Airgas Acquires Welding Suppliers Distributor

| MCM staff

Airgas is at it again. The direct merchant of industrial gases and safety gear, which since the beginning of its fiscal year in April has completed 13 acquisitions, on Dec. 31 announced it has purchased Great Lakes Oxygen, a $15 million distributor of industrial gas and welding supplies.

Time for a good P&L scrubbing

| Steve Trollinger

Even in a time of serious belt-tightening, the last thing a multichannel marketer should do is stop marketing. The catalog, the Website, the e-mail campaigns

Logistics Systems Play Critical Role in Parts Management

| Walter Weart

The pressure on merchants to control cost has never been more intense. With the contraction of the credit market and the loss of consumer spending, excessive inventories are a critical factor.

SkyRoll Scores with Shipwire Fulfillment

| Patrick Barnard

Don Chernoff established his own e-commerce business, SkyRoll, in 2001. The business sells a special type of garment bag that rolls your clothes around a tube, keeping them flat and wrinkle-free while making them easier to transport.

Henry Schein DC Gets the Green Light

| Patrick Barnard

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint, cut energy costs and make your warehouse employees happier all at the same time? Then you might want to follow the lead of medical, dental and veterinary products distributor Henry Schein, which recently added a new eco-friendly lighting system at its 176,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Grapevine, TX.

Third-Quarter Deals Hold Steady

| Jim Tierney

The Third Quarter was a Busy One with 16 deals, compared to 13 last year. Many transactions were strategic in nature, including Harry & David Holdings