Report: Southeast to lead wholesale distribution industry in growth

A new report titled "NAW Economic Forecast 2004," by Pembroke Consulting and Economy.com for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, forecasts that wholesaler-distributors in the Southeast region of the U.S. will lead the industry in terms of jobs and revenue growth. Among wholesaler-distributors across all 50 states and in the Southeast, Florida's wholesale distribution companies will likely be the fastest growing in terms of revenues. On average, revenues by wholesaler-distributors in Florida are forecast to rise 8 percent in 2004. Georgia's distributors will also see revenues climb 5.2 percent, followed by North Carolina at 4 percent and South Carolina at 3.6 percent, respectively.Florida will also lead the Southeast region in employment growth among wholesaler-distributors as well with a forecast growth in hiring of 3.5 percent. North Carolina will see wholesale distribution jobs climb 1.7 percent followed by South Carolina at 1.4 percent. Georgia will see jobs in wholesale distribution increase slightly at approximately 1 percent.Employment and revenue growth among wholesaler-distributors in the Southeast will be the fastest growing in the nation. The regional average for revenue growth by wholesaler distributors is forecast at 6.2 percent and the regional forecast for employment growth among wholesaler-distributors is 2.1 percent.According to Pembroke Consulting's regional analysis, there are approximately 61,000 locations involved with wholesale distribution in the Southeast. These companies employ over 660,000 people in the region in jobs ranging from sales and office workers to truckers and warehouse workers.The report forecasts the national average employment growth among all wholesale distributors at 1.4 percent and revenue growth by wholesale distribution companies at 5.6 percent. Across the U.S., the wholesale distribution industry consists of over 300,000 companies that employ nearly one out of every 20 Americans.