Tim Reynolds on Running a Business in a Recession

Tribute President Tim Reynolds shares his thoughts on running a business in turbulent times:

"Clear thinking and an open mind are critical to small-business success. Take a hard look at your business processes and compare them to the best standards in distribution. Trade organizations can help you determine how you stack up against the competition and offer excellent networking and training opportunities. Take the "blinders" off and streamline your business so you can be ready for the good times to come."

You can read the full article in the March 2009 issue of Industrial Distribution.

Faxon Engineering Revamps Distribution Management System

Founded in 1946, Faxon Engineering has evolved to become a leading distributor of hose, fittings, hydraulic, pneumatic and lubrication components throughout New England. Their commitment to quality industrial distribution is supported by an experienced sales force, dedicated inside staff and conscientious warehouse personnel, all striving to make it easy to do business with them. The one area needed attention was having the right set of tools so they could more effectively serve their customers. Faxon Engineering recently invested in new technology to maximize their efficiency, productivity and profitability. That's where Tribute, Inc. and their state-of-the-art Windows-based distribution management system called TrulinX came in. Click here to read the full article in the February 2008 issue of Manufacturer's Mart. Or, click here to view the article in PDF format.

TrulinX Team Continues to Expand

David Shull has joined the TrulinX team as its newest Customer Support Specialist. He previously performed customer implementation, training, and consulting with TMW Systems, a leading provider of trucking software. David has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Information Systems from the University of Arkansas. In his spare time, David enjoys watching motor sports and spending time with his family.

Tribute, Inc. Selects Tour de Force CRM Software

Recognizing that a "one stop solution" is neither practical nor desirable in today's rapidly changing environment, Tribute long ago adopted a partnership strategy to seek out leading edge suppliers of technologies that augment our expertise in Distribution Management Software.  In this way, we ensure that our customers can take advantage of the best software available in the market place to support their operations.

Sales Force Automation (SFA) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) are important tools in the distribution industry.  In keeping with our strategy, Tribute did an extensive review of the major players in this marketplace.  As a result, we are delighted to announce that Tribute, Inc. has joined with MRH Technologies to offer our customers a state-of-the-art SFA/CRM package called Tour de Force.

We were so impressed with this package that we chose to replace the software we used in our business with Tour de Force. In just a few weeks, we were up and running with our data converted. We are very impressed with the installation support that MRH provides, including helping us review our sales cycle management processes. The quality of this software has exceeded our expectations and we are pleased to be able to recommend Tour de Force to our customers.

Tour de Force is run through Microsoft Outlook, so we utilize software with which our sales, support, and management personnel are already familiar.  Tour de Force offers nearly unlimited user-defined fields, so we can customize the software to track information that is important in building stronger relationships with our customers.  Tour de Force also integrates with both the TrulinX and the Tribute software packages, so sales and management staff can go to Microsoft Outlook for all the customer information they need. 

For more information on Tour de Force, contact MRH Technologies at www.mrhtech.com.

TrulinX Team Welcomes Quality Assurance Specialist

The TrulinX team is pleased to welcome Shawanda Woodard, Quality Assurance Specialist. In her previous position at Intuit Real Estate Solutions, she performed software support and quality assurance for over 400 internal software users, and accounting support for 120 accountants. Shawanda holds three degrees from the University of Akron: a Bachelor's degree in Communication, a Bachelor's degree in Food Science, and an Associate's degree in Computer Information Systems. When she's not busy working or watching NBA basketball, she can be found working out at the gym or spending time with family and friends.

TrulinX Team Continues to Grow

Adam Wagner has joined the TrulinX team full-time as a Conversion Specialist and Developer. Previously, Adam spent two years as an intern with the TrulinX Development team. Adam recently received his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Kent State University. Adam's hobbies include modifying sport compact cars, golfing, and playing tennis.