March 2007      

TRAINING l MEMBER NEWS l FINANCIAL SERVICES l NAW NEWS

SEDA's 2007 Safety Leadership Forum - Connecting Great Ideas and Great People

The Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, California will host SEDA's 2007 Safety Leadership Forum.

SEDA’s Safety Leadership Forum to be held June 10-12, 2007 at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, California will connect great ideas and great people through just the right mix of stimulating business sessions and one-on-one networking opportunities that you won’t find at a traditional trade show. Key leaders from safety equipment distributor and supplier companies have already registered for this event. You won’t want to miss

out on this opportunity to network and share ideas with fellow industry peers and suppliers. DETAILS

What Ever Happened to Win-Win?

For years, manufacturers and distributors have recited the mantra that the key to happiness is found in win-win relationships. Achieve win-win, and all your problems will be solved. A new book published by the Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors argues that win-win is a dead concept, replaced by the Law of Legitimate Cross-Purposes. DETAILS

SEDA TRAINING

Spring 2007 QSSP Course Sold Out

The Spring 2007 QSSP Class, scheduled for April 23 - 27 at the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne in Louisville, Kentucky, has sold out. We encourage individuals interested in training to register for the fall 2007 session to be offered November 12-16.  DETAILS

2007 UID Maintains Stellar Reputation

The 2007 session of UID (University of Industrial Distribution) held this past March 4-7 in Indianapolis, IN received rave reviews from all involved. Hosted at the state of the art conference center at Indiana University / Purdue University, the session has sold out for four consecutive years. DETAILS

New Training Programs Scheduled for 2007

The Association Education Alliance (AEA) has announced its schedule of training programs for 2007. SEDA is a member of AEA and SEDA members can attend these programs at a discounted rate. These sessions will include in person training programs and teleconference seminars. DETAILS

MEMBER NEWS

SEDA Welcomes Nine New Members

SEDA has welcomed nine new members since the last issue of The Safety Scene. DETAILS

Password Change for Members-Only Section of SEDA Web Site

The user id and password for our internal members-only section of the SEDA web site has changed. The new user id and password are seda2007 and tahoe. Both the user id and password are case sensitive.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Improving Margin with Product Mix:

Mission Impossible

Most SEDA members are acutely aware of the need for improved gross margin performance. The challenge is how to produce higher margins in a highly price competitive-world. Very high on almost everybody’s list is to change the sales mix to sell more of the high-margin items. This would seem to have the potential to increase margins without any reduction in price competitiveness. DETAILS

Recent SEDA PROFIT, Employee Compensation Reports Available for Purchase

One of the most important benefits SEDA distributor members enjoy is the annual PROFIT Report. Conducted by Dr. Al Bates and the team at Profit Planning Group, the PROFIT Report is the best source for financial benchmarking information in the industry. The 2006 Profit Report is now available for purchase by non-participating members. The cost is $250. Click here to purchase online or here to download an order form.

The 2006 Employee Compensation Report containing 2005 data is available for purchase for $250. Also, the 2004 Employee Compensation Report containing 2003 data is available for purchase by non-participating members at the discounted price of $125. If you would like to order a copy of the survey please fill out the form and return it to SEDA Headquarters.

2007 SEDA/SMG PROFIT Survey Due March 31

The PROFIT Report is the best source for financial benchmarking information in the industry. The information in the report – on gross margin, operating expenses, average collection period and the like – is arranged to provide direct comparisons with your firm. However, the information is available only to those firms that participate in the study. The deadline for participation this year is March 31. DETAILS

LEGAL UPDATE

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Vertical Minimum Resale Price Maintenance Case

On December 7, 2006 the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to the long established principle that vertical minimum price maintenance agreements are illegal per se. DETAILS

NAW NEWS

All-New Wholesale Distribution Industry Trends Report Released

The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and Pembroke Consulting released their flagship industry report titled Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain. The report draws upon a broad set of data, including in-depth interviews with senior distribution executives, manufacturers, customers, analysts, professors, and association executives. It also includes survey data on nearly 1,300 wholesale distribution and manufacturing companies. DETAILS