Distributor News

On Monday, May 13, the Obama Administration released what President Obama called "The Small Business Agenda: Growing America's Small Businesses to Win the Future." After carefully evaluating President Obama's small business agenda, the American Small Business League (ASBL) was surprised to find that the plan ignores the diversion of billions of dollars a year in federal small business contracts to large corporations.

Since 2003, a series of federal investigations have found that most small business contracts actually go to Fortune 500 firms in the U.S. and other large businesses around the world.

WorkflowOne, Dayton, Ohio, announced today that Ed Riguardi has joined the company as director of strategic accounts, reporting to Mike Giachetti, divisional vice president, East region.

The U.S. Olympic Committee has partnered with Staples Promotional Products to manage the Team USA Shop, which celebrated its grand reopening during the second annual Warrior Games presented by Deloitte on Tuesday, May 17.

The U.S. manufacturing and services sectors will continue to grow this year as revenues rise, but prices for materials are seen climbing further, according to an industry forecast released on Tuesday.

The Institute for Supply Management in its semi-annual forecast found purchasing and supply executives expect manufacturing revenue will rise 7.5 percent this year. That is modestly slower than the 7.9 percent rise seen last year.

Revenue in the non-manufacturing sector, which comprises mostly service sector businesses, is expected to be up 2.1 percent, topping 2010's gain of 0.2 percent.

The full audio interview with Marc Simon, CEO of HALO Branded Solutions, number-five ranking company on our 2011 Top Distributors list. Listen as Marc discusses the supplier/distributor divide as well as his concerns with the Chinese economy.

The full audio interview with Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of BDA, number-two ranking company on our 2011 Top Distributors list. Hear Jay's advice on securing safe products, how investing in his staff has paid off, and what he thinks of his partner Eric Bensussen.

The full audio interview with Greg Muzzillo, founder of Proforma, number-one ranking company on our 2011 Top Distributors list. Hear Greg's thoughts on industry associations, what keeps him up at night, and who he views as a genius.

A team of 14 employees from Newton Manufacturing Company joined over 1,000 Newton Senior High School students and volunteers for the third annual Community Service Day.

Leo Kahn, who co-founded Staples and helped start the age of "big box" retail stores, died Wednesday in Boston. He was 94.

Kahn first made his name in the grocery business in New England. He started Staples with a former competitor, Tom Stemberg, in 1985, after they decided to go into business together and were seeking new ideas outside groceries.

At the time, there were no office-supply superstores. Kahn and Stemberg were touring different types of stores each Friday afternoon and one day during a trip to warehouse clubs, they noticed an abundance of office supplies on sale.

This week is National Small Business Week, a time when small business are recognized for the contributions they make to the economic well-being of the U.S. This year the more than 27.2 million small businesses across the U.S. will be celebrated.