"There finally are signs of a plan to push export-centric business that will result in a clear global trade policy,” says Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association.

HD Supply reported a total of $1.8 billion in net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2010, a 5.7 percent decline compared to the same time last year.

In March, Activant hosted its annual Summit conference in Washington, DC, focusing on transforming operational excellence into growth.

Industrial distributor Interline Brands reported sales for the first quarter of 2010 decreased 4.5% compared to the first quarter of 2009.

Activant Solutions and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announced a marketing partnership.

Activant has launched its own blog: http://activantwdn.blogspot.com.

A quarterly survey of business conditions by the North Central Wholesalers Association showed member sales rising a median 3.3% in March.

Only 10 out of 337 metropolitan areas added construction jobs between February 2009 and 2010, the Associated General Contractors of America reported, citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

DDI System will host a live online demo on Thursday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. EST, of its hosted software solutions (SaaS).

Construction spending tumbled in February by $11.6 billion, or 1.3 percent, to $846 billion, a low last recorded in 2002, according to an analysis of new federal figures by the Associated General Contractors of America.