Industrial Distributors Are Captains of Industry - Here Are the Top 10 Reason to Love Them

Industrial distributors and distributors in general are a much maligned group. Going along with this is the under appreciation of salespeople. Death Of A Salesman is required reading for many students, but there isn't a popular book titled Death of An English Teacher. This article explains the value delivered by distribution, and why distributors truly are captains of industry. Here then is the list of why distributors are needed.

Manufacturers are good at making things. Manufacturing is very difficult, and the very best manufacturers focus on making products. Bringing those products to market is the realm of distributors.
Users can't possibly stock all the parts that may be required for maintenance and repairs. Distributors can because they are stocking for not just one company, but for thousands of potential customers. What a distributor can turn six to eight times per year, any specific customer may never need at all.
Distributors bring product knowledge to customers
Large distributors can even set up shop within a company's property. A big industrial customer can go to his distributor's parts window in his plant for parts and equipment. This form a symbiotic relationship
Dealers and distributors are your neighbors. Is the local little league sponsored by the BMW factory, or the local BMW dealership.
Distributors provide information online, in catalogs, and with trained salespeople. When a customer wants to know about a product, it is the labor of a distributor that brings the information.
Distributors bring scale to suppliers. A large dealer can bring thousands of customers to a specific product line. Suppliers reward and encourage this volume with better pricing. This preferential pricing is passed to some extent to the customers. So, distributors save customers money.
There is capitalist purity to distribution. An item is purchased for a manufacturer, a profit margin is added to that item, and an end user find the item to be worth the selling price, and the transaction happens. The distributor makes a profit with which a commission goes to the salesperson, a portion goes to overhead, a portion goes to taxes, and the balance is capital that can be employed productively in the economy.
The efficiency in modern distribution speeds items to the market resulting in less inventory system wide.
Although sales people are typically respectful and are flatterers, the author disagrees with Dante in that sales people do NOT belong in the eighth circle of hell in The Inferno

Hopefully this humorous little article may convince some folks that "cutting out the middleman" makes as much sense as "cutting out the school teacher". Go find an employe at a distribution firm and give him a big hug and than him for keeping the wheels of commerce rolling.

About Ed Stairman
Ed Stairman is CEO at A Plus Warehouse Equipment & Supply
Email Ed Stairman with any questions or comments
A Plus Warehouse is a nationwide distributor for Storage cabinets
As well as Lockers
A Plus Warehouse is your right source right now.
Calling is perfectly fine also at 800-209-8798

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Industrial Shelving Can Be Found in Many Plants - Learn What Type Is Appropriate for Your Uses

Industrial Shelving is an essential part of any warehouse or manufacturing plant. Inventory and work in progress must be stored off the ground for safety and efficiency, and storage cabinets clearly are not the only mode of product storage. Shelving can be simple to understand so long that the types are explained somewhat. The purpose of this article is to make it's readers more informed on industrial shelving, so the purchase decision will be less stressful. Here is an executive summary of the most popular shelving for industrial use.

Traditional Open Shelving: Traditional open shelving includes four posts and several shelves. The shelving is supported by 'X' bracing on the sides and back. Capacity can vary from 100 pounds per shelf to over 800 pounds per shelf. The capacity is based on the gauge of the shelf and the structure of the shelf. Shelf design will be mentioned later in the article. These units are mostly open except for the bracing.
Pass Through Shelving: Hallowell makes an industrial shelving line that is fully open. Because of a unique design, these shelving units do not require 'X' bracing at all
Traditional Closed Shelving: The same as open shelving, except these units include enclosure panels.
Boltless Shelving: These units are sometimes referred to as rivet shelving. Boltless shelving units can have much more width than a traditional shelf due to the design. The shelves are actually frames made from front to back and side to side beams. A boltless unit can be up to 120 inches wide compared to 48 inches wide for standard shelving.
Bulk Racks: These units look a bit like pallet racks but are used for hand loading, while pallet rack is for machine access
Wire Shelving: Wire shelving is fully open and are made of chrome, stainless steel, or have an epoxy covering. Wire shelving is quite attractive, and works well in a retail or high tech setting.
Starters and Adders: In designing a shelving system, the first shelving unit in a run of shelving is a starter - because it starts the run. Shelving units that add to this are adders. A run of ten units is one starter and nine adders.

As mentioned, capacity per shelf varies by gauge of steel. However, there is another factor in capacity. In order to make the most of the steel in shelving, manufacturers have started bending shelves into box beams. Effectively, a box beam shelf has the capacity of the steel plus the extra capacity of being supported by an 'I-Beam'. In the good old days, box beam was not practical as detailed welding is required in box beam shelf fabrication. Modern factories easily make these items with robotic welders.

A Plus Warehouse is a nationwide distributor for Industrial Shelving
As well as Pallet Racks
Ed Stairman is CEO and has run A Plus Warehouse since 1996
Email Ed Stairman with any questions or comments
A Plus Warehouse is your right source right now.
Calling is perfectly fine also at 800-209-8798
Feel free to use this information, but you must include the resource box.
Thank You for reading

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