THE GRIMES-IDI STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

WHAT IS IDI?

Grimes Industrial Products Group is a member of the IDI business network, a select buying group of owner-operated independent Canadian companies engaged in the distribution and sale of power transmission and bearing products and a truly comprehensive variety of industrial tools, materials and supplies. Members of the IDI alliance together have more than 1600 technically-trained staff across Canada, and annual sales in excess of $400 million.

WHY DID GRIMES JOIN IDI?

IDI (Independent Distributors Inc.) was founded in 1981 to strengthen Canadian companies' competitive capabilities in national, continental and global markets, to promote national coverage and efficient supply-chain management solutions, to enhance the value of member companies' services to their customers, and to bring those customers better prices and service.

Our access to IDI's programs and buying power furthers the competitive advantage of Grimes and of our customers. Like Grimes, all of IDI's members must be successful entrepreneurial companies which are invested and engaged in the life of local communities, and dedicated to providing superior-quality products and service. Our alliance with IDI enables Grimes to maintain our independence while offering our customers significant direct benefits: extraordinary product access and buying leverage, advanced purchasing programs and systems, and extended quality assurance.

HOW DO GRIMES CUSTOMERS BENEFIT?

Buying Leverage: IDI-member purchasing power further strengthens Grimes' ability to negotiate the best prices and provide the best products from more than 1800 industrial suppliers around the world. Grimes uses that product access and volume leverage to achieve the most advantageous cost-effective buying and pricing, and to extend our single-source purchasing responsibilities to the widest range of specialized industrial products needed by our customers.

Improved Processes, Programs and Systems: IDI's product purchasing programs and systems, and IDI-member inventories of more than $60 million across Canada, reinforce Grimes' capabilities in quoting and servicing single-source supply chain contracts, whether for single-facility or multiple-plant operations. Effective supply-chain programs standardize and consolidate product sourcing and produce significant reductions in our customers' inventory requirements, backorders, and transaction costs. And IDI's integrated product purchasing systems, process improvements, technical training resources and e-business development programs all support Grimes' applications expertise and fast, reliable access to whatever our customers need, nationwide.

Quality Assurance: IDI members must demonstrate commitment to providing superior products and service through quality assurance programs, Total Quality Management systems or ISO registration. That complements Grimes' own dedication to excellence and achievement of ISO 9001 Registered quality assurance standards. The ISO 9001 certification attests that Grimes has met all ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 standards, plus an additional element referring to design. Grimes' ISO 9001:1994 Registered status recognizes the particularly ingenious design of our very effective customer service programs. At Grimes, we take pride in that accomplishment and in the hard work and continuing commitment to quality represented by the ISO 9001 distinction, and we wouldn't join any group that didn't share the values it represents.

For more information about Grimes' IDI-enhanced single-source purchasing programs and integrated supply-chain management programs, contact Grimes at (416) 749-0591 or 1 (800) 268-0568.