positive fiscal Q1 results
Applied Industrial Technologies, a value-added distributor and technical solutions provider of industrial motion, fluid power, flow control, automation technologies, and related maintenance supplies, reported net sales of $1.1 billion for its fiscal 2024 first quarter ended September 30, 2023 – representing a year-over-year 3.1% net sales increase. 

Parker announces top leadership changes
On October 25, Parker Hannifin Corp., a supplier of motion and control technologies, announced the retirements and successors for two key leadership positions.

ISA Fall Summit: a confluence of inspiration, learning, connection
At the recently concluded Industrial Supply Association’s Fall Summit held at the Orlando Hyatt Regency, nearly 230 attendees converged, creating an atmosphere brimming with enthusiasm, commitment, and vision.

Streamlight marks 13 years supporting Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Streamlight Inc., a provider of high-performance lighting equipment, has donated $867,000, resulting in more than 17,000 research hours, since 2010 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), a not-for-profit organization seeking to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Dallas Industries delivers servo feed to Challenge Manufacturing
Dallas Industries, a manufacturer of coil handling, press feeding equipment and controls for the stamping industry, announced that Challenge Manufacturing, Walker, Michigan, has taken delivery of a new Dallas Industries servo feed.

Four US metal fabricators join to form Caldera Manufacturing Group
In partnership with Lorraine Capital, four U.S.-based industrial manufacturing companies – Summit Steel & Manufacturing, Inc., Fairlawn Tool, Inc., Laser Specialties, Inc., and Summit Storage Solutions – announced the formation of Caldera Manufacturing Group, a new manufacturing entity.

DSG breaks ground in two Western states
Dakota Supply Group (DSG), a distributor of innovative products and services, celebrated  groundbreaking ceremonies for two facilities recently: (1) October 17 in Fargo, North Dakota and (2) October 23 in Butte, Montana. The company says the occasions reinforces its commitment to exceptional service in the region. The facility is scheduled to open in 2025.

3M reports sales decline
In its October 24 third quarter reporting, 3M said sales of $8.3 billion represented a 3.6% decline year-on-year, with organic sales declining 3.7% year-on-year.

Kimberly-Clark grows Q3 net sales 2%
For its third quarter 2023, Kimberly-Clark Corporation reported delivered net sales of $5.1 billion, up 2%, with organic sales growth of 5%.

Kimball Midwest hosts centennial event in Georgia
National industrial supplier Kimball Midwest continued its series of centennial celebration events October 20 with activities at its distribution center in Savannah.

Index points to economic growth
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) increased to +0.02 in September from –0.22 in August. All four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index increased from August, and two categories made positive contributions in September. The index’s three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, moved up to a neutral value in September from –0.14 in August.

AFFLINK honors National Disability Employment Awareness Month
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) chose the theme "Advancing Access and Equity" for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), celebrated every October. To support these programs and honor those with disabilities, AFFLINK has had an ongoing partnership with AbilityOne since 2020.

IRONCLAD Marketing expands to Europe
IRONCLAD Marketing, a global full-service business-to-business marketing agency specializing in industrial manufacturing clients, announced the launch of IRONCLAD Europe by FESTGE.

Fastenal, National Hockey League extend multiyear partnership
Fastenal Company and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced a multiyear global partnership extension. The renewed partnership expands Fastenal's international NHL presence to include presenting sponsorship of all NHL Global Series European games, as well as the NHL's primetime international broadcast series NHL Saturday and NHL Sunday.

August cutting tool orders climb 16.2%
By Christopher Chidzik
August 2023 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $219.2 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

AMT engineer receives PMMI award
Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) announced Senior Controls Engineer Michael Horth has been selected as one of the honorees of the On the Rise Award from the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI). Horth was previously named a “2021 Engineering Leader Under 40” by Plant Engineering.nb.

MRC Global supplies valves on major Preem biofuel project
MRC Global Inc. announced it served as a key valve supplier for the Preem Lysekil Refinery biofuel project located in Lysekil, Sweden. This major project will make the Lysekil Refinery the largest producer of renewable fuels in Scandinavia and aid Preem in its goal of creating a more sustainable future.

Sellars operations manager recognized
John Reineking, operations manager for Sellars Absorbent Materials, has been named a “Rising Star in Manufacturing” by BizTimes magazine. Sellars is a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of wipes, absorbents and towel and tissue products with 200 employees.

Vallen wins ISA innovation award
ISA awarded Vallen with the 2023 Innovation Impact Award in recognition of their groundbreaking Employee Resource Group program, dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive culture.

NetSuite unveils innovations for efficiency, growth
Oracle NetSuite announced a series of new product innovations to help organizations reduce costs and run more efficiently so they can grow their top and bottom lines.

ReadyLadder earns NSF certification
Bedford Reinforced Plastics, a manufacturer of fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) products, announced that its ReadyLadder fixed-access ladder products have earned NSF construction certification for water-contact applications.

NetPlus Alliance recognizes members at 10th Annual Meeting
NetPlus Alliance, an industrial and contractor supplies buying group, hosted 650 distributor and supplier attendees from nearly 310 companies at its 10th Annual Meeting in Denver October 8-10.

Lawless Group hires industry leader for key markets
The Lawless Group, a manufacturers representation agency, has hired Jay Drummond as president of its industrial & MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) market verticals.

Enerpac Tool Group fiscall year sales up 5%
Enerpac Tool Group reported fiscal 2023 net sales of $598 million, a 5% increase, with core sales growth of 8%. 

'PT WORK Force' supports PT/MC employers with valuable resources
The need to find right-fit people and motivate employees to take advantage of future growth opportunities is more important than ever. Because of the generous contributions made by companies and individuals to the PTDA Foundation 2023 Fund Drive, the charitable arm of the Power Transmission Distributors Association, power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) employers are further empowered in their recruitment and retention efforts through the PT WORK Force initiative.

American Ladder Institute announces, seeks sponsors for 2024 safety campaign
The American Ladder Institute (ALI) is seeking sponsors for next year’s National Ladder Safety Month.

Kimball Midwest earns third LearningElite Award
Kimball Midwest, a national industrial supplier based in Columbus, has received an award for its learning and development efforts for the third consecutive year.

Kennametal launches metal cutting roadshow
Aimed at bringing innovative tools directly to customers' doorsteps, Kennametal Inc. is launching a nationwide tooling roadshow in North America covering more than 20 markets.

Pilz expands worldwide online machinery safety training
Pilz, a provider of machine safe automation technology, is expanding its worldwide digital training offer for machinery safety. With the new “International Training Calendar,” standardized training courses from Pilz can now be attended live online.

Kano Laboratories to showcase automotive industrial penetrants at SEMA
Kano Laboratories, maker of iconic Kroil-branded penetrating oils and industrial-grade specialty chemicals, announced it will exhibit at the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s SEMA Show 2023, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

AD names distributor, supplier award winners
At the 2023 AD North American Meeting – Industrial & Safety – U.S. and Safety Network Divisions, AD hosted its annual Spirit of Independence Awards dinner to honor the achievements and excellence of the AD community.

Jon-Don welcomes new CEO
Jon-Don, a distributor of commercial supplies, equipment, consumables, and know-how to specialty contractors, has welcomed Eric Royse as the new chief executive officer.

Weiler Abrasives appoints new vice president of global human sesources
Weiler Abrasives, a provider of abrasives, power brushes and maintenance products for surface conditioning, announced that Lynn Rich has been appointed as the new vice president of global human resources and a member of Weiler Abrasives’ executive committee.

Kimball Midwest marks centennial with grand opening in Connecticut
National industrial supplier Kimball Midwest continued its centennial celebration recently with events at its newest distribution center in Newtown, Connecticut.

Fastenal names new executive vice president of operations
Fastenal Co. has appointed Anthony P. Broersma as the executive vice president– operations effective October 11, 2023. In his new role, he will oversee supply chain, compliance, supplier development, content, property management, eCommerce, supply to fulfillment distribution, and logistics operations of the company.

Fastenal Q3 net sales climb 2.4%
Fastenal Co. announced its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, noting that net sales increased $43.5 million, or 2.4%, when compared to the third quarter of 2022.

Ara Partners acquires supplier of EV-grade magnets
Ara Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in industrial decarbonization investments, announced this week it has acquired Vacuumschmelze (“VAC”), a global producer of advanced magnetic materials and the largest producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere.

Optimas plans fastener manufacturing facility in Mexico
Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer/distributor and service provider, announced October 10 it will open a cold form manufacturing plant in Monterrey, Mexico, in the second half of 2024.

DPA forms strategic alliance with Federated Auto Parts Distributors
The DPA Buying Group has formed a new partnership with Federated Auto Parts Distributors, Inc., headquartered in Staunton, Virginia.

Starrett appoints new U.S. territory managers
The L.S. Starrett Co., a global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, metrology systems, saw blades, power tool accessories and more, has recently appointed Coby Villegas and Christopher U’Glay as territory managers in the United States.

Platinum Tooling releases new heimatec tools catalog
Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc., the exclusive North American importer of standard and custom Live Tools, Angle Heads, and Multiple Spindle Tools manufactured by heimatec GmbH, has released its new catalog.

Tracking supply disruptions, impact of inflation on small business
By Keith Savage
The volatile and complex nature of the challenges businesses faced during the COVID-19 pandemic presented multiple dilemmas for business owners, but two challenges emerged as paramount: supply chain disruptions and Inflation, which started to rise in the spring of 2021 and quickly became a top economic concern.

August orders of manufacturing technology grow 16%
New orders of manufacturing technology totaled $404.2 million in August 2023, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. August orders increased 16.1% from July 2023 but were down 12.2% from August 2022. Year-to-date orders reached $2.23 billion, 12.6% lower than the first eight months of 2022.

Oceaneering completes robotics pilot with ZEISS Group
Oceaneering International Inc. announced that its Oceaneering Mobile Robotics (OMR) business successfully completed a pilot project using its omnidirectional UniMover O 600 and UniMover D 100 underride robots at the ZEISS facility in Jena, Germany, in cooperation with Ingenics Consulting.

Emerson builds on 'Boundless Automation' vision with new automation technologies
Global technology and software provider Emerson announced the first of a series of new technology releases that build upon its Boundless Automation vision and serve as the foundation of its next-generation, software-centric industrial automation architecture.

Dallas Industries, PMA honor Gentilia on retirement
Dallas Industries, a manufacturer of press feeding equipment and controls for the stamping industry, and the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) recognized Joe Gentilia for his many years of service to the company, the industry, and the association.

Industrial and Safety independent distributors, suppliers connect at AD meeting
Over 900 AD community members attended the 2023 AD North American Meeting – Industrial & Safety – U.S. and Safety Network Divisions in Colorado from September 12 to 15 for a week of networking and collaboration.

Hyundai Material Handling rolls out new branding
Hyundai Material Handling, a business unit of HD Hyundai Construction Equipment North America, Inc., is introducing new branding that reflects its growing presence and evolving mission in North America and as a global leader in the manufacturing of advanced material handling equipment.

September employment rises
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 336,000 in September, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.8%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on October 6.

BlackHawk integrates Big Red Fasteners into portfolio
BlackHawk Industrial, a distributor of metalworking and other mission-critical industrial products, announced the integration of Big Red Fasteners into its fastener portfolio, significantly bolstering the company’s fastener division.

Coxreels celebrates 100 years
Coxreels announced it is celebrating its 100th-year anniversary manufacturing in the U.S.

NAW hires associate vice president, government relations
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), has appointed Lauren Williams as its new associate vice president of government relations. She will be the lead policy expert and lobbyist on issues related to labor and the workforce, transportation, and logistics.

August new orders up by a hair
New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, up five of the last six months, increased $0.5 billion or 0.2% to $284.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.

Ingersoll Rand completes two acquisitions
Ingersoll Rand Inc., a global provider of mission-critical flow creation and industrial solutions, has completed the acquisitions of Oxywise and Fraserwoods Fabrication and Machining Ltd. for a combined all-cash purchase price of approximately $26 million.

BlackHawk appoints manufacturing expert
BlackHawk Industrial, a market-leading distributor of metalworking and other mission-critical industrial products, is pleased to announce the appointment of Todd Sanzone as general manager of BlackHawk Manufacturing effective immediately.

August construction spending up 7% YOY
Construction spending during August 2023 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,983.5 billion, 0.5% (±1.2%)* above the revised July estimate of $1,973.7 billion. The August figure is 7.4% (±1.8 percent) above the August 2022 estimate of $1,847.3 billion. During the first eight months of this year, construction spending amounted to $1,284.7 billion, 4.2% (±1.2 percent) above the $1,233.4 billion for the same period in 2022.

Manufacturing PMI at 49%, new orders, backlogs contracting
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in September for the 11th consecutive month following a 28-month period of growth, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

Singer Industrial acquires Capital Rubber & Gasket Co.
Singer Industrial announced on September 29 it acquired Capital Rubber & Gasket Co., headquartered in Sacramento, California. Capital Rubber & Gasket will operate within the Industrial Rubber division of Singer Industrial and, with this addition, will increase Singer Industrial’s North America footprint to approximately 90+ locations with over 1,300 employees.

Singer Industrial joins forces with TS Products
On Friday, September 29, 2023, Singer Industrial (formerly SBP Holdings) joined forces with TS Products, Inc., which will operate within the Dakota Fluid Power division of Singer Industrial.

BSA gives four Excellence Awards
Bearing Specialists Association announced the Annual BSA Excellence Awards for outstanding service by bearing distributors and bearing manufacturers to end-users. 

BSA, PTDA add five new categories for PIE Technology Platform
Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) and the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) announce the introduction of seals, linear bearings profile rail, bushings (hub fixing devices), chains and sprockets to the PIE Technology Platform (PIE).

White Cap expands South Central region with completed acquisition
White Cap has closed on its previously announced agreement to acquire BrownCo Manufacturing & Sales, a leading distributor of specialty concrete products for commercial and highway and bridge contractors across Oklahoma.