WINTER 2020

86 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

86 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK UNLIMITED SUPPLIES INC. 13021 16th Ave N., Plymouth, MN 55441 TEL 763-746-5150 EMAIL sales@unlimited-usa.com WEB www.unlimited-usa.com NEED INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES? MAKE THEM UNLIMITED Unlimited Supplies, that is. Unlimited Supplies, Inc. (USI) is a family owned and operated industrial supplies distributor in Minneapolis, MN. Unlimited Supplies, Inc (USI) was built as a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) supplier. They believe that a customer-focused approach is critical, since the products that they offer are commodity items. When they started, Vendor Managed Inventory consisted of their employees visiting the customers with an order pad in hand. They checked the bins and wrote the orders on site. Those orders would be brought to the office for entry into their computer system. The customers loved the experience, but it was a lot of work for Unlimited. Growth and Change The company grew rapidly, both organically, and VENDING MACHINES PROVIDE CUSTOMER ACCESS CONTROL AND CREATE ORDERS through the acquisition of several of their competitors. As they grew, they knew that they needed to reduce the time involved in taking and entering the orders, and improve the accuracy of the orders. This challenged them to adopt new technologies over the years. The technology that they used initially offered some benefits, but they did not rest on their laurels. They have been on a path of continuous improvement with all of their technology. CONVENIENT MOBILE DEVICE BASED ORDERS CAN BE DONE BY USI PERSONNEL OR CUSTOMERS. The result is that their current inventory management program is in the forefront of the VMI industry. BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 150

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 87 As a master stocking distributor of industrial fasteners, handles, knobs and installation tools, Advance Components has renewed its ISO 9001:2015 certification -- the standard used by organizations to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements while also demonstrating continuous improvement. Advance is a trusted supply chain partner for industry distributors and our suppliers including ARaymond/ Tinnerman, AVK Industrial, Parker Fasteners, Davies Molding, Heyco, Vogelsang Fastener Solutions, The Duplex Screw, and Essentra/Micro Plastics. Advance Components would also like to announce that Brandon Gilbert has joined the team as a Regional Account Manager. He brings years of experience in sales, account management and customer service to the Inside Sales Team. Brandon’s knowledge of industrial fastener applications, technology and B2B, will provide our customers with the positive and informative purchasing experience that Advance customers have come to expect. For more information contact Advance Components at 2920 Commodore Drive, Suite 100, Carrollton, TX 75007. Tel: 1-800-275-7772, email: sales@ advancecomponents.com or visit them online at www. advancecomponents.com.