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ASA Insights Newsletter - Legal Battle Lines Drawn Over Health Care Law

Jan 12, 2012

ASAEF Welcomes New Director of Professional Development
American Supply Association
The American Supply Association Education Foundation (ASAEF) has announced the hiring of Doug Dillon as Director of Professional Development. In this role, Dillon will be responsible for formalizing the new education and training advisory model for the Foundation, as well as overseeing the development and implementation of the Branch Manager Certification Program including the related content, requirements and assessments. More

First 2012 ASA Supplier Partnerships Announced
American Supply Association
ASA is proud to announce that four organizations that were cornerstone participants in the 2011 ASA Supplier Partnership program have reinvested for 2012. Partnering with ASA at the Platinum Level are the ASA Education Foundation, Bradford White, Kohler Company and Weldbend. Developed in 2010, the ASA Supplier Partnership was created as an alternative to a traditional sponsorship program. ASA Supplier Partnerships fund the association's year-round activities and programs to benefit ASA members and raise awareness among the industry at large. With their financial commitment, the Supplier Partner organization receives an extended return on investment as their support is now promoted through an entire calendar year and at all ASA-produced events. This sustained marketing and support effort is viewed as a win-win for both the Supplier Partner and the ASA. Please contact Ruth Mitchell for more information on the Supplier Partner program at ruth@asa.net.

Legal Battle Lines Drawn Over Health Care Law
American Supply Association
This spring the Obama administration will defend one of its key legislative accomplishments, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, in our nation's highest court. On Friday, the administration began its defense by filing a brief on one of the more controversial provisions in the law: the individual mandate. For three of the four cases dealing with this issue, Friday was the deadline to file opening briefs. The court will set aside three days of hearings in March. Until then, it is believed that a record number of "amicus," or "friend of the court briefs," will be filed in the meantime. More

2012 University of Industrial Distribution: Early-Bird Registration Deadline Tomorrow!
American Supply Association
Attention, all industrial distribution and manufacturing professionals committed to ongoing education and professional development: If you have not yet registered for the 2012 University of Industrial Distribution, NOW is the time. Save $200 in registration fees if you register by tomorrow, Friday the 13th! Held March 5-8 in Indianapolis, UID is a four-day institute that offers superb concentrated learning and excellent peer-to-peer networking. 2012 marks the 19th year that UID has been serving the distribution industry. Known worldwide for excellence in education, UID is sponsored by the leading industrial distribution professional associations in cooperation with the Industrial Distribution Program of Purdue University. Click HERE for more details!

ASA-Sponsored Warehouse Training Approaching — Register Today!
American Supply Association
Essentials of Profitable Warehouse Operations©, an ASA-sponsored training course offered through the Association Education Alliance, will take place in Tampa on Feb. 7, Miami on Feb. 21 and Orlando on Feb. 23. The course is geared toward warehouse employees, especially those on the supervisor track, and features instructor Jason Bader, managing partner of The Distribution Team Inc. Bader brings more than 20 years of experience in managing small and large distribution facilities, and emphasizes practical experience through all of his teaching. Participant registration deadlines are 10 days prior to each class, so please click here to register for any of these dates today. For full program details, including a complete schedule of cities and dates through June 2012, please click here.

Report: IRS Workload Cripples Agency
POLITICO
A sharp increase in the IRS's workload is causing a slew of problems for the agency, including delays in refunds to taxpayers and failure to identify fraudulent tax claims, a new report to Congress out Wednesday warns. "The overriding challenge facing the IRS is that its workload has grown significantly in recent years, while its funding is being cut," Nina E. Olson, the national taxpayer advocate, said in her annual report to lawmakers. "This is causing the IRS to resort to shortcuts that undermine fundamental taxpayer rights and harm taxpayers — and at the same time reduces the IRS's ability to deliver on its core mission of raising revenue." More

Copper Falls, Europe Debt Crisis Dims Demand Prospects
Reuters
Copper fell on Monday as markets feared that a solution to Europe's debt crisis remained out of reach, suggesting dim prospects for metals demand despite signs of improved growth in the United States, the world's largest economy. Other metals ended in positive territory, however. Aluminium was underpinned by production cutbacks, while zinc, lead and nickel were helped by the prospect of output reductions and the fact that prices are near production costs. More

Greater Skills Expected for Manufacturing Jobs
American Public Media
More than 2 million manufacturing jobs were lost during the recession. Companies have started hiring again — but they want workers who are more highly skilled than the ones they laid off. So they're turning to local vocational programs for help. Under the watchful eye of welding teacher Leo Suhre, students are cutting through sheets of metal at Richland Community College in Decatur, Ill. The school only has enough shop space for only 12 students at a time. But this year, there's been so much demand for welding courses, the college began offering classes overnight. More

ASA Insights is a weekly newsletter from the American Supply Association, providing information on ASA initiatives as well as items of interest to the PHCP and PVF industry. Columbia Pipe & Supply is a proud member of ASA and is pleased to share this information with you.

ASA Insights Newsletter - Year-End Legislative Victories for Small Business

Jan 6, 2012

ASA Members Focus of January Supply House Times Feature
American Supply Association
Beginning in the January 2012 issue of Supply House Times, the official publication of the American Supply Association, six prominent ASA wholesaler members will be featured in a two-part, in-depth look at the PHCP distribution industry. ASA and Supply House Times partnered to facilitate the panel during NetworkASA 2011 in Las Vegas in order to bring the industry valuable and relevant information to better prepare for the coming year. Participants were David Finkel (Davis & Warshow, Maspeth, N.Y.), Reggie Hickman (Brock-McVey, Lexington, Ky.), Patrick Hughes (Jabo Supply, Huntington, W.Va.), Joe Poehling (First Supply, Madison, Wis.), Rick Schwartz (WinWholesale, Dayton, Ohio) and John Strong (Economy Plumbing Supply, Indianapolis). The topics discussed ranged from company operations to the economy to health care reform. Visit http://www.supplyht.com later this month to view the first article of the two-part series.

ASA Applauds Pair of Year-End Legislative Victories for Small Businesses
American Supply Association
As 2011 closed, many issues remained unresolved, yet there were a few achievements worth noting. While one is an example of good government that ASA fought for, the other could be a potential windfall for industry jobs and lower energy costs in the Midwest. Unfortunately, however, a final outcome remains undetermined. More

ASA-Sponsored Warehouse Training Approaching — Register Today!
American Supply Association
Essentials of Profitable Warehouse Operations©, an ASA-sponsored training course offered through the Association Education Alliance, will take place in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, San Diego on Jan. 25, San Francisco on Feb. 7 and Phoenix on Feb. 9. The course is geared toward warehouse employees, especially those on the supervisor track, and features instructor Jason Bader, managing partner of The Distribution Team Inc. Bader brings more than 20 years of experience in managing small and large distribution facilities, and emphasizes practical experience through all of his teaching. Participant registration deadlines are 10 days prior to each class, so please click here to register for any of these dates today. For full program details, including a complete schedule of cities and dates through June 2012, please click here.

Building Optimism: American Manufacturing Re-Emerges in New Form
TriplePundit.com
American manufacturing once conjured images of sweaty workers in cavernous factories churning out steel beams and station wagons. By the middle of the 20th century, a deep sense of optimism and the possibility of a solidly middle-class life for workers accompanied these images. Today, manufacturing brings to mind offshore sweatshops and abandoned U.S. factories, and this trend shows no immediate signs of ending. However, there is reason to believe that American manufacturing is alive and growing, albeit in a new form. More

Copper Jumps as Output Data Boosts Demand Outlook
Bloomberg via Bloomberg Businessweek
Copper jumped to a three-week high in London on speculation increased manufacturing output from China to the U.S. may boost demand for industrial metals. More

Inventory Restocking to Propel US Manufacturing
Bloomberg via Bloomberg Businessweek
The need to rebuild depleted inventories may supersede spending on business equipment as the catalyst propelling gains in U.S. manufacturing in early 2012. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a measure of future corporate investment, dropped 1.2 percent in November, the biggest decline in 10 months, according to Commerce Department data Wednesday. A report Tuesday showed a gauge of stockpiles at factories customers slumped in December to a seven-month low. More

Gold Back Above $1,600 Mark as Dollar Slides
RTTNews.com via NASDAQ
Gold futures rallied to close above the $1,600 mark Tuesday, on a weaker dollar and higher oil prices. Gold for February delivery, the most actively traded contract, gained $33.70 or 2.2 percent to $1,600.50 an ounce, on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The precious metal closed Friday having gained 10 percent for the year, after six straight sessions of decline late December. The dollar index which tracks the U.S. unit against six major currencies, dropped to 79.553 from last week. The euro rose to $1.3070 from $1.3072 prior to the Fed minutes release and $1.2931 in late Monday trade in North America. More

ASA Materials Market Digest - January 2012

Jan 5, 2012

The ASA Materials Market Digest is designed to keep readers informed of important changes and recent trends in the areas of:

Carbon steel and stainless
Alloy steel and principal alloying metals
Non-ferrous metals and alloys (including copper)
Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap
Crude oil and natural gas
Resins
Paperboard

In each issue, a section is devoted to those materials where pricing or price-influencing action has taken place within the previous month. The Digest is prepared by Jim Olsztynski, former editor of the industry publication Supply House Times., economist and renowned industry icon, and supported by ASA's Vendor Member Division.

As a member of ASA, Columbia Pipe & Supply is pleased to be able to provide you access to this important information. Please click the following link to view the January 2012 issue:

ASA Materials Market Digest - December 2011

Dec 28, 2011

The ASA Materials Market Digest is designed to keep readers informed of important changes and recent trends in the areas of:

Carbon steel and stainless
Alloy steel and principal alloying metals
Non-ferrous metals and alloys (including copper)
Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap
Crude oil and natural gas
Resins
Paperboard

As a member of ASA, Columbia Pipe & Supply is pleased to be able to provide you access to this important information. Please click the following link to view the December 2011 issue:

ASA Insights Newsletter: Economy's Plight to Shape 2012 Presidential Race

Dec 28, 2011

NLRB Issues Final 'Ambush Elections' Rule; Christmas Arrives Early for Labor
American Supply Association
The National Labor Relations Board has published its final rule in Wednesday's Federal Register permitting what many in the business community have billed as "ambush elections." The rule is widely believed to lead to a radically skewed process for union representation elections — tilting the playing field strongly towards organized labor. The new rule effectively shortens election time frames, limiting employees' opportunity to hear from employers and make an informed choice and diminishing employers' due process. More

Survey: 85 Percent of Manufacturing Executives See Manufacturing Returning to US
Business Wire via MarketWatch
According to a survey conducted by Cook Associates Executive Search, 85 percent of manufacturing executives see the possibility of certain manufacturing operations returning to the U.S., with 37 percent citing overseas costs as the major factor. Nineteen percent cited logistics and 36 percent stipulated other reasons, including economic/political issues, quality and safety concerns, patriotism and overseas skills shortages for highly technical manufacturing processes. More

Economy's Plight to Shape 2012 Presidential Race
The Associated Press via Boston Globe
For the intertwined U.S. economy and presidential politics, it was a year of twists and unexpected turns. The wobbly economy framed the agenda for both parties, and how it performs in the coming months will help decide whether President Barack Obama wins a second term. An improved economy in 2012 could greatly enhance Obama's chances of re-election. If it stays about the same or worsens, his chances could fade, regardless of his GOP opponent. More

Heavy Metal is Back: The Best Cities For Manufacturing
Forbes
For a generation American manufacturing has been widely seen as a "declining sport." Yet, its demise has been largely overplayed. Despite the many jobs this sector has lost in the past generation, manufacturing remains remarkably resilient, with a global market share similar to that of the 1970s. More recently, the U.S. industrial base has been on a powerful upswing, with employment climbing steadily since 2009. Boosted by productivity gains and higher costs in competitors, including China, U.S. manufacturing exports have grown at their fastest rate since the late 1980s. In 2011 American manufacturing continued to expand, while Germany, Japan and Brazil all weakened in this vital sector. More

LME Preview: Copper Climbs on Shrinking Stockpiles, US Outlook
Bloomberg via Bloomberg Businessweek
Copper advanced, trimming weekly declines, as inventories monitored by the London Metal Exchange headed for an 11th weekly decline and better-than-expected U.S. jobless claims and manufacturing data boosted demand outlook. More

Manufacturing Can Thrive But Struggles For Respect
Reuters
On a quiet stretch of the waterfront, about a mile from Boston's main tourist sites, a Gillette factory hums along 24 hours a day making an unlikely commodity: top-of-the-line razors. The factory, which employs about 700 people in manufacturing as well as another 800 in design, engineering and management, is an anomaly in modern America — a manufacturing site in one of most expensive cities in the country. But to Gillette's parent company, Procter & Gamble, Boston is an ideal base not only for making Fusion and Mach 3 razors, but to produce machines that assemble Gillette products around the world. More

Happy Holidays from Columbia Pipe & Supply Co.

Dec 22, 2011

In this season of appreciation and giving, we extend our grateful thanks to the individuals and companies who contribute daily to the success and growth of Columbia Pipe & Supply, Co.

In recognition of these partnerships and in the spirit of our goal to deliver solutions, donations have been made throughout the year to these deserving organizations:

American Cancer Society

Alzheimer’s Association

The Children’s Miracle Network Hospital

Thank you for the role you play in making this support possible. Wishing you and yours every happiness through this holiday season and throughout the coming year.

THE ARENBERG FAMILY

COLUMBIA PIPE & SUPPLY CO.

ASA Insights Newsletter - ISM: US Manufacturing Sector Picks Up in November

Dec 9, 2011

Buzz Continues to Build in Northeast Region
American Supply Association
ASA's regional affiliate, the Wholesalers Association of the Northeast (WANE), continued to "build the buzz" this week with its second all-industry hospitality reception this fall. In mid-October, 40 people representing nearly 20 different companies met at Wollaston Golf Club outside of Boston. On Tuesday of this week, Bradford White sponsored a similar event at Overbrook Golf Club outside of Philadelphia in Villanova. Fifty people representing more than 20 wholesalers, manufacturers and independent manufacturer representatives attended. As was the case in October, a large number of emerging industry leaders were in attendance, making this another well-rounded and successful regional event. For further information on WANE initiatives and events, please contact ASA Executive Director Chris Murin.

Senate GOP Breathes New Life into Keystone XL Pipeline
American Supply Association
Last month, presumably to stave off election year discord between two of his core constituencies, labor and environmentalists, President Barack Obama postponed indefinitely the development of a major pipeline from Canada through the United States. The pipeline, known officially as Keystone XL, would transmit valuable Canadian tar sands south more than 2,500 miles to two terminals in Texas. You may recall that ASA supported this project and wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging its swift approval in October. More

Copper Slips as Germany Dampens EU Summit Hopes
Reuters
Copper slipped on Wednesday as market sentiment soured following pessimistic comments from a German official about the chances that an EU summit on Friday would solve a euro zone debt crisis that is crippling economic growth and denting metals demand. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange closed at $7,820 a tonne, down from Tuesday's close of $7,835. Copper was up about 1 percent earlier in the session as investors hoped that EU leaders, who will meet on Dec. 9, will take tougher measures to resolve the debt crisis. More

Speaker Boehner in Tax Vise
The Hill
Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, faces a critical test Thursday as he tries to sell a payroll tax holiday to GOP colleagues deeply divided by it. The unveiling of the leadership plan follows days of deliberation over how to rally conservatives to pass a bill that enacts President Barack Obama's top year-end priority. Pressure mounted Wednesday as Obama said he would postpone his planned 17-day holiday vacation to Hawaii until the payroll tax issue was decided. Republican leaders are separately using the Christmas countdown as leverage. More

Massachusetts Governor Launches Manufacturing Collaborative
Canton Patch
Gov. Deval Patrick has launched the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and released a new road map for manufacturing job growth in Massachusetts. "Our administration is committed to preparing students and workers to compete and win in the 21st century global economy," Patrick said. "The creation of the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and the release of this new road map will help us grow jobs and opportunities in the manufacturing sector." More

ISM: US Manufacturing Sector Picks Up in November
Reuters
The pace of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector picked up in November at its strongest level since June, and new orders rose, according to the Institute for Supply Management. ISM's index of national factory activity rose to 52.7 from 50.8 in October. The reading topped expectations of 51.5. New orders gained to 56.7, its highest level since April, from 52.4. But the employment gauge lost some steam, falling to 51.8 from 53.5. More

Gretchen Zierick: Are Women the Answer to Shortage of Skilled Workers in Manufacturing?
Manufacturing & Technology News
A recent study from the Manufacturing Institute reported that almost 80 percent of American manufacturers are reporting trouble filling open positions despite a national 9 percent unemployment rate in the United States. In addition, 25 percent of the current manufacturing work force is age 55 or older, with few young skilled workers available to replace them as these longtime employees near retirement. One way to address the lack of skilled workers would be to attract more women to manufacturing careers and mentor them so that they encourage other women to look at this sector for a career. More

ASA Insights Newsletter: Copper Rises Most in Five Weeks as Central Banks Boost Liquidity

Dec 2, 2011

ASA is Moving!
American Supply Association

During the week of December 19, 2011, the headquarters of the American Supply Association, the ASA Education Foundation, the Midwest Distributors Association (MwDA) and the Wholesalers Association of the North East (WANE) will be moving from the current location in Chicago's Merchandise Mart to the western Chicago suburb of Itasca. The new official address will be:

1200 N. Arlington Heights Road, Suite 150
Itasca, IL 60143

Please continue to use current telephone and fax numbers until otherwise notified. Updated contact information will be communicated after our move has been completed. We look forward to serving our membership and the industry from our new location in the new year!

ASA-Sponsored Warehouse Training Approaching — Register Today!
American Supply Association
Essentials of Profitable Warehouse Operations© an ASA-sponsored training course offered through the Association Education Alliance, will take place in Houston on Dec. 8 and in Dallas on Dec. 14. The course is geared toward warehouse employees, especially those on the supervisor track, and features instructor Jason Bader, managing partner of The Distribution Team Inc. Bader brings more than 20 years of experience in managing small and large distribution facilities, and emphasizes practical experience through all of his teaching. The registration deadline for the Houston and Dallas dates is tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 2. For full program details, including a complete schedule of cities and dates through June 2012, please click here.

Turmoil at NLRB Reaches its Boiling Point
American Supply Association
After months of partisan back and forth, the makeup of the five-member National Labor Relations Board could soon be down to two, taking away its ability to continue issuing rules many believe are tilted heavily in favor of labor's interest and against employers. A heated dispute has erupted in wake of the board's announcement that it will meet this week to vote on a streamlined version of the proposed "ambush elections" rule. NLRB Member Brian Hayes, the board's lone Republican, sent a letter to House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline about the NLRB's failure to follow normal procedures for the rule making and misleading Kline about the timeline for the rule. More

Register Early for 2012 University of Industrial Distribution: Space is Filling Quickly!
American Supply Association
Attention, all industrial distribution and manufacturing professionals committed to ongoing education and professional development: Registrations are now being accepted for the 2012 University of Industrial Distribution. Held March 5-8 in Indianapolis, UID is a four-day institute that offers superb concentrated learning and excellent peer-to-peer networking. 2012 marks the 19th year that UID has been serving the distribution industry. Known worldwide for excellence in education, UID is sponsored by the leading industrial distribution professional associations in cooperation with the Industrial Distribution Program of Purdue University. The program provides an excellent opportunity to align the development plans for your management and management candidates with excellent learning opportunities. There is limited enrollment and space fills quickly so register early! Click HERE to learn more!

Copper Rises Most in Five Weeks as Central Banks Boost Liquidity
Bloomberg
Copper rose the most in five weeks after central banks from the U.S. to China moved to ease strains in financial markets and spur growth. The Federal Reserve and five other central banks agreed to cut the cost of emergency funding for banks in Europe as part of a global effort to stem the region's debt crisis. Separately, China cut the amount of cash that lenders must set aside as reserves for the first time since 2008. The coordinated efforts among central banks "along with the Chinese reserve cut are the obvious short-term drivers," James Dailey, who manages $215 million at TEAM Financial Management LLC in Harrisburg, Pa., said in an email. More

ADP: Manufacturing Employment Increases by 7,000 in November
Shopfloor
Manufacturing employment rose by 7,000 in November, its first increase since June, according to Automated Data Processing data. Total nonfarm payrolls increased by 206,000. This was the largest jump of the year, followed closely by the increases in February and March of 205,000 and 203,000, respectively. November's gains came almost entirely from the service sector, which grew by 178,000 net new jobs. In addition, small and medium-sized payrolls (i.e., those with less than 500 employees) accounted for the bulk of the net new jobs, continuing a familiar trend. More

Copper, Gold Mine Project in Peru Suspended in Face of Protests
Los Angeles Times
Faced with increasingly violent local opposition, the developers of the giant Conga gold and copper mine in northern Peru suspended the project late Tuesday night, saying they were bowing to a demand from the government of President Ollanta Humala. Much of the northern district of Cajamarca has been paralyzed the last six days by general strikes called by Conga opponents that closed businesses and schools. Residents were concerned that the massive gold and copper mine could pollute the region's water supply, a charge the mine's operators, led by Colorado-based Newmont Mining, strenuously denied. More

ASA Insights Newsletter - Supercommittee Meltdown: Behind the Scenes

Nov 29, 2011

MwDA Meeting Spotlights World's 9th Wonder!
American Supply Association

Persons attending the 2011 Annual Meeting & Dinner of the Midwest Distributors Association witnessed what might be considered a wonder of the modern world — an economist who doesn't mince words! That was dinner speaker Paul Kasriel, senior vice president and chief economist for Northern Trust, whose 2008 economic forecast was cited by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top five in an annual survey of economists. In 2009 he was credited by WSJ as one of the few who identified the housing bubble forming early on and the ensuing financial market havoc when the bubble burst. More

Business Group Tees Up 2012 Fight Over Healthcare
American Supply Association A new report released by the National Federation of Independent Business's (NFIB) Research Foundation tells us what many have already suspected. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) raises costs and uncertainty for small- and medium-sized businesses. Among many unsettling provisions is the Health Insurance Tax (HIT) included in the overhaul that was signed into law last year and goes into effect in 2014. If implemented, the HIT will raise a total of $87 billion in the first ten years and $208 billion in the second ten years. More

Supercommittee Meltdown: Behind the Scenes
Politico
Chances to reach a deal by the moribund supercommittee fell to two of the most important men on Capitol Hill not elected to Congress — David Krone and Barry Jackson. Krone, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) chief of staff, and Jackson, the top aide to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), had been quietly deputized to find a last-ditch deal and avert yet another failure of Congress's own making. Both had been here before — they were instrumental in preventing the government from shutting down this spring and raising the national debt ceiling this summer. More

Failure to Mitigate Supply Chain Risk to Cost Companies Billions in 2012
Procurement Leaders Network
Chief procurement officers at the world's largest companies predict their businesses, unable to manage the range of risks affecting their global supply chains, will lose more than $222 million each, on average, over the next 12 months as a result of supply chain disruptions, according to a recent report. Commodity volatility, adverse weather conditions and a range of other threats featured heavily in 2011 and, despite the measures taken to combat these events, the sentiment among procurement executives is that 2012 could prove to be another costly year. More

Supply Chain Management Risk 2.0
Supply Chain Digital
Ten years ago, an organization could expect to identify its suppliers and have a general understanding of where they operated. These days a company's suppliers regularly move materials and goods around the globe across dozens of trade lanes, with each supplier maintaining its own supply network. It all adds up to organizations having less visibility into their full supply profile at a time when disruptions — and their impacts — are growing. Effective supply chain management in this global economy requires an approach that encompasses more than just-in-time delivery and insurance against damages. More

Tomorrow's Supply Chain Leaders — Do They Know the Fundamentals?
The 21st Century Supply Chain
Many of the current supply chain managers are transplants from other parts of their companies, with no formal schooling in the discipline. So what are the potential risks of filling these roles with managers from other parts of the business? To understand the potential risks, one must understand the key ingredients which make C-level supply chain executives successful. More

ASA Insights Newsletter - ASA Members Creating Jobs in America

Nov 21, 2011

ASA Members Creating Jobs in America
American Supply Association
American Supply Association members' October 2011 financial report shows that they have been hiring for the twelfth consecutive month, as their full time equivalent employee count is larger than a year ago in all levels. This is especially true for larger distributors, specifically within the industrial PVF sector. Also very importantly, the driver of this has been improved profitability as compared to 2010. These increased profits are driven by one and one half years of continued revenue growth. More

Obama Administration Diminishes Trade Associations, ASA Responds
American Supply Association
This fall, during NetworkASA 2011, the Office of Government Ethics issued a proposal designed to limit the trade association community's interaction with the executive branch. Specifically, the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) asserts that trade associations "may sponsor educational activities for their members and even the public, but the primary concern of such associations generally is not the education and development of members of a profession or discipline ..." ASA and more than 400 groups took issue with this premise and challenged the administration to explain how it is that organizations such as institutions of higher learning, scientific organizations, nonprofit professional associations and learned societies receive an exemption from these proposed rule changes, but trade associations do not. More

CFO Networking Council Continues to Build Momentum
American Supply Association
The ASA CFO Networking Council continues going strong with its second networking session this year. This week, members representing 11 different companies met in Chicago for a peer roundtable discussion on industry topics ranging from business metrics and budgeting to ESOPS and fraud. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2012, also in Chicago. All member manufacturers and distributors involved in the financial divisions of their respective organizations are invited to participate. Please contact Margaret Bean, CFO Networking Council staff liaison, for more information.

Copper Futures Trim Losses After Italian, Spanish Yields Drop
CNBC-TV
Copper futures trimmed losses, bouncing off a four-day low as a drop in Italian and Spanish bond yields helped boost market sentiment. On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for December delivery traded at USD3.473 a pound during European morning trade, shedding 0.8%. It earlier tumbled by as much as 1.9% to trade at USD3.431 a pound, the lowest price since November 11. More

Manufacturers Wrap Up Sustainable Packaging
Procurement Leaders Network
Global consumption of sustainable packaging is registering "impressive" growth, according to market watchers. The sector has been largely immune to the economic downturn, reveals a new report. The study notes that Europe and the U.S. represent the largest regions for sustainable packaging, together accounting for more than 70 percent of the global market. More

Spate of Disasters Exposes Supply Chain Weakness
Reuters via Insurance Journal
A string of natural disasters has exposed a vulnerability in global supply chains: How do you set up a network that is compact enough to be efficient but spread widely enough that no single unexpected event can knock it out? Business leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings said the disasters forced them to rethink the wisdom of relying on a limited number of vendors or locations. APEC members agreed recently to develop public-private partnerships by 2012's summit so they can respond more effectively when disasters strike. More

ASA Insights Weekly Newsletter: Beware of Risk at Lower-Tier Suppliers

Nov 11, 2011

A-D Presents Spirit of Independence Awards to ASA Members
American Supply Association
This week, staff members representing ASA and the ASA Education Foundation traveled back to Las Vegas to attend the 2011 Affiliated Distributors PHCP North American Meeting. "ASA enjoys a strong partnership with Affiliated Distributors, and this meeting is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase the association's accomplishments and new initiatives to more than 100 wholesalers in just a few days," said Michael Adelizzi, ASA's Executive Vice President. ASA would also like to extend its congratulations to its members who are Affiliated Distributors affiliates and suppliers that received 2011 A-D Spirit of Independence awards this week, including Elkay, First Supply, Milwaukee Valve, Mueller Industries, Murray Supply, NIBCO, Puget Sound Pipe & Supply and Wool Supply. Congratulations to all on the well-deserved recognition.

Momentum Continues to Build in Northeast Region
American Supply Association
ASA's regional affiliate, the Wholesalers Association of the Northeast, continues to build momentum with two all-industry hospitality receptions this fall. In mid-October, 40 people representing nearly 20 different companies met at Wollaston Golf Club outside of Boston. The next reception, sponsored by Bradford White, is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Overbrook Golf Club outside of Philadelphia in Villanova. All wholesalers, manufacturers and independent manufacturer representatives from throughout the Northeast, especially the Mid-Atlantic, are invited to attend. The reception will be from 5-7 p.m., and hors d'oeuvres and drinks are complimentary; RSVP is requested. Please contact Chris Murin for more information.

MwDA and CFO's Meet in Chicago Next Week
American Supply Association
The 2011 Midwest Distributors Association Annual Meeting & Dinner will be held this Monday, Nov. 14, at Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse in downtown Chicago. On the program for the event is Paul Kasriel, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist for Northern Trust. Kasriel will share his perspective on how businesses and industries, particularly those involved in manufacturing and construction, might look into the future and navigate barriers to access capital and get it moving through the economy once again. Please click here for more information and to register for next week's event. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, ASA will be conducting a meeting of its CFO Networking Council at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Chicago. CFOs are invited to join their peers in specific discussions involving the annual budgeting process, financial metrics and in case studies involving fraud and embezzlement. Please click here for last minute registration information.

House Majority Releases 'Discussion Draft' of Comprehensive Tax Reform
American Supply Association
Recently, the Committee on Ways and Means, led by Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) released its plan for reforming our nation's tax code. The reforms, if passed into law, would realign our tax code to be more favorable to American businesses and create much needed certainty. It would lead to a shift from a "worldwide" system of taxation — which double taxes American companies when they attempt to compete with foreign companies in overseas markets — to a more competitive, "territorial" tax system that puts our companies on a level playing field with foreign competitors. More

ASA Sponsored Warehouse Training Offered in Texas in December
American Supply Association
Essentials of Profitable Warehouse Operations© an ASA-sponsored training course offered through the Association Education Alliance, will take place in Houston, TX on Dec. 8 and in Dallas, TX on Dec. 14. The course is geared toward warehouse employees, especially those on the supervisor track, and features instructor Jason Bader, managing partner of The Distribution Team, Inc. Bader brings over 20 years of experience in managing small and large distribution facilities, and emphasizes practical experience through all of his teaching. Registration deadline for both events is Friday, Dec. 2. For full program details, please click here.

Odds Stack Up Against Supercommittee
Politico
After months of posturing by House and Senate leaders in both parties that "failure is not an option" for the deficit supercommittee, that's exactly what the panel faces unless some major concessions are made soon. Negotiators on the panel remain trillions of dollars apart just two weeks from the Nov. 23 deadline imposed by the summer debt-limit agreement, separated by hundreds of billions of dollars in tax revenues and far from a deal on entitlement programs. Now the parties are beginning to rev up their PR machines to deflect blame for a potentially historic failure. More

Manufacturing Growth Slowed Slightly in October
The Associated Press via Bloomberg Businessweek
Manufacturing growth slowed in October from September, a troubling sign that factories are struggling in the weak economy. The Institute for Supply Management says its manufacturing index dropped to 50.8, down from 51.6 in September. Measures of production and exports fell and a gauge of employment dipped. On a positive note, survey respondents say raw materials prices fell sharply. More

Copper Recovers Late as Greece Softens Stance
Reuters
Copper edged up in choppy trade on hopes Greece will abandon plans to hold a referendum over a euro zone debt bailout and after a surprise rate cut from the European Central Bank instilled greater confidence. Copper recovered from earlier losses and pushed into positive territory late alongside a stronger rally in global equities, as risk sentiment improved after the ECB rate cut and upbeat U.S. data suggested there has been a modest improvement in the labor market. More

Beware of Risk at Lower-Tier Suppliers
Supply Management
More than a third of supply chain disruptions are the result of problems with indirect suppliers, research has found. A global survey found 85 percent of companies suffered at least one disruption in their supply chain. The report indicated a growing need for procurement departments to increase focus on subcontractors to main suppliers with 40 percent of all disruptions resulting from issues below immediate vendors. More

ASA Materials Market Digest - November 2011

Nov 9, 2011

The ASA Materials Market Digest is designed to keep readers informed of important changes and recent trends in the areas of:

Carbon steel and stainless
Alloy steel and principal alloying metals
Non-ferrous metals and alloys (including copper)
Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap
Crude oil and natural gas
Resins
Paperboard

As a member of ASA, Columbia Pipe & Supply is pleased to be able to provide you access to this important information. Please click the following link to view the November 2011 issue:

ASA Insights Newsletter - Corporate Tax Reform Should Not Leave Small Businesses Behind

Oct 21, 2011

MwDA Annual Meeting Nov. 14
American Supply Association
The 2011 Midwest Distributors Association Annual Meeting & Dinner will be held Monday, Nov. 14, at Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse in downtown Chicago. On the program for the event is Paul Kasriel, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist for Northern Trust. Kasriel will share his perspective on how businesses and industries, particularly those involved in manufacturing and construction, might look into the future and navigate barriers to access capital and get it moving through the economy once again. Please click here for more event details. As an added bonus for CFOs and controllers attending the MwDA event, ASA also will be conducting a meeting of its CFO Networking Council on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Chicago. Please see the CFO Networking Council event reminder below for more information.

CFO Networking Council Event Nov. 15 in Chicago
American Supply Association
ASA will be conducting a CFO Networking Council event from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Chicago. CFOs are welcome to attend the event not only for networking value, but also to lend their experience to their industry peers and learn at the same time. Topics and issues to be discussed include: annual budgets, financial metrics (both tracking and presentation) and cases of fraud and embezzlement. Please click here for more details.

Corporate Tax Reform Should Not Leave Small Businesses Behind
American Supply Association
With fiscal and tax reform activity gearing up in Washington, advocates of America's small businesses are arguing for our distinct needs as well. Specifically, the distinction of being an S corporation or a "pass-through" entity, affecting hundreds of ASA members, is preserved. Millions of small businesses across the country are organized such that profits are distributed to individual owners or partners, who are then taxed as individuals. Lowering the 35 percent corporate tax rate and eliminating industry-specific tax breaks without also lowering the 35 percent top individual tax rate could hurt these companies. S corporations are the most popular corporate structure in America today. More

Energy Independence Means Jobs, Security and Economic Recovery
American Supply Association
A national dispute has long been simmering over the development of a pipeline from Canada to Texas carrying crude oil, specifically oil sands, for refining. This looming decision finds traditional allies joining together to get this project across the finish line. Because this crosses an international border, the decision and due diligence is being managed by the Department of State. Last week, ASA wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in support of this project. More

Americans Continue to Value Strong Manufacturing Sector
@Risk
Despite the economic roller coaster of the past few years — or perhaps because of it — Americans continue to value a strong manufacturing sector. The third annual Public Viewpoint on Manufacturing survey, recently released by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, found once again that the vast majority of those polled consider America's manufacturing base "important" or "very important" to their standard of living. The research, which included a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans in August across all 50 states, indicates a consistently high regard for manufacturing, both in terms of its role in the U.S. economy and our global standing, as well as in terms of its importance in job creation. More

US Manufacturers Face 20 Percent Cost Disadvantage
Material Handling & Logistics
U.S. manufacturers face a significant disadvantage in doing business in the United States compared to global competitors, according to a new study conducted by The Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI and The Manufacturing Institute. The 2011 Structural Costs of Manufacturing in the United States report, which compares the structural costs of manufacturing in the United States to those of its nine largest trading partners (Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom), reveals that U.S. manufacturers face a 20 percent structural cost disadvantage in the global market compared to manufacturers in those countries, up from 17.6 percent in 2008. More

Is US Manufacturing Making a Comeback?
Harvard Business Review
A resurgence of U.S. manufacturing seems to be in the offing. With production costs rising in China, some companies are bringing their manufacturing back to the U.S. While it still makes sense to manufacture in China for the booming local market, producing goods in China for the U.S. market is no longer a no-brainer. Made in the USA, some companies are finding, could be a better option. That's partly confirmed by the data: The Institute for Supply Management recently reported that U.S. manufacturing had expanded for 24 consecutive months. Likewise, the Federal Reserve reported a 0.6 percent increase in manufacturing in July 2011, with a year-on-year gain of 3.8 percent. More

ASA Materials Market Digest - October 2011

Oct 5, 2011

The ASA Materials Market Digest is designed to keep readers informed of important changes and recent trends in the areas of:

Carbon steel and stainless
Alloy steel and principal alloying metals
Non-ferrous metals and alloys (including copper)
Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap
Crude oil and natural gas
Resins
Paperboard

As a member of ASA, Columbia Pipe & Supply is pleased to be able to provide you access to this important information. Please click the following link to view the October 2011 issue:

ASA Insights Weekly Newsletter: Join the Fight Against the Employer Mandate

Jul 15, 2011

CFO Networking Council Members Wanted
American Supply Association
ASA's Networking Councils are designed to put member company employees in touch with others from around the industry who hold the same job function and who experience similar challenges and successes. This professional peer network is an invaluable member resource. Networking Council meetings are designed to focus on high priority issues. The newly formed CFO Networking Council will be meeting Sept. 15 at NetworkASA 2011, and currently is welcoming participation from interested participants. Please click here for a letter of invitation from Domenic Messina, CFO of Peabody Supply Co. Inc.

Fox News' Chris Wallace to be Featured at NetworkASA 2011
American Supply Association
The featured speaker for NetworkASA 2011's A.O. Smith Future Trends Luncheon, to be held at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 15, is Fox News' Chris Wallace. Wallace is a veteran broadcast journalist and host of Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, the network's Sunday morning public affairs program. Prior to Fox, Wallace worked at ABC News for 15 years, where he served as the chief correspondent for Primetime Thursday and as a substitute host for Nightline. Before ABC News, Wallace served as chief White House correspondent with NBC News from 1982-1989. In 2004, Wallace wrote Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage, widely touted as an informative study of American presidential leadership. During the A.O. Smith Future Trends Luncheon, Wallace will discuss what the future holds for our industry, for public policy and for your business. For a full lineup of NetworkASA 2011 speakers, a schedule of events and online registration info, click here.

Join the Fight Against the Employer Mandate
American Supply Association
ASA continues to work with business groups in Washington to push members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 1744, the bill that would repeal the one-size-fits-all Employer Mandate in the Affordable Care Act. Starting in 2014, a business with 50 or more full-time "equivalent" employees must provide employer-sponsored health insurance or pay large fines (about $2,000 per employee). According to the mandate, health insurance must be government-approved. This includes coverage of a broad range of benefits chosen by Washington bureaucrats, but paid for by employers.More

LIFO Coalition Continues Battle
The New York Times
One of the biggest revenue-raisers proposed by President Barack Obama in negotiations with Congress is what he describes as an arcane change in the tax treatment of business inventories — things like steel, groceries and oil. But however complex the details, the effect of the change would be substantial, and in pushing for it Obama has kicked a hornet's nest. Lobbyists from companies of all sizes are swarming around Congress to kill the proposal, which would prohibit the use of an accounting technique known as last in, first out, or LIFO. The technique is used to determine the cost of goods sold, and therefore the income earned, by a company.More

Rockefeller Introduces Advanced Manufacturing Bill
IndustryWeek
Sen. Jay Rockefeller is the latest Washington politician to push "advanced manufacturing" as a national priority. The West Virginia Democrat introduced a bill in Senate on July 8 to train workers in new and emerging manufacturing fields. Rockefeller's High-Tech Job Opportunities Between our Shores Act, or High-Tech JOBS Act, would create pilot programs for educational institutions and workforce investment boards to partner with manufacturers and train workers for advanced-manufacturing careers. Programs under the JOBS Act would be required to target communities with existing or expected advanced-manufacturing growth; provide transferable manufacturing credentials and give priority to jobless, dislocated or incumbent manufacturing workers. More

Base Metals: NY Copper Slides As Jobs Report Hits Demand View
Dow Jones Newswires
Copper futures slid July 8 after data showed the U.S. labor market remains weak, weighing on the economic outlook for the world's second-largest consumer of the industrial metal. The most actively traded contract, for September delivery, recently traded 4.4 cents, or 1 percent, lower, at $4.398 a pound on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. A Labor Department report July 8 showed the U.S. economy added 18,000 jobs last month, well short of the expected increase of 125,000. The unemployment rate, calculated from a separate household survey, rose for a third straight month, to 9.2 percent. Copper is sensitive to the economic outlook because of its widespread uses in manufacturing and construction. More

Manufacturing Energy Efficiency: A DOE Target
EarthTechling
Susan DeFreitas writes, "A whole lot of energy is currently being lost due to inefficient manufacturing processes in the U.S. President Obama would apparently like to change that, as he recently announced a new program through the U.S. Department of Energy designed to develop transformational manufacturing technologies and innovative materials that could give industrial facilities the power to dramatically increase their energy efficiency. This new Advanced Manufacturing Partnership will make up to $120 million in DOE funding available over three years to projects from the very earliest stages to those nearing completion." More

ASA Insights Weekly Newsletter: How to Train US Workers Back Into Manufacturing Jobs

Jul 8, 2011

NetworkASA 2011 Hotel Rooms Going Fast — Book Now!
American Supply Association
NetworkASA 2011: ALL IN – Cashing in on the Recovery, to be held Sept. 13-16 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, is now just 10 weeks away. Conference registrations are rapidly exceeding last year's pace, and the ASA room block is selling out quickly! The last day that reservations will be accepted at the ASA discounted group rate, based on availability, will be Wednesday, Aug. 10. To secure your room for the event, click here or call the Bellagio reservation line at 888-987-6667. Be sure to reference American Supply Association to receive the discounted rate. Complete program details, a schedule of events and online event registration can be accessed by clicking here. Also, please feel free to contact ASA headquarters at 312-464-0090 for more information.

ASA Legislative Fly-In Featured in Supply House Times
American Supply Association
On May 3-4 of this year, more than 30 ASA members came together for the association's annual Legislative Fly-In in Washington, D.C. ASA's member-advocates met personally with members of Congress who sit on influential committees such as Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce. ASA's Government and Public Affairs Committee also used this opportunity to meet face to face to discuss our association's legislative priorities along with strategies for building upon the ASA PAC, our association's Political Action Committee. The event was recently featured as a pictorial in ASA News in the June issue of Supply House Times, and can be accessed by clicking here. Contact Dan Hilton, ASA Director of Government Affairs at 703-328-5234 for more information on getting involved with ASA's Government Affairs program.

Copper Ends Up; Extends Rally Into Sixth Day
Reuters
Copper closed up for a sixth straight day July 5, charging to its loftiest in more than two months, as supply threats in Chile and upbeat U.S. data added fuel to the rally. The near 1 percent gain in the copper price bucked the typical bearish impact of a stronger dollar, macro-economic jitters surrounding Europe's debt crisis and potential monetary tightening in top-buyer China. Perceptions of a tighter supply base and resurgent global demand in the second half of the year continued to steer sentiment.More

How to Train US Workers Back Into Manufacturing Jobs
CNNMoney
When machine shops were in almost every American high school, students could learn the mechanical basics that could prepare them for an entry-level manufacturing job. Applicants today, manufacturers complain, often do not have such elementary shop skills, let alone the computer skills and other knowledge required for more complicated and sophisticated manufacturing processes. And, some acknowledge, manufacturing needs to overcome its down-market image as menial and monotonous work.More

Manufacturing Activity Grew Faster in June
The Associated Press via MSN Money
U.S. manufacturing activity recovered somewhat in June from a sharp slowdown in May, a private trade group said. There were more new orders for goods and employment picked up last month. But the index remains markedly lower than it was earlier this year, suggesting that the recovery is weak. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said that its index of manufacturing activity rose to 55.3 in June from 53.5 in May, the slowest growth in 20 months. A reading above 50 indicates that the manufacturing sector is expanding. The June increase surprised economists who had been expecting, on average, a further decline to 52, according to a survey by FactSet. More

ASA Insights Weekly Newsletter: Administration has LIFO in its Sights, Contact White House Today

Jul 1, 2011

Administration Has LIFO in its Sights: Contact White House Today
American Supply Association
Included in President Barack Obama's latest tax plan is a proposal to end a business accounting method believed to be worth $72 billion. This is expected to be among the sticking points he will face after meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in an effort to revive bipartisan talks over reducing the debt. Taking away last-in-first-out, or LIFO, a method of accounting used by more than 36 percent of American businesses for inventory costs, was among options put forward by White House officials for raising $400 billion in revenue over 10 years during the recently stalled negotiations led by Vice President Joe Biden. More

SWA Members Succeed by Choice Not by Chance
American Supply Association
This week, the Southern Wholesalers Association, which represents Region 6 of ASA, held a very successful 83rd annual convention in Hilton Head, S.C. In addition to 35 wholesaler firms being represented, sponsorship contributions from manufacturers were at the highest level in 10 years. Program highlights included a keynote address and extended industry forum with David Kohler, president of Kohler Co., remarks from both Bill Kenny and Reggie Hickman, the presidents of ASA and SWA, respectively, and best practice round-table sessions focused on sales, marketing, purchasing and vendor relations. According to Chris Murin, ASA's executive director and a first-time attendee at the event, "The energy and camaraderie I felt among all those in attendance was refreshing and encouraging, especially in light of ongoing economic and political circumstances." Next year, SWA will hold its 84th annual convention in Panama City, Fla.More

ASA Legislative Fly-in Speaker Offers Commentary on Washington Tax Debate
American Supply Association/Investor's Business Daily
Last week, 2011 ASA Legislative Fly-in speaker James Carter took to the pages of Investor's Business Daily to ask a fundamental question: "Just what is a tax increase?" Blurring the line between humor and cynicism, Groucho Marx famously declared: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them ... well, I have others." Indeed, Marx's quip reflects what many Americans have come to expect from their political leaders. But even when America's leaders try to act according to principle, decades of political spin and "Washington-speak" make doing so difficult. Consider the problem facing House Republicans. With the federal government bumping up against its debt limit, Republicans are demanding that any increase in the limit be paired with equally large spending cuts. As a matter of principle, they have ruled out raising taxes. This elicits the nettlesome question, "What constitutes a tax increase?"More

ASA Networking Councils on the Move
American Supply Association
Peer-to-peer networking is a key factor in staying current with industry trends. It is also a valuable resource when you are faced with challenges and need a creative solution. ASA's Networking Councils are designed with these important concepts in mind. Our Warehouse & Operations, Trainers, CFOs and Showroom Manager Councils are comprised of representatives from a wide variety of distributor and manufacturer member companies from across the United States. Each of these councils is having a face-to-face meeting during NetworkASA 2011, Sept. 13-16 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, to not only network but also to help develop educational tools and resources for these areas of the industry. Don't miss this invaluable opportunity to network with your fellow industry professionals! This week we highlight the Warehouse & Operations Council, which will be developing a Best Practices Manual as part of their face-to-face meeting Thursday, Sept. 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We need your input to help bring this industry resource to fruition. Please click here or call 312-464-0090, ext. 210, to contact Ruth Mitchell at ASA for more details.

US Industrial Production Rises Less Than Forecast on Drop in Utilities
Bloomberg
Industrial production in the U.S. rose less than forecast in May, restrained by a slump in utility output and shortages of auto parts from Japan. Output at factories, mines and utilities rose 0.1 percent after no change the prior month, figures from the Federal Reserve showed. Economists projected a 0.2 percent gain, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. Factory production climbed 0.4 percent, led by the biggest gain in business equipment output in four months. Manufacturing may pick up in coming months as disruptions of parts supplies ease after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Overseas demand and business spending also may spur sales of U.S.-made equipment and technology, helping bolster the industry that's been a mainstay of the recovery. More

Obama: We Need More Manufacturing Jobs
NPR
President Barack Obama was in Pittsburgh on June 24 to highlight American manufacturing, which he hopes to boost with a series of appearances and a program called the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership. Coming from the industrial Midwest, Obama knows the value of factory jobs. From his first days in office, he's been talking about lighting a fire under the nation's factory boilers. "One of the changes, and I'm going to be talking about this in the coming weeks, is I'd like to once again see our best and brightest commit themselves to making things," he said at Georgetown University in the spring of 2009. The president's keen interest in making things is more than just smokestack nostalgia. Economist Jared Bernstein, who until recently led the administration's Middle Class Task Force, notes that pay and benefits in factory jobs average 20 percent higher than those in the service sector. More

US Steel Up 5.6 Percent in May
The Journal of Commerce
U.S. steel imports increased by 5.6 percent in May. "The increase in imports in May reflected improved steel market conditions, principally in the flat rolled market, as semi-finished imports by domestic mills jumped by 38 percent in response," said David Phelps, president of the American Institute for Imported Steel. He said finished imports declined in May. More

Copper Price Increases on Euro Assurances
The Street
Copper futures were drifting slightly higher June 21 ahead of an expected vote of confidence in Greece later in the afternoon. The stock market opened in positive territory on hopes that Greece would pass through new austerity measures. Fading fears of a global domino effect from the euro fiscal crisis are helping to buoy copper prices. "There are risks on the horizon," said independent copper trader Eric Zuccarelli. But, "as uncertainty in Greece gets taken out of the marketplace," he explained, "trends in copper will shape up even more toward the positive." Goldman Sachs has projected a 12-month London Metals Exchange copper price forecast of $11,000 per ton. More

ASA Insight Weekly Newsletter - Bernake May Prolong Record Stimulus

Jun 24, 2011

A Busy Spring for ASA
American Supply Association

This spring, four of the American Supply Association's independent regional affiliates and two of its divisions have hosted conventions and conferences, with one more event to take place next week. All of these programs have represented outstanding educational and networking opportunities for local wholesalers, manufacturers, service vendors and independent manufacturer reps. More

Central Chiller Plant Courses in the Works from ASAEF
American Supply Association
Newest 3D Schematic Training Set to Debut Later This Year
The ASA Education Foundation currently is developing a new online interactive training program called the 3D Commercial Schematic©. Building upon the success of the popular 3D Residential Schematic©, the 3D Commercial Schematic© has been designed to educate and train employees in wholesale distribution on the many different types of commercial pipe, valves, fittings and components that play an essential role in the functionality of a commercial building — in this case a typical hospital. First up: the Central Chiller Plant. More

Political Contribution Disclosure Opposition Continues
American Supply Association
Backing up its ongoing opposition to a pending White House executive order regarding political contributions, business leaders now are taking their fight to the floor of the House and Senate. Last week, joining with more than 150 trade and business groups, ASA wrote to Senate leaders in support of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, would prohibit the White House from forcing the Department of Defense to require entities like ASA members to disclose their political spending in order to supply essential equipment to nearby military installations. As Tip O'Neil once said, "all politics is local." Controlling local procurement decisions with such overt political scrutiny only serves to slow our economic recovery. To learn more about executive authority regarding federal procurement, click here.

Does Your Warehouse Manager Know Your Company's CSA Score?
American Supply Association
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has developed new accountability standards to establish a new nationwide system for making the roads safer for motor carriers and the public alike. Called Compliance, Safety, Accountability, CSA 2010 scores all companies in seven safety categories and replaces the old SafeStat system. This means a "compliant" company under the old system may be considered "out of compliance" under the new scorekeeping system. Did you know that the higher your company scores, the more likely your company will be targeted for roadside inspections and on-site investigations? This is a new regulation that started in December 2010, and not many warehouse and fleet managers are informed of this regulation. The more you know, the better off your company will be in making sure to be compliant with all new regulations in our industry. Click here for more information on this topic, and here to contact Ruth Mitchell regarding joining the ASA Warehouse & Operations Networking Council.

Amazon Bestseller Marks to be Featured at NetworkASA 2011
American Supply Association
The featured speaker for Sept. 14's Educational Session at NetworkASA 2011 will be No. 1 Amazon Small Business Best Seller Gene Marks. In addition to being a bestselling author, Marks writes a weekly online column for Forbes and The New York Times. His books include The Streetwise Small Business Book of Lists (2006) and his latest offering, In God We Trust: Everyone Else Pays Cash - Simple Lessons from Smart Business People (2010). He owns and operates The Marks Group PC, a highly successful 10-person firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses. At NetworkASA 2011, he will discuss "tricks of the trade" that he has learned from thousands of business owners, and he will explain how he learned to do things a little quicker, better and wiser. Click here to read some of Gene's client success stories. For a full lineup of NetworkASA 2011 speakers, a schedule of events and online registration info, click here.

Manufacturing Confidence in US Economy Drops Sharply
Modern Materials Handling
U.S. manufacturing leaders have turned pessimistic regarding the U.S. economy, according to Grant Thornton LLP's most recent Business Optimism Index, a quarterly survey of U.S. manufacturing business leaders. Only 40 percent believe the U.S. economy will improve in the next six months, down from 60 percent three months earlier. At the same time, 26 percent believe the U.S. economy will get worse, up from 3 percent. "There are many factors causing concern amongst U.S. manufacturing leaders," said Wally Gruenes, Manufacturing Practice Leader at Grant Thornton LLP. "Soaring energy and raw material costs and Japanese manufacturing supply chain disruptions are weighing heavily, as are unresolved U.S. debt reduction issues and a corporate tax rate that still puts the U.S. at a global competitive disadvantage." More

Bernanke May Prolong Record Stimulus
Bloomberg
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke probably will delay the central bank's exit from record stimulus, economists said in a survey, giving the flagging economy a boost without resorting to additional asset purchases. Seventy-nine percent of 58 economists expect Bernanke to sustain the Fed balance sheet at current levels until October or later, compared with 52 percent who held that view before the Fed's last policy meeting in April, according to a Bloomberg News survey. Ninety percent of those surveyed predict the Fed will wait until the fourth quarter before dropping its pledge to hold interest rates low for an "extended period." More

Leo Hindery Jr.: Why We Need a Manufacturing Renaissance — Economically and Ethically
The Huffington Post
Anyone deeply concerned about the current almost unprecedented real unemployment rate of more than 18 percent and about the ongoing jobless recovery must first focus on resuscitating our depleted manufacturing sector. Especially given the current political mood in Washington concerning new federal expenditures, this focus will require the Obama administration to seriously rethink its approach to trade, particularly toward China. There are many economic imperatives behind this conclusion. At the same time, the ethical imperative for (again) having a robust manufacturing sector is central to our national well-being. Yet just as the economic imperatives often are overlooked, so is the ethical imperative very often dismissed out of insensitivity or otherwise put aside in deference to our culture of greed. More

ASA Insights Newsletter - ASA Supports Jobs Protection Act

Jun 3, 2011

Kohler Co. Partners with ASA Young Execs
American Supply Association
An important priority for any successful business as well as for the industry is to identify and connect the people who represent the next generation of leadership. ASA's Young Executives Division is focused on developing the necessary skills and cultivating key relationships that are critical for the next generation of leadership to succeed in the industry. "Over the past four years, we have redefined the annual Spring Forum program and made the Young Executives into the fastest growing segment of membership in ASA," said Dennis Crump, Chairman of ASA's Young Execs. Instrumental to this success has been the generous support from supplier partners, including Kohler Co. for this year's event held in May.More

NetworkASA 2011 Early-Bird Registration Reminder
American Supply Association
Attendees save $100 if they register for NetworkASA 2011 before the early-bird registration deadline of June 15. ASA's annual convention, NetworkASA, will take place Sept. 13-16 at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. The theme for this year's event is ALL IN – Cashing In on the Recovery. In addition to a strong focus on attendee networking opportunities, NetworkASA 2011 is designed to keep the attendee "ahead of the curve" when it comes to future trends and timely educational content. Complete program details, a schedule of events and online event registration can be accessed at www.asa.net. Watch for next week's ASA Insights for more details on Weldbend IPD Breakfast speaker and Kiss co-founder and multimedia magnate Gene Simmons. More

OPR Participation Deadline Extended Until June 17
American Supply Association
If your company has not already participated in the 2011 Operating Performance Report, then the next two weeks is the last chance to do so as the deadline is extended until June 17. Already, nearly 100 separate wholesaler-distributors from across the country and throughout the different industry segments have contributed their data for an early glimpse at their respective performance. There is simply no source other than ASA's OPR that provides the most complete, accurate and up-to-date comparative financial performance information for and about PHCP and PVF wholesalers designed to serve as a customized, easy-to-understand and actionable tool for you to evaluate your company's operating results, identify profit leaks and measure productivity. Click here for the survey instrument.

ASA Supports Jobs Protection Act
American Supply Association
Stung by big losses at the polls and a return to divided government, labor groups have turned to their allies in the Executive Branch to advance their agenda and pressure employers across the country to meet their demands. On the heels of recent maneuvering into private sector business decisions, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace has come out in strong support of legislation protecting job creators from an aggressive National Labor Relations Board. Introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the Job Protection Act (S. 964), is intended to preserve federal law's existing protections of state right-to-work laws. States like Tennessee and South Carolina have benefited from their right-to-work laws by attracting manufacturers like General Motors, BMW and now Boeing. Like a well-run business, each state must compete with one another to attract employers, and by providing an environment of lower taxes and fewer regulatory roadblocks, employers are finding right-to-work states to be an inviting opportunity for entrepreneurial Americans. Click here to see the Coalition's letter of support.

EPA Issues Update: Water Coalition, WaterSense® Continue to Progress
American Supply Association
As founding stakeholders in the Water Coalition, ASA continues to advocate for common sense legislation promoting water efficiency and conservation. In years past, the coalition had pursued a path that would provide for incentives through the tax code for use of such products, but has not been successful thus far. Nevertheless, as with most pieces of legislation, it is commonplace to have to reintroduce a bill that failed to pass during the previous Congress. In the 112th Congress, the Water Coalition seeks an authorization of WaterSense® rather than pursuing advantages through the tax code, which has proven to be a significant challenge. As this information highlights, WaterSense® is an existing program within the Environmental Protection Agency created by the Executive Branch. What it lacks, however, is statutory authorization by Congress giving it true force of law. The Water Coalition urges Congress to authorize establishment of the WaterSense® program within the EPA to identify and promote voluntary approaches to increase water efficiency in the United States. To see ASA's position on WaterSense®, please click here.

Manufacturing Sector Expects Continued Growth
Phoenix Business Journal
A new economic forecast from the Tempe, Ariz.-based Institute for Supply Management predicts continued economic growth in the U.S. for the remainder of 2011. The ISM surveyed purchasing and supply executives in its spring 2011 Semiannual Economic Forecast. Expectations for the remainder of 2011 have improved in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors.More

Copper Thieves Shut Down Fort Worth, Texas, Nonprofit
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Copper thieves forced the two-day shutdown of a nonprofit organization aimed at helping children in need. The Fortress Youth Development Center, which runs a preschool and after-school program for children living in near southeast Fort Worth, Texas, had to shut down its programs for two days after thieves, over the weekend, damaged their electric meter to steal copper, leaving their facility on Stella Street without electricity. Stacy Kocur said the organization paid $2,800 for a new electric meter and to replace the stolen copper. More

Sustainability in the Supply Chain: It's More Than Just 'Being Green'
IndustryWeek
In today's business environment, companies are being held accountable to a growing list of stakeholders who assess company performance against a variety of criteria, from financial and operational performance to labor practices and environmental issues. The pressure for greater transparency in all areas of performance is increasing — not only for consumer-facing companies, but for all business entities throughout the supply chain — including manufacturers who are several steps removed from the ultimate consumer. To be effective, a supplier risk-assessment program must address sustainability issues in the broadest sense, assessing vendors' financial and economic viability as well as social responsibility and environmental sustainability. More

ASA Insights Newsletter - US Copper Import Surge Led By Manufacturing Bounce

May 20, 2011

NetworkASA 2011: Register by June 15 and Save $100
American Supply Association
NetworkASA 2011 – ALL IN – Cashing in on the Recovery is scheduled for Sept. 13-16 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. This year's agenda has been the result of careful planning, and will offer a whole new dimension of value for both the wholesaler and manufacturer. Highlighting the speaker lineup this year are Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday and Kiss co-founder and multimedia magnate Gene Simmons. "This year's agenda is the most impressive that we have offered in recent years," said Mike Adelizzi, ASA executive vice president. "From enhanced Plumbing and IPD Open Houses to Peer Networking Council Meetings to a fantastic speaker lineup to our newly organized Table Top Networking Session, ASA is offering an experience not available anywhere else in the PHCP and PVF industry." Program brochures were mailed the week of May 9, and event details are available online by clicking here. Save $100 by registering before the early-bird deadline of June 15!

Iconic Manufacturer Voices Concern Over Executive Branch's Overreach into Private Business Decisions
American Supply Association/The Wall Street Journal
Across the country, businesses large and small continue to survive in an uncertain economy, inevitably requiring difficult decisions be made. Like water flowing down a stream, capital flows also will take the path of least resistance. With unemployment hovering at an historic level of 9 percent, it is disheartening to witness the federal government's interference into a rational business decision that could employ thousands of Americans and have a tremendous multiplying effect in a region hard hit. As employers struggle to regain solid footing coupling good months with slower months, meeting new demands imposed by the government continues to constrain our economy's growth. More

DOL Programs Undercut Employer/Employee Relationship
American Supply Association
Job creators and managers have a responsibility to treat their employees fairly and honestly. Unfortunately, the Department of Labor has a different interpretation of fair and honest. The DOL's Wage and Hour Division has been promoting new programs intended to ensure that workers are being paid the wages to which they are entitled under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Among the WHD initiatives are the "Right to Know" and "We Can Help" programs. More

US Copper Import Surge Led By Manufacturing Bounce
Reuters
U.S. copper imports climbed to a two-year peak in March, snapping back-to-back monthly declines in the first two months of the year, as demand for the metal grew with a sustained recovery in manufacturing. As inbound shipments of copper broke higher, aluminum imports sputtered, falling 20 percent in the first quarter — a trend that could continue in the coming months as the combination of production restarts and sky-high prices on the London Metal Exchange deter consumer appetites. More

Cliff Holste: Managing Slow Movers — A Renewed Sense of Urgency
Distribution Digest
Consumer belt tightening has been a reality for some time now. One of the consequences is that many once popular items now are collecting dust in DCs across the supply chain spectrum. Before you know, it slow-moving SKUs begin to accumulate in active inventory positions reducing picking productivity as well as slotting capacity for new items. It's not uncommon for some of these SKUs to have zero sales for a prolong period of time. While there are many reasons (excuses) for the accumulation of products in the DC that have lost their luster, there are few strategies for mitigating their negative effect on inventory turns and productivity. More

LEED Warehouse Sports Its Own Wind Turbine
EarthTechling
All kinds of unusual commercial buildings have been gaining LEED certification recently — a soda manufacturing plant, for instance — and now, Chicago is expected to become home to the first food-service distribution facility in the nation to gain LEED Platinum certification. The new distribution center of Testa Produce, a wholesale distributor, comprises 91,000 square feet, was constructed at a cost of $20 million, and is located in the Chicago Stockyards Industrial Park. The 100-year-old, family-owned company spent four and a half years designing and constructing this building, which is now on track to gain the U.S. Green Building Council's highest level of green certification. More