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December 26, 2007 News for the wholesale distribution industry     News and Trends  Thermo Fisher Scientific lands chromatography company Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has picked up La-Pha-Pack Werner Reifferscheidt GmbH, a Germany-based manufacturer and provider of chromatography consumables and relevant accessories for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition gives Thermo Fisher the ability to offer such products throughout more of Europe, the company said. American City Business Journals/Mass High Tech (12/20) Nokia re-ups with Brightpoint on U.S. distribution deal Brightpoint has announced an extension through Dec. 31, 2008, of its distribution deal with cell-phone maker Nokia, under which Brightpoint will continue to be an authorized distributor for Nokia in the U.S. Separately, Brightpoint won a contract to manage Nokia's reseller program for online sales. The Indianapolis Star (12/20) Other News United Stationers renews lease on La Vergne, Tenn., distribution center CoStar Group (12/19)   Best Practices  New year is opportunity to renew business plans January is a good time to develop a long-term strategic plan for a small business and to develop relationships through marketing, purchasing and hiring, experts say. The beginning of the year also is the time to decide whether to change the structure of the company. The Boston Globe/Associated Press (12/19) How to secure a bank loan A business plan worthy of gaining loan approval needs to thoroughly identify essential facets of a company, its competition and market for its products and services. Anticipated growth rate usually is determined by revenue and profit growth patterns. CNNMoney.com/Fortune Small Business (12/20)   Sales  Limited resources lead to marketing alternatives Most entrepreneurs do not have the money nor the savvy to launch successful marketing campaigns. This primer looks at how internal structures affect marketing decisions and lays out several alternative marketing techniques startups might use to attract customers. Hyper Passionate Entrepreneurs (12/21)   Small Business Manager  Servers may help small businesses gain productivity Computer servers offer small businesses remote access for employees who are on the road and data security, says product manager Constanza Zalaba with Microsoft Small Business Server. Servers also allow employees to collaborate by sharing access to calendars, schedules, customer information and other data. PC World (12/20)   Executive Life  OLED screens may challenge LCDs by 2015, analyst predicts Industry analysts expect OLED TVs to continue to gain market presence in the near future, as both the minuscule size and visual flair of the technology will likely appeal to a large number of consumers. "There's speculation that beyond 2015, OLEDs could advance to become a credible threat to the LCD flat-panel business," said Paul Gagnon, an analyst at DisplaySearch. International Herald Tribune (12/23) Database helps Newark TSA return valuable items to travelers TSA security officers at Newark Liberty airport often go to great lengths to return valuable items left at security checkpoints to their owners. At Newark, the TSA uses a database tracking system that logs calls about missing items and cross references the calls with a list of items found. Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (12/21)   NAW Insider  NAW Health Insurance Trust: Comprehensive benefits, lower costs for members NAW, Trustmark Affinity Markets, and Flexible Benefit Service Corporation have partnered to offer a health insurance plan that leverages the combined buying power of member companies, rewards healthy companies with lower premiums, and provides the added benefit of a pooled reserve fund. Learn more about this health insurance program available exclusively to NAW direct members or members of NAW member associations. Employee Performance Improvement Tool Kit: Your key HR resource Every distributor needs a more structured approach to improving employee performance, and the Employee Performance Improvement Tool Kit (book and CD) fits that bill. Use it to find, hire, develop, evaluate and retain efficient and effective employees. It includes dozens of customizable templates and 21 different samples of distribution jobs. Make it a key component in your human resources program. Learn more about NAW -> Join NAW  |  Business Products  |  Publications  |  Meetings  |  Govt. Relations   Weekly Poll  How much time do you get off during the holidays? After voting once, check out the real-time poll results on NAW's All Access page as often as you'd like. The entire week of Dec. 24 Dec. 24 and 25 Just Dec. 25 None! Other Operations Manager - Centralized Distribution Center (DC) HISCO, Inc. Houston, TX   SmartQuote  Celebrate what you want to see more of." --Thomas J. Peters, writer and business management expert     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Associate:  Henry Murphey 202-737-5500 ext. 245 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Lee Vanderwerff 202-737-5500 ext. 248   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful Web site for SmartBrief readers including: Breaking News Industry Home Competitor News Readers' Choice Press Releases Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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