• Great Days at KS Speedway
• Nextel Cup Car Ride
• Winning the Sales Game
• On Track With Customers

• IBT Listens to Purchasers

• Line 'Em Up

• Motoman Robots
• Now You See Them.

• Tough Jobs May Not Last
• Polyurethane PT Belts

• Importance of Filtration
• New ANVER Components

• Getting Started

• A City's Great Yesterdays
• All About Ethanol DVD

• IBT Vendors Score High
• Shop & TV Studio Shine
• Don't Be In The Dark
• Spend and Save

• IBT Belt Services

• School Days at IBT
• ABCs of AC/DC
• Hydraulic Training

• Harley® Loyalty
• CrVI Compliance
• Dangerous Work

General Industrial: Getting Started

"In for a penny, in for a pound" is an old English proverb. It means that if you begin to head down a pathway, you might as well expect to go all the way.

The new General Industrial Products Group at IBT is an example of that kind of visionary thinking. The logic is if IBT is engaged with customers, especially in Integrated Services Group, it makes sense to be there for all the needs for supplies that are needed to keep a plant well-maintained and productive.

For IBT, it meant thinking of products in new and different ways.

Originally, the company began its life in 1949 by combining bearings with power transmission. In that day, this was considered a major change in direction. Previously, bearings came from the bearing people and power transmission came from a different vendor.

The wisdom of Forrest L. Cloud's decision is reflected in the vastly diversified IBT of today. And, the persistence of his logic shows up in the recently formed General Industrial Products offering.

Products now offered by IBT include: fasteners, abrasives, cutting tools, hand and power tools, precision and measuring tools, paints and coatings, tape, pipe valves and fittings, brushes and wire wheels, packaging, and welding supplies.

"We looked at how we might expand our 'one source' philosophy for our customers," Jon Prince reports. "We realized that it was far easier for our customers to look to us for all their needs: not just the things we traditionally were selling them. Once we made that connection, it got easier to figure out what to add to our selection.

"We began by looking for the brand names that stand out. As a result, we started with brands like Holokrome; Lane Punch; Merit; Morse Cutting Tools; Craftsman; KD Tools; Jacobs; Allen; Armstrong; Carborundum; Rust-Oleum; and Danaher Tool Group. As we have progressed, we have greatly expanded our merchandise. Now we can get just about anything any plant is likely to need.

"We also are ready, willing and eager to consider new categories of merchandise that customers may need. Our vision is to find ways to take care of the customers' needs and help them any way we can."

To learn more about IBT General Industrial Supply, contact Jon Prince or Mike Muenks.

• General Industrial Articles Archive