News: D&D and OneSource, Microsoft and Skype

Acquisitions continue to dominate the distribution news-scape. Industrial Supply Magazine’s cover story this month covers a friend of Zerion (D&D Tool and Supply in Vista, California) who recently became part of OneSource Distributors. Some big acquisitions in the IT space also made headlines this month, with Microsoft set to takeover the hugely successful Skype service.

If you’re thinking of selling, here’s another article to help you figure out the right time.

FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: More M&A, and a Mobile App for Eclipse

The big news of the month was covered extensively in our feature story … Apax Partners is set to acquire Activant. Another hot topic acquisition has been Infor’s takeover of Lawson. And, Industrial Supply Magazine discusses all of the activity and what they see on the horizon with this article: Buying Spree.

Technology news you should be aware of includes the announcement that Activant has created a mobile app for Proof of Delivery; and, Gartner says BI software is a hot thing to buy lately.

FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: How Much Could You Get?

In distribution news this month, Elliott Electric expanded by acquiring Zerion customer Key Electric. Also, Industrial Distribution launched a discussion about how much you could get if you sold your wholesale business.

In ERP news, Oracle Earnings are up 78% and Activant is offering a Business Rule Engine for Prophet 21.

FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: ERP Flexibility, Construction Spending

In ERP news this month, CIO Magazine says users are calling for more flexibility with their systems. The article says, “Over a third of businesses cite greater flexibility as the top change they would make to their existing ERP arrangements. This is closely followed by higher standards of customer service from their vendors (29 percent).”

In construction news, the cold weather is having an impact on spending.

And, in distribution news, Sonepar buys a portion of HD Supply Electrical.

FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: ERP Investments and Facebook; Distribution Acquisitions and Software

In ERP news this month, IT spending may be on the rise, but CIO Magazine says that ERP investments will go down in 2011. They’re also saying that it’s the year of social media integration for ERP software.

Distributors might be interested in reviewing Industrial Supply Magazine‘s new Distribution Software Guide, which was developed by Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group and compares the software packages available to distributors. Also, take note on some important dos and don’ts for acquisitions in the distribution space, as these are once again becoming a hot topic.

FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: Big 50 Distributors, AD Changes, Oracle Lawsuit

Rexel, Wolseley, HD Supply, Wurth, Grainger… Sound familiar? Industrial Distribution has put out its list 2009’s Big 50 Distributors, and those folks round out the top 5. You can read the complete list here.

In other industry news, Affiliated Distributors announced executive changes; and, a decision has finally been made regarding the Oracle/SAP lawsuit, with a jury awarding Oracle more than a billion dollars.

FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: B&K, Housing Starts, HARDI Sales

Congratulations to Kathleen Ellison, owner of Zerion client B&K Electric Wholesale! She was recently honored for her community service. In other industry news this month, two good-news stories caught our eye: Industrial Supply magazine is reporting that new housing starts are on the rise. Also, Supply House Times says that sales are up for Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration distributors. FIND OUT MORE of the who’s who and what’s what of software, IT and distribution …

News: Software Wars, WMS, BI and CIOs

That sure is a lot of acronyms! But, it’s the “who’s who” and “what’s what” of distribution, software and technology this month. Some industry news stories we found interesting include two Industrial Distribution reports, one on the Software Wars to get distributors’ business, and the truth about Warehouse Management. Also, we liked this analysis on how to make Business Intelligence successful in ERP, and CIO Magazine‘s report on IT hiring. GET MORE news…

Congratulations Van Meter and IES

We’re honored to spread some good news about two Zerion clients. Van Meter Industrial was recently awarded top honors in  tED Magazine‘s 2010 “Best of the Best” marketing awards competition. The awards were given out in Chicago by the NAED and they recognize the best electrical marketing campaigns from over 360 entries in 2009. Van Meter received two “Best of the Best” awards for its entries in the Public Relations/Community Outreach and Brand Awareness categories. You can learn more and check out all of the award winners here.

Also, Independent Electric Supply signed a distribution agreement with Eco Depot, Inc. to distribute their Indoor and Outdoor LED Lights in California, Arizona and Hawaii.

In other industry news, tED Magazine put out their annual Marketing Analysis Report for Distributors, which is intended to help electrical distributors and manufacturers understand the current marketplace and marketing approaches. And, Supply House Times outlined the rise of heating and cooling equipment shipments. GET MORE news…

Industry News: Customer Spotlight on Hunzicker

Congratulations to Hunzicker Brothers and Jack Henderson! Jack, the company’s executive vice president, was recently appointed the Chairman of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED). This is a big job and a great honor; and, he was featured in a cover story for the May issue of TED Magazine. Having been with the company for 40 years, Jack’s story is a testament to the strong history and leadership behind Hunzicker.

Hunzicker became a customer of Zerion last year when we provided project management and training for their conversion to Eclipse.  Since then, we have also provided purchasing consultations. We’re proud to be associated with a company led by such an established figure in the electrical industry!

In related industry news, Modern Distribution Management (MDM) announced its top 25 electrical distributors list. Zerion customers (past and present) who made the list include number 1 Sonepar, as well as HD Supply, Independent Electric, Border States and North Coast. Congrats to all!

You can get more industry news on our web site all month long.