Industrial Distribution

Optimas International hopes to identify potential opportunities to expand through acquisitions at a fastener industry event later this year, company officials said Thursday. Mike Tuffy, the company’s CEO, plans to meet owners and stakeholders of U.S.-based businesses that are “considering the sale or divestment” of their non-U.S. operations at the International Fastener Expo in October.

Cutting tool shipments in the U.S. were up by 31.7% in June and 19.3% in the first half of 2026 compared to those timeframes last year, according to the latest monthly report from the Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute. June shipments were valued at $270.5 million, bringing the total to $1.47 billion over the first six months of the year.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fuchs Lubricants' Americas Technology Center, Taunton, Mass. Fuchs Lubricants Co. has officially opened a new R&D and technical support hub for its operations in the Americas, company officials announced Wednesday. The German lubricants supplier said that the 55,000-square-foot Americas Technology Center in Taunton, Massachusetts, would focus on advanced lubrication and tribology solutions across the region.

WASHINGTON (AP) β€” Interest rates rebounded Thursday despite efforts by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to put a lid on longer-term borrowing costs, a sign Wall Street investors remain worried about burgeoning government debt, heavy borrowing by tech firms, and the Federal Reserve's commitment to fighting inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a key benchmark for mortgage rates, rose back to 4.69% Thursday.

Grainger has officially opened its newest distribution center to serve markets in the Pacific Northwest, company leaders announced. The MRO giant — the top company on ID’s annual Big 50 list — held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for its Northwest Distribution Center in Gresham, Oregon. Grainger first announced plans for the suburban Portland facility in July of 2023 and broke ground at the location almost exactly three years ago.

U.S. industrial production increased by 0.2% in July compared to the previous month, according to the latest production index issued by the Federal Reserve. The Fed’s July industrial production index came in at 103%, which was also 1.1% higher than the level last July. Manufacturing production β€” one of three industry groups in the industrial production report β€” increased by 0.2% over June, as well.

North Carolina automation, power solutions and electrical distributor Electrical Equipment Company announced Tuesday that it has acquired Virginia counterpart Foster Electric. EECO officials said that the deal would expand its industrial and automation expertise in the Virginia electrical contractor market. Foster Electric will retain its current name and staff, as well as its Lynchburg facility, the company added.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said Thursday it was seeking more than $1.5 billion in damages from Panama after the country seized two canal ports caught in the crosshairs of U.S.-China tensions.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Amazon has selected Austin as the site of a new robotics manufacturing facility. He said the multi-billion-dollar development will create 300 to 500 new jobs in manufacturing and engineering. Amazon said that since 2010, it has invested more than $100 billion in Texas, including infrastructure and compensation to its 86,000 full- and part-time employees in the state.

Production and supply chain planners constantly face forecast uncertainty. A project surfaces in the CRM forecast, and the way it is described normally looks something like: “Looking Good. 8/31 close. They like our solution and said our quote is in line with their expectations. 85% likelihood.” “Should we plan for production capacity?” they wonder. Maybe, but often, forecasts are unreliable. So they hedge, run capacity scenarios and adjust order amounts — skeptically.