December 2006      

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..

Every business is looking for new ways to connect their great ideas and products with the great people in their industry. The Safety Equipment Distributors Association’s (SEDA) new Safety Leadership Forum to be held June 10-12, 2007 at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, California will connect these 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. DETAILS

SEDA's Welcomes New Members

SEDA welcomed five new members since our last issue of The Safety Scene. That brings our 2006 total to 15 new members.

SEDA TRAINING

Fall QSSP Program Graduates 36

The fall session of the Qualified Safety Sales Professional (QSSP) course concluded on November 17, 2006 in Louisville, Kentucky. Long considered the gold standard in safety sales training, QSSP now has over 700 graduates.  DETAILS

Register Today for the University of Industrial Distribution

SEDA is co-sponsoring the University of Industrial Distribution (UID). UID 2007 is a concentrated educational program focused on the unique needs of wholesale distributors. Known worldwide for excellence in education, UID is sponsored by the leading industrial distribution professional associations, in cooperation with the Industrial Distribution Program and Indiana University/Purdue University. 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

In Memoriam: Ivan L. Weinstock, 1930 - 2006

Ivan L. Weinstock, consultant to the publisher of Occupational Health & Safety and a leader in the publishing sector of the safety industry for more than 40 years, died Dec. 12, 2006, in Cleveland, Ohio. DETAILS

FINANCIAL SERVICES

All Customers Are Not Created Equal

The management team in every firm is intuitively aware that all customers are not the same in terms of the profits they generate. Some customers purchase a lot of merchandise, others purchase only a little. In addition, some customers are aggressive price buyers while others are more interested in service. Qualitatively, some customers are easy to deal with, while others are a pain. DETAILS

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 (containing 2005 data) is available for purchase by non-participating members for $250. The report is available in print and in PDF format.

2006 Employee Compensation Report: If you are like most distribution firms, you’re running lean these days with just enough personnel to get by. Hiring and keeping good employees is essential to the profitability of your business, especially in today’s economy. To achieve that goal, you must consider your overall employee compensation plan - not just your pay scales, but your benefits program as well - in comparison to other firms in distribution.

The 2006 Employee Compensation Study provides a detailed review of compensation and benefit programs for 2,080 distributors in over 40 trade associations. Due to the extensive sample in the study, you will receive a wide range of information on compensation not only for the safety industry, but also broken out into 23 sales volume categories and over 100 geographic areas (including 50 metro markets).

The 2006 Employee Compensation Study is available for purchase by non-participating members for $250. The report is available in print and in PDF format and comes with the Volume II Cross-Industry Data CD. Click here to order.

SEDA PROFIT Survey Coming in February

SEDA will once again offer our members the opportunity to participate in our PROFIT Report. An essential SEDA member benefit, the PROFIT Report is the best source for financial benchmarking information in the industry. DETAILS

NAW NEWS

New Book from NAW to Eliminate Wasted Space and Time: Lean Warehousing

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) announces a brand-new book titled Lean Warehousing. This is the first book to apply the “lean manufacturing theory” specifically to the world of warehousing. DETAILS

NAW, Pembroke Consulting Announce New Wholesale Distribution Industry Report

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ (NAW) Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) and Pembroke Consulting today announced that the eighth edition of the acclaimed wholesale distribution strategy report Facing the Forces of Change® will be released in March 2007. DETAILS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Small Business Use of Credit Cards Increases

The number of small business loans outstanding under $100,000 increased 25 percent between June 2004 and June 2005, according to a report recently released by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The increase came mostly from credit card use by small business. The report also noted that the number of small business loans outstanding between $100,000 and $1 million increased 5 percent during the same period. DETAILS

Growth and Decline Trends for Small Businesses

Small business growth and decline tends to persist and is not easily reversed, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The authors will discuss the report during an economic roundtable before The Center for Economic Studies of the U.S. Census Bureau. DETAILS

New Federal Web Site a One-Stop Resource for Business

A federal government Web site now serves as a one-stop resource for businesses needing compliance information, federal forms and government compliance contacts. The site, www.business.gov, is the official business link to the U.S. government.  DETAILS