Lawson Products increased sales by 4% in the fourth quarter and 18.8% for the full year, thanks in part to its acquisition of Partsmaster. Lawson reported a quarterly net loss of $0.8 million and annual net profit of $9.4 million.

Some third-party sellers on Amazon are raising their prices, citing increased rates for Amazon's advertising and Fulfilled by Amazon services, as well as inflation and higher costs for materials. Amazon's fulfillment fees increased last month by 5.2% on average.

US railroads experienced an almost 12% drop in containers and truck trailers during the first six weeks of the year, compared to the same period in 2021, as shippers shifted to trucks to circumvent supply chain backlogs. Container ships heading toward the US are carrying intermodal cargo volumes that are 25% larger than at the beginning of 2022, according to BNSF Railway executive Tom Williams, but others in the industry warn that adequate equipment, warehouse space, workers and truck drivers are needed to prevent future rail issues.

Businesses around the world experienced an increase in cyberattacks last year, including ransomware attacks on supply chains that resulted in financial losses, system downtime and damage to companies' reputations, according to a SonicWall report. The report says that over one-third of businesses are concerned that their supply chains will be harmed by cyberattacks, and SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner warned that attacks become "potentially more disastrous as dependence on information technology increases."

The most recent B2B Pulse report from McKinsey shows that omnichannel marketing drives growth, all business-to-business buyers want omnichannel experiences and customers will switch vendors to get the best experience. In addition, B2B customers want equal access to in-person, remote and self-service experiences throughout the journey and expect seamless engagement across at least 10 channels.

Challenging conversations can be made worse when you make the "fool's choice" of believing there is only one definitive answer, writes Jantzen Pahl. "You'll know your heart is beginning to change and that you can begin to dialogue when you seek an inclusive solution rather than exclusive one," Pahl writes.

When we're stressed, confused or resentful, we tend to react negatively instead of choosing aspirational responses such as gratitude or asking for space, Dan Rockwell writes. "The more you react, the more frustration you feel," Rockwell writes.

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