Norton teams with Thomas Register

By Staff -- Purchasing, 10/19/2000

ANorton Co. distributor can now sell the company's more than 6,000 stock products over the Internet without devoting the time and expense to operating its own e-commerce site.

The Worcester, Mass.-based Norton has partnered with Thomas Register to offer distributors the option of selling its products online through "Order Online," Thomas Register's Internet marketplace. Distributors can use Order Online to establish their own e-commerce sites, allowing industrial buyers to locate suppliers, place RFQs (request for quotation), and buy online 24 hours a day. Orders are processed through a secure password-protected service, confirmed through an automatic e-mail feature, and downloaded into the distributor's order-entry system. The cost to the distributor is $500 through 2001.

"Both Norton and Thomas Register have taken a leadership position in the B2B arena and Norton continues to be a strong supporter of industrial distribution," says Bob Gardiner, director of marketing and distribution at Norton. "We recognize that the Internet is quickly becoming the preferred avenue for customers to research and purchase industrial products. It is important that our distributors be able to provide an online purchasing avenue."

The partnership between Norton and Thomas Register is the next step in Norton's e-commerce initiative. The company launched an e-marketplace, which integrates distributors into the sales process. Customers place orders at www.nortonabrasives.com, which are forwarded to the appropriate local distributor. Order Online provides Norton customers with dealing directly with their local distributors.