| Tuesday September 7, 2010 |
5 myths businesses must avoid to survive the recovery
Vivian Hairston Blade
Tuesday September 7, 2010
Recession plagued
At a recent stockholders meeting, the vice president of Sales for a global manufacturer, reported: “The economy has been tough on our industry. Sales volumes significantly declined and have not nearly returned ...
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Wire decking producers challenge ITC decision
Friday August 27, 2010
Domestic producers of wire decking filed an appeal today challenging the decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission that unfairly traded imports of wire decking from China were not injuring the U.S. decking industry. The appeal was filed ...
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MHIA to launch new event in 2012
Tuesday August 24, 2010
Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) announces the launch of its new event, MODEX 2012, to be held February 6-9, 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga.
“We are pleased to announce that MHIA will produce this exciting ...
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Are ineffective performance reviews hurting your company?
Jim Whitt
Tuesday August 17, 2010
On the list of things that are done for all the wrong reasons in organizations, performance reviews would have to rank near the top. They end up being “check the boxes” exercises that have little influence on performance because they take ...
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Voss Equipment – staying power
Mary Glindinning
Monday August 16, 2010
When you've been around for three-quarters of a century, you tend to take the long view.
"We survived all the ups and downs in the economy," said Peter Voss III, president of Voss Equipment. "You get a sense of history here."
There is a sense ...
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Thinking and questioning your way to sales success
Dave Kahle
Monday August 16, 2010
Excerpted from Chapter 17, "Question Your Way to Sales Success" For a sales professional, there are two basic sets of questions with which a dedicated salesperson should gain competence: Questions to ask prospects and customers; and questions to ...
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Prospecting for product support
John R. Walker
Monday August 16, 2010
Prospecting is the term we use to describe the activities that Product Support Sales Personnel and Sales Personnel use to identify potential new accounts. A prospect or a prospecting account is an account with which you are not doing business, or with ...
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No surprises, please.
Sid Scott
Monday August 16, 2010
As we are all aware, our business lives move at a very fast pace these days. Unfortunately, one of the fallouts from this rapid pace is good communication, and an important part of keeping people informed is not surprising them. I believe there are ...
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The status of financing today
Garry Bartecki
Monday August 16, 2010
Ask any banker if they are looking for business or finalizing any loan transactions and every last one of them will say, “We have money and we are looking to lend it out.” And that might be true in most cases, except for what they are not ...
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Hyster debuts new technical training, increases brand loyalty
Tuesday August 3, 2010
Barloworld Handling is one of the largest Hyster lift truck dealers with an authorized U.S. sales territory covering 8 Southeastern states. The company services its customers through 30 locations and approximately 800 employees, of which 50 percent ...
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Good Leaders = Good Actors
Tuesday July 27, 2010
On June 5, 1944, just hours before D-Day was to begin, General Dwight Eisenhower paid a visit to the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne. He walked among the men, shaking hands, patting them on their backs, cracking jokes and boosting morale. In his ...
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Marlin Steel announces biggest sheet metal order in company’s 42-year history
Tuesday July 20, 2010
Marlin Steel purchased the fastest Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication-Punching robot in the U.S. Punching at a speed of 900 strokes per minute while maintaining world-class quality of +/-0.004” (0.1mm) tolerance, Marlin Steel is now a dominant ...
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Decking Dispute-Down to the Wire
USITC rules against the U.S. Wire Decking Coalition in decking dispute
Mary Glindinning
Thursday July 15, 2010
Update: August 27, 2010
Domestic producers of wire decking filed an appeal today challenging the decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission that unfairly traded imports of wire decking from China were not injuring the U.S. ...
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Colson Caster — Celebrating 125 years
Mary Glindinning
Thursday July 15, 2010
Even in the digital age, the wheel still keeps the world rolling along.
"There is still that demand for non-powered type movement," said Don Laux, president and general manager of Colson Caster Corp. Celebrating its 125th year in business, Colson ...
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Decisions, decisions ... is there a better way?
Sid Scott
Thursday July 15, 2010
Someone once said that leadership/management is easy if you don't have to deal with people problems and if you can get someone else to make the tough decisions. True, but we wouldn't be considered leaders or managers if we didn't assume the accountability ...
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Do you struggle to retain your young salespeople beyond two years?
Robert W. Wendover
Thursday July 15, 2010
Kristy, a Gen X manager, runs a firm representing manufacturers who sell to the construction industry. She always employed long – time salespeople who, once they’ve learned the product lines, enjoyed a comfortable income and a secure job. ...
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Spread a little thin
Garry Bartecki
Thursday July 15, 2010
Are you feeling the same way I am? Stretched to the point where you start getting inefficient? I don’t know about you, but it is starting to get a little nuts when you have a hard time remembering what you have to do and where you left off on ...
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Varying schools of thought
John R. Walker
Thursday July 15, 2010
For years there have been varying schools of thought about the equipment dealers’ need for two sales forces within the dealership. These two parallel but separate sales forces are: 1) Equipment sales personnel and 2) Product Support sales personnel. ...
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Partnership reinvention with the distributor & manufacturer
Tuesday July 13, 2010
Distribution will always play a role in the supply channel. Manufacturers just can't do what distribution does effectively. But, distributors must recognize that change is upon them. They too must adjust to the evolution taking place in the supply chain. ...
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Laser Design saves Kimberly-Clark $500K
Tuesday July 6, 2010
Laser Design’s non-contact laser scanner and image analysis were used to save Kimberly-Clark millions of dollars.
Challenge
Determine if a capital investment in larger diameter embossing modules is needed instead of the current embosser. ...
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Cheetah Delivery reduces costs for Fidelitone
Tuesday June 29, 2010
Cheetah Software Services Inc. announced that Fidelitone Logistics has implemented the Cheetah Delivery solution for optimized route planning, dispatch automation and enhanced customer service. Fidelitone, an industry leader in 3PL and supply chain ...
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Pay attention to employees in recovering economy
Tuesday June 22, 2010
It’s always wise to pay attention to the needs, ideas, suggestions and communication of your employees. However, it is particularly critical to pay attention during a recovery period after coming out of a recession of the magnitude we have been ...
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Make your mark:
Servicing customers who have their own shops and technicians
John R. Walker
Tuesday June 15, 2010
Is there anyone out there who is not looking for both additional sales and profit? If you are looking, then ask yourself two questions:
1. Do I have customers out there who purchased equipment from my dealership and are going elsewhere for their ...
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Castell Interlocks relocates U.S. headquarters
Tuesday June 15, 2010
Effective June 7, 2010, industrial safety specialist Castell began operating from its new U.S. headquarters in Chicago, IL. Moving from Erlanger, KY to a more central location near a major transportation hub will allow the company to provide ...
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Looking toward the future after 50 years
Mary Glindinning
Tuesday June 15, 2010
Associated Material Handling Industries plans to celebrate its 50th year in business in 2010, but will spend more time thinking about the future than celebrating the past.
A series of events throughout the year will thank “customers, suppliers ...
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Adding value to every sales call
Dave Kahle
Tuesday June 15, 2010
Are you wasting your customers’ time?
In this pressurized, multi-tasking world, where your customers are expected to produce more in less time, they might be growing less eager to meet with you than they were just a year ago. Time is more precious ...
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Job applications, reference and background checks
Sid Scott
Tuesday June 15, 2010
Recently, I helped a client recruit for a key position, and I recalled writing this column several years ago. The advice contained still is very applicable – maybe even more so since so many are desperate to find work and might be fudging on their ...
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The recession is over
Garry Bartecki
Tuesday June 15, 2010
That’s what he said. Eli Lustgarten, that is. He appeared as he usually does at my annual CFO conference and told us what has been happening in the economy, the industry we work in and the industries directly related to ours.
For those of you ...
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JLG Industries receives $85.7 million order
Tuesday June 8, 2010
JLG Industries Inc. announced that it received an order to build 492 All Terrain Lifter Army System (ATLAS II) telescopic forklifts for the U.S. Army. The order has a value of $85.7 million, with units scheduled for delivery beginning in the ...
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Kaman & DeWALT distribution agreement
Tuesday May 25, 2010
Kaman Technologies Corporation announced a distribution agreement with DeWALT . Kaman will distribute DeWalt’s complete line of power tools and accessories to customers in the U.S. The addition of the DeWALT line is designed to enhance ...
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Sightlogix appoints Midstate Technology Options as its new rep
Tuesday May 18, 2010
SightLogix appointed Midstates Technology Options to represent SightLogix throughout Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Southern Illinois. The manufacturer's representative firm is headquartered in Olathe, KS (near Kansas City) and has a sales ...
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Are you providing managerial “ride-alongs”?
Robert W. Wendover
Monday May 17, 2010
Several years ago, I spent some time working with a large distribution firm. Many of the things that plagued their operation were misunderstandings between delivery drivers and warehouse crews. The crews would load the trailers overnight and the drivers ...
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Marlin Steel Wire brings it home
Mary Glindinning
Monday May 17, 2010
Drew Greenblatt gets a big kick out of the image of a worker in Taiwan opening a box stamped “Made in America.”
“How cool is that?” said the owner and president of Marlin Steel Wire Products, a Baltimore, Md., manufacturer ...
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Productivity up, employment down, loyalty unsure
Sid Scott
Monday May 17, 2010
We have been going through very interesting times for the past two plus years. Unemployment nationally is just under 10 percent (higher than that in some states), yet we keep getting reports that productivity (what it costs us to produce the work we ...
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What Next? (Part 2)
Garry Bartecki
Monday May 17, 2010
Who knows? With this economy, one day the recovery is moving ahead and the next day we are back in the dumps. All you know is that it’s really tough to manage in this situation, not knowing what step to take next.
We all agree the economy still ...
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Why do you have internal pricing?
John R. Walker
Monday May 17, 2010
I was introduced to Absorption Rate 36 years ago by an associate and good friend, who also happened to be an expert in the automotive and trucking aftermarket. I, in turn, began to pass this concept along to both dealers and manufacturers with whom ...
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First, the sales managers
Dave Kahle
Monday May 17, 2010
Now that the worst of the recession is behind us, it’s time to think about actually growing the business again. And that means investing in improving the sales force. Most astute principals and chief sales officers realize that in this very competitive ...
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Riekes Equipment and Bublitz Material Handling join forces
Tuesday May 11, 2010
Duncan Murphy, President of Riekes Equipment Co , and new President of Bublitz Material Handling announced the partnership of the two firms. The venture will combine the capital and strength of Riekes Equipment with the excellent reputation of BMH ...
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Masters Gallery Foods uses iWarehouse technology to improve its competitive edge and meet its goals as an industry leader.
Tuesday May 4, 2010
When a lift truck makes impact with a rack, there is the potential for damage to the lift truck, racking and products. Damage can be extremely costly and, if not repaired, may create hazards for equipment and personnel. Masters Gallery Foods has made ...
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Big Lift LLC and E-P Equipment USA launch a new line of equipment for sole distribution throughout North America
Tuesday April 27, 2010
Big Lift LLC and E-P Equipment USA have entered into a strategic partnership to exclusively distribute the Big Joe brand of forklifts throughout North America. In a statement, the companies say Big Lift LLC and E-P Equipment USA will consolidate sales ...
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Sulco Warehousing meets customers’ diverse needs with new logistics program
Tuesday April 20, 2010
Accellos , a leading provider of supply chain execution software solutions, has released a case study of its customer Sulco Warehousing and Logistics. The case study illustrates how the third-party logistics provider is able to manage the diverse needs ...
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Continental Tire North expands its tread
Mary Glindinning
Friday April 16, 2010
Tires are where the rubber meets the warehouse floor in material handling.
“Tires are perhaps the fastest wear item on a forklift, and unfortunately are considered a commodity to most,” said Phil Lannon, U.S. sales manager of industrial ...
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Go green ahead of the curve
Mary Glindinning
Friday April 16, 2010
Going green often saves green.
While being good stewards of the environment has its own rewards, there often are monetary benefits as well. This is how three companies found that going green helped both their companies and the environment at the ...
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Optimists understand opportunity!
John R. Walker
Friday April 16, 2010
According to Webster’s Dictionary an opportunity is, “A favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances, a chance for progress, profitability or advancement.”
I am, and always have been, an optimist. I have, ...
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Fast communication can be poor communication
Sid Scott
Friday April 16, 2010
Who would have imagined what communication would be like in 2010, even 20 years ago? The Internet, which has only been around for broad use since 1995 (thanks to Al Gore and many others), and satellite technology have made global connections faster ...
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Handling objections
Excerpted from Chapter 13 of “Take Your Performance Up a Notch”
Dave Kahle
Friday April 16, 2010
They don’t always say yes! That might be the very first thing you learn as a salesperson. As a matter of fact “No,” in all its various forms and expressions, might be the one word that salespeople most commonly hear. That’s ...
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The 31 percent solution
Garry Bartecki
Friday April 16, 2010
Last month I made reference to a comment from AlixPartners’ John Hoffecker during AED’s annual Summit Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Among the many comments John made from AlixPartners Heavy Equipment Study (see last month’s column) ...
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Lithotype Employs New State-of-the-art Enterprise Resource Planning Software System from Radius Solutions
Tuesday April 6, 2010
Radius Solutions Ltd. , the world’s largest Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider focused exclusively on the packaging and printing industry, announced that The Lithotype Company has implemented PECAS Vision ERP software across ...
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Clean for safety and profitability
Contributed by Nilfisk CFM and Occupational Health & Safety
Monday March 29, 2010
In recent years, an increased focus on safety and security has permeated almost every industry in the U.S. and abroad. Environmental concerns, economic competitiveness and technology have converged, causing industry and government to re-evaluate operating ...
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Manage the stress of business uncertainty with good equipment financing
Ralph Petta
Tuesday March 23, 2010
Businesses have been facing unprecedented challenges trying to stay afloat and operate in the worst economic conditions in most of our lifetimes. Weak consumer demand, decreasing inventory levels, aging equipment and tight credit markets have left many ...
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