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“News and Views That Are Out Of This World”
Winter
Winter 2011
Vol. 11 No. 2
Board of Directors
Chairman
Robert A. Borrhello
Triangle Fastener Corp.
Cleveland, OH
216-351-9933
Vice-Chairman/Secretary
Ron Foltz
Cornerstone Tool & Fastener
Tallahassee, FL
850-580-1200
A Stable of Brands Working Hard to Gro w Your Business
During the 2010 STAFDA convention, Stanley Black & Decker demonstrated its commitment
to become a critical business partner for all Sphere 1 members by showing how these brands are
working together to grow your business. Ironically, companies that once competed against each
other are now channeling their effort towards sharing best practices across all of its business units to
create a growth engine for Sphere 1 customers.
According to Robert Raff, President of North
American Sales, “There are three engines for growth
that we intend to harness for Sphere 1 members:
(1) focusing on the customer; (2) an investment in
brand leadership; and (3) a commitment to quality
& Innovation.” He explained, “We will deliver better
than this industry has ever seen … with a stable of
brands that no other company can rival.” Included
in the line-up of brands are DEWALT, Bostitch,
Porter-Cable, Stanley, Proto, and Vidmar.
Treasurer
Larry Johnson
Northbrook Contractor Supply
Northbrook, IL
847-272-1290
Director
Mike Walburn
Builders Equipment
Decatur, GA
404-289-0456
Director
Nevan Little
Little Hardware Company, Inc.
Charlotte, NC
704-333-3133
Director
Allen Kass
Kass Industrial Supply Corp.
Bronx, NY
718-299-6060
Director
Jerry Ferguson
Railway Distributing, Inc.
Campbell, CA
408-866-9266
Director
George Morgan
Kentec, Inc.
Snellville, GA
770-985-1907
Director
Rodney Steier
Duo-Fast Northeast
East Hartford, CT
860-289-6861
Focusing on the Customer
Even before the merger, it was no secret that
DEWALT built its business model around
the industrial customer base. From training
to field execution, the DEWALT sales force
developed a formula for success that Sphere
1 Customers have counted on for years.
Leaders within Stanley Black & Decker are
now applying those key learnings to brands
like Stanley, who admittedly recognizes a
need for improved focus in the I/C channel.
Investment in Brand Leadership
Raff notes that that company doesn’t intend to harvest
these great brand names; rather, it plans cultivate
more growth in the area of brand leadership. He says
the company will grow its spend in brand marketing
while many competitors are quietly cutting theirs. A
key factor in growing these brands is keeping each one
separate and distinct. “This requires smart and strategic
investment.” Says Raff.
The investments Raff refers to pertain mostly to
advertising, sponsorships, Hispanic marketing, field
marketing, and of course, merchandising. He explained,
“Two of our biggest launches since 1992 are taking
place in 2011. As a result, we can’t afford to do anything
less than own the user experience at every level …
where they work, where they play, where they learn, and
most importantly, where they buy.”
Continued on the back page
Welcome New Sphere 1 Member
Triangle
Fastener
Corporation
Bob
Borrhello
Board Chairman’s Message
Yes It Does!
One of the age old questions that
continue to be applicable today is, “If
a tree falls in the forest and no one
is around to hear it, does it make a
sound. Yes it does! All of us and our
companies have been and will continue
to be affected by events, situations
and occurrences that we have no
knowledge or control over until they
land at our doorsteps. Whether the
cost of steel from China, issues with
petroleum production, our mind
boggling Legislators in Washington, or
as close to home as being blindsided by
a key employee leaving or a competitor
damaging conventional business
practices, the trees keep falling. We
eventually hear all of them. Sometimes
I feel like a lumberjack, and after the
last three or 4 years I have blisters on
my fingers.
However, for the first time in years
without my fingers crossed or wishful
thinking occupying my thoughts, I feel
confident that our industry is poised for
a comeback and a return to normalcy. It
won’t come fast and it certainly won’t
be easy and I must admit normalcy
is a relative term, but certainly all
the indicators are there for a slow but
steady increase in business for all of
us.
Consumer spending/confidence,
which drives two thirds of our
economy, has renewed vigor as
evidenced by the Holiday Season
and the stock market just closed
on another consecutive favorable
year. Manufacturing continues to
churn upwards, housing starts are
anticipated to reach a 3-4 year high and
Commercial Construction spending
is anticipated to see double digit
increases. Even unemployment which
continues to weigh us down is showing
signs of ticking down and as the
economy gains momentum we should
see a reverse domino effect in play.
Within our organization, Sphere
1, our growing roster of quality
distributors and preferred suppliers
Continued on back cover
Linc Systems
Westfield, IN • 317-399-3200
Contact: Bill Andreson
bandreson@lincsystems.com
www.lincsystems.com
Sphere 1 Member News
On December 2, Arrow Tools held their annual “End of the Year”
Huge Tool Blowout Sale. Preferred Suppliers Makita and Milwaukee were there to provide information and tool demonstrations.
Huge sales were done that day by the tool vendors and lots of food
served to the customers. Jeffrey Silverman, CEO even pitched in to
help cook. Just another sunny Southern California day, a great time
visiting with customers and selling tools.
Donald J. Hoban founded Don Hoban Company (Now DHC Supplies, Inc.) January 1, 1961, in Sacramento, California. Don, had
been selling masonry and plastering equipment and supplies in the
area before deciding to start his own business. Scraping together
his own money and borrowing money from some relatives Don
opened his first store with $15,000 of inventory. The first year sales
were $60,666. In 2011, the employee-owners of DHC Supplies are
celebrating their 50th year in business. When you consider that only
44% of small businesses make it past 4 years, 50 years is quite a
milestone. Additionally, 2011 marks their 20th year as employeeowners. This has played an important part of DHC’s success. Employees are dedicated owners
who understand the success of the company is intrinsically tied to their personal success.
Fisher’s Tools held a
re-grand opening on Dec
15. They have added
onto their building and
increased the showroom
area. More than 36 vendors, representing over 60 product
lines spoke with customers and provided demonstrations.
Senorita Makita was there signing autographs and taking
pictures with customers. “This was a great event – you had
quality people coming in to buy, they asked good questions
and bought a lot of products,” commented a vendor. Fisher’s
usually holds a smaller customer appreciation event but
decided to go big this year. They advertised, put in a lot of
effort and the results were great.
Triangle Fastener Corp is pleased to announce the
opening of their 24th branch location in Raleigh NC.
Roger Bailey, who has had sales responsibility for the
past 3 years in Raleigh and surrounding areas, will be
responsible for branch sales and will be the lead person in the new branch. He will be assisted
by Albert Parsons, inside sales. For more information visit www.trianglefastener.com
Sphere 1 Member News
On Friday, Dec 3rd Brinker Brown
held their Pro Tool Palooza. It
was an opportunity to show their
newly remodeled 30,000 sq ft
facility featuring a Makita PRO
Center. The celebration
included fun tool-skill
contests, “handson” tool testing, new
product introductions
and free giveaways. Event-goers were able to check
out Makita’s “Experience More” trailer, a 52-foot
interactive tool display on wheels, delivering a
dynamic hands-on experience with over 200 tools and
accessories, tool demo stations, tool skills competitions,
engineering exhibits, touch screen displays with
interactive video, and plasma screens throughout the
trailer with high-energy video and audio footage.
Also on site were the Hooters’ Girls, manufacturers’
representatives, and Tony Dungey’s Super Moto Cross
bike. Generac had its generator-powered big rig on site
and gave away a Generac generator to a lucky winner. The event was advertised on radio and
television. To view the TV commercial visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v-e9V7SZZB5hl
Kentec MegaTools
held a grand opening of the relocated
Jacksonville branch
on Dec 9. The new location is in a well exposed, prime setting for
industrial clientele. The event went well producing some good
sales and featuring the best hot dogs this side of the Mississippi.
Pictured are Makita Power Tools and DeWalt Power Tools who
participated along with several other vendors
Service Construction Supply, Inc., a leading
distributor of construction, commercial and
industrial supplies, announced the opening of
SCS’s newest location in Columbus, GA. Located at 1340 Blanchard Blvd, Columbus, GA
31901, (706) 322-8286 – Fax (706) 322-8689.
Contact information: Landrum Roberts – 205-238-1444, lroberts@serviceconstructionsupply.com or Logan Ploen – 706-286-3139, lploen@serviceconstructionsupply.com. For more
information visit the web site, www.serviceconstructionsupply.com
Sphere 1 Directory
President/CEO
Vice President
Cooperative Services
Carol Shackelford
Mike Bentley
Melinda Tobey
714-777-6724
760-804-0430
760-804-0430
cas@sphere1net.com mcbentley@sphere1.coop
mhtobey@sphere1net.com
For more information please contact us or visit out our website at www.sphere1.coop
Sphere 1 National Office • 2121 Palomar Airport Road, Suite 170 • Carlsbad, CA 92011
Vendor Spotlight
GOLD SPONSOR
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Sphere 1 Member News
Lee’s Tools held two events recently
promoting new Makita store displays.
The first on Oct 27 featured the
Makita 52 ft rig in their parking lot. It
brought lots of interest from their
customers, and the Police
who made them shut
down early as they didn’t
have a “permit” for the
truck. John Lee (far left)
is shown trying to convince
the police to allow them
to finish the event. Also
pictured is the Lee Tools
store crew in front of the
truck and a customer testing out a Makita
drill.
During the
December
event customers
received soccer
balls and
scarf’s with a
tool purchase,
El Polo Loco catered lunch and Senorita Makita was there to
sign autographs. Advertising in the weeks prior resulted in a
very successful sales day. Kowallis & Richards joined Sphere 1 in 2002, the same
year Terry Kowallis (left) and Purchasing Manager Bill
Detmar (right), discovered Champion Cutting Tool.
Champion has provided reliable service and a diverse
product range. Terry feels this solid relationship makes
ordering easier and the diverse ways they partner-up
provide better service to their customers. Champion’s
support includes co-branded drill sets, promotional flyers,
ChampionEdge quarterly promotions, and the versatile
RollFlex merchandising system; a win-win combination in a tough economy. Sphere 1 provides
members and suppliers an effective conduit for solutions. Together, Kowallis & Richards and
Champion have done just that.
Jim Kuffel, Bolt and Anchor, and 3 fellow “Masters
Swimmers” from Missoula Montana decided to relay
swim the English Channel. The swim was a fund
raiser for their local YMCA youth swimming program
which provides swimming lessons to children of low income families. Last August they flew
to London. The weather was terrible with winds 20-40 mph and the Channel foreboding. For
the next five days their “Certified Channel Crossing boat captain” refused to risk the crossing
saying “not today, maybe tomorrow”. With no change in the weather forecasted and the
captain unwilling to risk the crossing, the team had to
abandon their dream. They did convince the captain
to accompanying them on a 22 mile shoreline swim
(about 2 miles off shore). Each member alternated
half-hour swimming legs until they completed
the swim in just over 8 hours. The 60 degree sea
was brutal with waves over 6 ft at times. The fund
raiser was a success. The Missoula YMCA received
donations totaling over $4,000. The swimmers hope
they will inspire other adults to be more active and
set goals outside the box.
Welcome New Preferred Suppliers
Majestic Glove got its start as a family run endeavor, in the
Netherlands, shortly after World War II. Originally started as
a shoe manufacturer, Majestic eventually branched out into
the glove market. In 1982, Hugo Kruiniger, the founder’s son,
immigrated with a dream to manufacture
and sell gloves in the USA. 28 years
later that dream is still alive with Hugo
pioneering the way for new and innovative
products and ideas such as our new high
visibility clothing line.
Todd Gorrebeeck is the primary contact.
He may be reached at 425-407-1200, cell
206-465-9873 or Todd@MajesticGlove.
Todd Gorrebeeck
com
Secondary contact is John Damon. His
contact information is 425-407-1200, cell
206-550-7479 or John@MajesticGlove.
com
For more information on Majestic please
visit www.majesticglove.com
John Damon
Protective Industrial Products is a US based company that
is part of a global organization. Jointly owned by president Joe
Milot and partner Wellson Tao, PIP has operated as a supplier to
distribution throughout the US since 1984. PIP has expanded its
global reach in recent years to meet the needs of countries such
as Mexico, Australia, China, Panama, Italy and Spain.
The Industrial Division is our core business unit focused on the
needs of Safety, Industrial and Construction Distribution. The
product focus of this division is personal protective equipment
including Hand Protection, Eyewear, Hi-Vis and Flame
Retardant Apparel, Rainwear and Electrical Safety Products.
Our employees are knowledgeable about and well-trained in
the industries that they serve. From the
warehouse staff to the outside sales reps, the
PIP staff strives for excellence day-in and
day-out. They have a high understanding of
our value proposition, earn distributor trust,
work diligently and efficiently, and display
professionalism in everything they do.
Jay Rodgers, primary contact, may be
reached at 518-595-1516 or jrodgers@
Jay Rodgers
pipusa.com. For more information on PIP
please visit www.pipusa.com Vendor Spotlight
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BRONZE SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Preferred Supplier News
Vendor Spotlight
SILVER SPONSOR
Len Bost and Rosa Hearn are
the new Sphere 1 contacts for
Brighton-Best. Len Bost started
in the fastener industry in 1977
at the Cleveland, Ohio service
center. His career responsibilities
have included general warehouse,
warehouse manager, account
Len Bost
Rosa Hearn
manager, branch manager and west
coast regional manager. He is currently Stainless Steel Fastener Product Manager. Len may
be reached at 800-275-0028, cell 562-688-1915, or lbost@brightonbest.com. Rosa Hearn
is currently the West Coast/Latin America Regional Sales Manager. She has over 18 years of
fastener sales and management experience. Rosa will be developing new and existing markets
within the Latin America Region. The appointment indicates the company’s dedication to the
growing markets in Mexico. She may be reached at 562-921-6076 ext 222, cell 562-756-6765
or rhearn@brightonbest.com. For more information visit www.brightonbest.com
For 12 years the employees of ERB Industries have been donating to
the Shepherd Center, www.shepherd.org, via weekly payroll
deductions. As of March 2010 the contributions totaled $421,293,
funding various programs at the center. Beginning in 2007, the chief
beneficiary of their contributions has been Shepherd’s pain treatment
center. The center was officially named the Dean Stroud Pain Institute in honor of Bill and
Florrie Erb’s grandson, Dean Stroud, who died in a boating accident at age 13. The employees of
ERB feel honored to be associated with one of Atlanta’s most admired charitable organizations.
Vendor Spotlight
PLATINUM SPONSOR
In order to better represent the breadth of their line Voltec
will be changing it name from Voltec Industries to Voltec
Power and Lighting Products. Customers should have no
interruptions. Please direct any questions to your Voltec representative or the inside sales team
at www.voltec-industries.com
Heads and Threads International is launching a new
division called Socket Screw Supply. S3 will be stocking
a full line of socket products adding new sizes and pack
quantities to HTI’s socket offering. S3 will offer standard
and nonstandard sizes as well as inch and metric products. Nylon patch, pellet & plated will
be available on request. S3 products will be available online as well as through your local HTI
sales representative. To contact a sales representative, call 855-HTI-S300. Product line cards
and other information about the new division can be found at www.socketscrewsupply.com
Mike Slauson
Mike Slauson is the new primary
contact for Werner and GreenBull.
Mike has been with the company
for 12 years and is currently Director of Sales Professional Channel. He
has worked closely with Blue Volt in developing Sphere 1 U modules and
recently has been active on the training committee. Mike may be reached at
503-675-2984, cell 503-720-2211 or slausmc@wernerco.com. For more
information visit www.wernerladder.com and www.greenbullladder.com
Intercorp is pleased to announced the opening of a
new distribution warehouse in Houston, Texas. This new
location will compliment their existing locations in Los
Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Portland. “We have a
lot of customers in the Houston area and servicing them efficiently is a top priority,” said Branch
Manager Ed Harper. “We can now offer same day pickup and one day shipping throughout
Texas and Louisiana, on over 500 different fasteners. This will allow our customers to keep more
of a JIT inventory by being able to procure merchandise quickly and efficiently, ultimately saving
time and money.” The new distribution warehouse is located at: 3701 Yale, Houston, TX 77018.
Phone: (713) 692-1167 – Fax: (713) 692-1274 – Toll Free: (800) 558-7222.
Preferred Supplier News
Vendor Spotlight
Keson Industries introduced a new brand logo at
STAFDA in Phoenix, AZ. The new logo and company
tagline, Make Your Mark, were developed to reinforce the
company’s relationship with the construction, surveying,
and engineering markets, as well as with professionals
that require precision measuring and marking instruments
in their jobs. The company has been run by the Nosek family since it was founded, and the
company name is the founding family’s name spelled backwards. Reversing the name was
done to remind the company’s leaders to always look back, to reflect on its history while
striving for continued success. The rebranding also features new marketing including unified
product packaging. For more information, go to www.keson.com
Larry Briski is the new primary contact
at Krylon Industrial. Larry has 24 years
experience with Krylon, starting in retail sales,
moving up to sales rep, and to District Manager
for National Accounts in Atlanta,GA. His
current position is National Account Manager.
Larry is looking forward to working with the Sphere 1 Membership and
staff. Contact him at 216-515-7785, cell 770-355-1324 or lpbriski@
sherwin.com
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Larry Briski
Henkel is pleased to announce the hiring of Mike
Meckley as Regional Sales Manager, western U.S.,
for the Pro Sales Division. Mike began his career
in the building materials industry in 1988, taking a
break in 1992 to serve in the U.S. Army – 82nd Airborne Division. Mike
has had the opportunity to work in retail sales, wholesale distribution
and manufacturing and held the positions of Assistant Store Manager,
Operations Manager, Regional Sales Manager, National Sales Manager,
Mike Meckley
and as an independent sales representative. Mike is the Sphere 1 primary
contact. He may be reached at 541-570-1515 or mike.meckley@us.henkel.com
Powers Fasteners has announced a strategic
succession of management for the family-owned
business. Chris Powers will assume the advisory role of Chairman, while Jeffrey R. Powers
has been promoted to CEO of global business,
Frederic Powers III, Jeffrey R. Powers, Mike
operating in eight countries worldwide. Frederic
Fergus, and Chris Powers
Powers III will be President. Mike Fergus has
been hired as VP of Purchasing. Mike has a vast background
in international manufacturing and supply chain.
Brian Shulz, Engineer, P.E., has joined the Powers staff
in the Brewster office. The sales force welcomed two new
representatives; Greg Stephenson, Philadelphia, and Chris
Hermann, Maryland. Don Manning is the new branch
manager for Powers Fasteners Salt Lake City, UT.
Powers has established offices and warehouse facilities in
Brian Shulz
Greg Stephenson
Mumbai, India with additional warehouses in Delhi. Ajay
Kulkarni will serve as Managing Director of the new operation while Sumit Bhattacharya will serve as Chairman.
Kulkarni has 15 years experience in the power tools, anchor
and fastener industry. Bhattacharya was formerly the Managing Director of Proctor & Gamble India. The India operations opened for business on October 1, 2010. For more
Chris Hermann information visit www.powers.com or call 1-800-524-3244. Don Manning
Vendor Spotlight
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Preferred Supplier News
Ricardo Clausse was named
president of Louisville Ladder,
Inc. in November. He has been
with the
company for
over 13 years,
holding several positions within the Aluminum
Sector in the areas of operations, supply chain,
and international sales and marketing. He may be
reached at 502-635-9310 or ricardo.clausse@
louisvilleladder.com
Additionally Brad Gellis has been named VP
Ricardo Clausse
of Sales for the Industrial channel and Brian Wilcox has been named VP of Sales for the Hardware, Retail and Paint
channels.
Jamie Christian is the new
primary contact
for Milwaukee
Electric Tool.
Jamie joined
Milwaukee in 1999 as a District Manager. He
was later promoted to the positions of Regional
Jamie Christian
Manager, Director of National Accounts, and
VP Sales-Western Division. He currently is VP
Sales-I/C Field. Jamie may be reached at 262-527-0384 or Jamie.
christian@comcast.net
The first official branch office of MAX
USA opened in Torrance, CA at 21250
Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 500. Shintaro
Tanaka and Lewis Wood feel the new
location will allow them to work more
closely with dealers in the Western region. They may be reached at
(310) 792-7490 Fax: (310) 792-7401. For more information visit
www.maxusacorp.com
Powermatic, a division of
Walter Meier Manufacturing, Inc., is celebrating
90 Years as the Gold Standard in wood working
machinery. Founder Leonard Smith of McMinnville, TN, built an advanced model of the wood
planer concept. His innovative machine could
plane a large amount of stock in a single pass.
Powermatic still adheres to Smith’s vision of
ingenuity and manufacturing integrity, and serves the woodworking
industry with the same commitment to excellence. For more information visit www.powermatic.com.
“Made in America and Made to Last.” Wilton Tool
Company, a division of Walter Meier Manufacturing, is celebrating 70 years as the leading manufacturer of industrial vises and clamps. Invented by
Hugh Vogl in 1941, the patented bullet-shaped fully
enclosed spindle design vise, is still manufactured in Chicago. More
information is available at www.wiltontools.com
Vendor Spotlight
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BRONZE SPONSOR
TREK Center News
SPHERE 1 UNIVERSITY UPDATE
• 1,067 Member Employees taking courses • 13,279 Enrollments
• 3,540 Hours of Training Completed • 68 Courses
Harmco Fastener Promotes Sphere 1 University Training!
Harmco Fastener conducted a Sphere 1 University training
contest for the month of November. Ron Credit of Harmco,
states “We did offer two incentives for the contest. We matched
the Blue Bucks - dollar for dollar, and the one completing the
most courses in the month of November won a night stay at the
Bed and Breakfast Vagabond Inn in Naples New York , ‘ Wine
Country’.”
Ryan Bray of Harmco was the winner and lucky recipient of the night’s stay at the
Vagabond Inn! Ryan says, “I think the Sphere 1 university is great. I have now accumulated $100.00 from the sphere 1 university. It not only gives you the opportunity
to familiarize yourself with all sorts of construction products. But, if you pass the tests
on the website, they give you points toward all sorts of things. I just think it is a great
program. The only problem for me is that I’m running out of products to select.”
Ron affirms, “Sphere 1 University is such a great learning tool for our sales people.
It’s worth adding a little incentive to get them to use it.”
New Sphere 1 University Courses
Powers Fasteners announces its 2011 Distributor,
Product and Sales Training schedule. This three-day
program, available exclusively to authorized Powers Distributors, will cover all aspects of construction
fastening including product features and benefits, hands-on installation and safety
training, the fundamentals of “Cracked Concrete” anchoring, and the “Pragmatics of
Jobsite Selling” (jobsite…selling skills and techniques).
Training Dates: Wednesday, April 27 – 29 ------ Brewster, NY.
Wednesday, July 13 – 15 -------- Los Angeles, CA.
Wednesday, October 26 – 28 ---- Brewster, NY.
Reservations are accepted on a “first-come / first-serve” basis and should be requested no later than 2 weeks before the commencement of the class. To register please
contact your local Powers Fasteners Representative…or call 1-800-524-3244 and ask
for the Powers Fasteners Training Coordinator, Ms. Jean Mulhern.
Jack Zenor, Director of Business Development and National Training Manager is
the instructor for the training.
United Abrasives, Inc. / SAIT training seminars
provide intensive instruction that will help improve
your business’ profitability by giving you a better
understanding of United Abrasives, Inc. / SAIT
products and marketing strategies. This opportunity is provided to our customers,
complements of United Abrasives, Inc. / SAIT. The training seminars are open
to distributors giving them an opportunity to visit the facility in North Windham,
Connecticut and learn more about abrasives. During the 2 day seminar there will be
an overview of abrasive products including bonded, coated, brushes, and accessory
items. Attendees will also be given a plant tour of the manufacturing facility and
participate in a very extensive hands-on session.
The next training class will be held March 24 – March 25, 2011. Keep checking the
website’s Training section for future training dates. For more information contact
Ron Gehen at rgehen@unitedabrasives.com or visit www.unitedabrasives.com.
Champion Cutting Tools
• RotoBrute Magnetic Drill Press and Annular Cutter
Diamond Products
• Abrasives 101
• Core Drilling 101
• Dry Diamond Blades 101
Fomo Products, Inc.
• Weatherization Applications
Using Low Pressure
Polyurethane Spray Foams
Powers Fasteners
• Elements That Drive Demand Based on Effects of IBC (part 1)
• Elements That Drive Demand Based on Effects of IBC (part 2)
Simpson Strong-Tie Co.
• Introduction to Gas Actuated
Fastening Systems
February 2011–Selling Against Hilti
5 part series with 14 training modules, hosted by Jack Zenor
Member Testimonial
Although this
is the first
year of DHC’s
membership in
Sphere 1 it has
become abundantly clear to us that our
membership is loaded with benefits to
our company. We have been able to
contact and do business with vendors
that were not interested in our company
in the past and also derive more benefits
from those vendors that we had an
established account with. Our company
has also been impressed with the hard
work and dedication of the Sphere 1
staff. We look forward to many years of
mutually beneficial association.
Don Smith
DHC Supplies, Inc.
Visit the TREK Center at www.sphere1.coop for more information.
Stanley Black & Decker Continued from the front cover
May 17-19
2011 Annual
Partnership Meeting
Commitment to Quality &
Innovation
The integration of Stanley
and Black & Decker has
only helped to improve two
great product development
processes. This is evidenced
by a robust product pipeline
in 2011. At the core of each
new product is a promise
of quality and a passion for
“innovation that matters.”
Green Valley Ranch Resort
Las Vegas, NV
Schedule of Events
Monday, May 16
• Optional Golf Tournament
Tuesday, May 17
• Member Meeting
11:30 AM–5:00 PM
(members only)
• Opening Cocktail Reception
6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Between DEWALT,
Bostitch, Porter-Cable, and
Stanley, there will be over
400 new products launching this year alone. Among them
are a new platform of 12V Lithium Ion cordless tools, a
line-up of over 100 DEWALT hand tools, a host of gamechanging power tool accessories, and a line of new cordless
nailers by Bostitch. You should expect to hear more about
these and other launches scheduled for late 2011 in the
coming months.
Wednesday, May 18
• Supplier Meeting
7:15 AM–8:30 AM
(suppliers only)
• Tabletop Sessions 8:55 AM
• Dinner Banquet
6:00 PM–9:30 PM
Thursday, May 19
• Tabletop Session Continues 8:15 AM
• Evening open for Members/
Suppliers Networking
Chairman’s Message from page 2
continues to represent the “Best of the
Industry”. Purchases from our preferred
suppliers are rebounding significantly
and our flagship programs, Sphere I
University and Gateway for Growth
are gaining legs faster than our ever
optimistic expectations. Most importantly
that “hard to put your finger on it” sense
of pride and spirit that flows throughout
Sphere 1 has never been stronger.
We all have much to be thankful for.
I would like to send a personal thank
you to all members and suppliers for
their continued support and commitment
to the ideals of Sphere 1. I would also
like to thank Carol, Mike, Melinda,
Colleen, Kathy, Nancy, Barb and Joe
and my fellow Board of Directors for
their uncompromising dedication to our
organization.
Keep your axes sharp! Keep your head
up! If a tree falls in your forest hear it
before it lands!
Wishing you, your families and your
companies a success filled 2011. I look
forward to seeing all of you in May at the
beautiful Green Valley Ranch.
Bob
Above all, there is a renewed commitment to earn the
business of Sphere 1 customers. The folks at Stanley Black
& Decker have gone to great lengths to understand what
matters most to you. As a result, you can expect improved focus on your business, a marketing
toolbox that drives sales for you business, and the products that keep them coming back.
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