The 50 Largest Companies in the Industrial Supply Wholesaler Industry Hold around 50 Percent of the

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2006--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c37656) has announced the addition of the First Research report: Industrial Supply Wholesalers - Industry Profile to their offering. Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter: The US market for distributing industrial supplies includes about 10,000 companies with combined annual revenue of $70 billion and 15,000 local outlets. The industry is highly fragmented but concentrated at the top: the 50 largest companies hold about 50 percent of the total market, but 80 percent of companies have less than $5 million in annual sales. Large companies include Grainger, Applied Industrial Technologies, MSC Industrial Direct, and Industrial Distribution Group. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE Demand is closely tied to the level of US manufacturing production. Because many operating costs are fixed, profitability depends on sales volume and operational efficiency, particularly inventory management. Smaller companies can compete effectively with national distributors by providing specialized supplies or superior service (delivery service and product expertise). Large distributors with a network of warehouses and outlets can maintain a lower inventory/sales ratio. PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY Industrial supply companies sell a large number of products that industrial customers use for maintenance, repair, operations, and production (the industry refers to itself as the MRO supply or MROP supply industry). Examples include tools, pipe, and valve fittings; electrical products; fluid handling equipment; pumps, motors, fasteners, instruments; and safety and cleaning equipment and supplies. Large distributors may carry 500,000 different items (stock keeping units - SKUs). Our easy-to-use, quarterly industry profiles provide you with the industry analysis you need to better understand any particular business. We synthesize information from hundreds of sources into an easy to digest format, giving you invaluable information about your target market, highlighting critical industry statistics and issues, changes that have taken place since the last quarterly update and key concerns that can have negative or positive impacts on investments. Utilizing the financial and forecasting data while simultaneously learning from educational business overviews can help you and your customers plan more effectively and invest wisely. Our industry reports will educate your sales team on critical industry trends in target markets, empowering them to create more strategic proposals. These industry reports are also essential for professional organizations that want make savvy, educated business decisions. We provide industry reports that are simple to use and help you understand the most important facets of industry trends and developments. This profile is updated quarterly. At time of ordering, you will receive the most recent edition. Topics Covered -- Industry Overview -- Quarterly Industry Update -- Business Challenges -- Trends and Opportunities -- Call Preparation Questions -- Financial Information -- Industry Forecast -- Website and Media Links -- Glossary of Acronyms Companies Mentioned -- Grainger -- Applied Industrial Technologies -- MSC Industrial Direct -- Industrial Distribution Group. For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c37656