Purchasing - May 8, 2008

Strong is the word chemical distributors use to describe their industry, and it's a word chemical buyers want to hear. Chemical distributors use “strong” not only to describe demand for their products and services in the current economy—average sales increased 13% in 2007—but also to describe the underlying fundamentals of their business and the long-term outlook for the...

• Chemicals
• Chemicals
• Currency issues have dyes and pigments buyers seeing red
• LyondellBasell shuts Texas refinery, buys French one
• Chemical Business Intelligence
• Soft demand puts the brakes on polypropylene price hikes

• Electronics Edition
• Electronics Trends
• NAND flash prices will fall because of oversupply
• Economic slowdown creates opportunities for procurement
• Electronics Briefs
• Electronics Business Intelligence
• Memory drives chip equipment revenue
• Chip stockpiles decline in first quarter
• Chip resistor prices to stabilize
• Global Sourcing
• Next stop for electronics sourcing and manufacturing could be Vietnam
• The Top 75 Electronics Distributors
• Top 75 Electronics Distributors: Independents hope for rebound in 2008
• A good year for electronics distributors
• Top 75 Electronics Distributors 2007 North American Rankings
• Top 75 Electronics Distributors: Catalog distributors are thriving
• Top 75 Electronics Distributors: Distributors' supply chain role grows
• Top 75 Electronics Distributors: Small distributors have big revenue growth

• Features
• Distribution 2008
• Distribution Report 2008: Buyers say product availability trumps price
• Supply Chain Management
• Hilton Hotels' purchasing organization says "The bucks start here"
• Supply Chain Strategies
• 'Green' procurement goes into the black

• Logistics
• Logistics
• Logistics Business Intelligence
• DOT officials: Mexican trucking pilot program is working
• Railroads under more price-fixing fire as volumes continue to decline
• Perry Ellis brings freight rate auditing back in fashion

• MRO + Distribution
• MRO + Distribution
• E-auction tool helps Blue Bird develop strategic suppliers
• Fulton Supply president offers ways to cut costs in new book
• MRO Business Intelligence
• MRO Briefs

• Metals
• Metals Chips
• Metals Business Intelligence
• Persian Gulf sheet steel supply shortfall expected
• Base Metals
• Rio Tinto economist sees China keeping commodity prices aloft
• Coking Coal
• Massey Energy boost capital spending, price forecasts
• Gold
• GFMS: Gold prices to pass $1,000/oz this year even if demand drops
• Service Centers
• Top 100 Metals Service Centers: Explosive prices haunt buyer/supplier relationships
• Stainless Steel
• Global stainless steel production fell 2.9% in 2007
• Steel Scrap
• Steel scrap supplies short, prices high due to low manufacturing activity, soaring exports
• Steel Trading
• Analyst says global billet and rebar prices heading for slide
• The Top 100 Metals Service Centers
• Buyers sourced record $61 billion in metals from distribution giants

• News and Departments
• Black Belt Negotiators
• Black Belt Negotiators: How to choose a single-source strategy
• Corporate Travel
• Online tools provide travel buyers a new level of travel spend visibility
• Economy + Supply
• U.S. unemployment high
• Small Biz not optimistic
• Boeing's 787 delivery date slips again
• Polysilicon plant scrapped
• RIO’s 1Q coal output off
• Automotive demand down
• Chipmakers see slowdown
• Sensor market will grow
• Credit crisis not done
• NAND growth to slow
• IMF downgrades forecast
• China’s trade surplus dips
• Economy + Supply
• U.S. high-tech loses jobs
• Economy may shrink in 1H08
• OPEC: oil demand to drop
• My Turn
• Why go 'Green?' Because it adds efficiency
• Office
• Weak dollar and machine problems add to paper product price woes
• How buyers can collaborate with IT on office purchases
• Office Products Business Intelligence
• Prices
• Sheet steel prices may drop in 2H
• Truck rates to stay low longer
• Platinum costs less
• Coal prices to stay up
• Benzene tags near high
• Passives prices will be steady
• Wire-rod price skyrockets
• Import prices rise
• Cobalt prices rise
• Copper prices above $3 this year
• DRAM makers push prices
• Citigroup ups price forecast for metals, oil
• EIA: Oil prices will stay above $100
• Scrap steel prices fly
• Prices
• Trends
• Procurement Business Intelligence
• Supply updates
• 12 steps to more effective supplier relationships
• Coors mixes indirect spend into its procurement transformation
• Sulfuric acid prices explode
• U.S. airlines hit rock bottom in latest service rankings
• Dell to close Texas plant, outsource more manufacturing to EMS firms
• Green Report: Where the candidates stand on environmental issues