By matching the names or addresses of its customers with their SIC (business-category) codes, it discovered that a major portion were not contractors or homeowners--as it had long believed--but small businesses such as pizzerias, hair salons and bars, which either bought their maintenance supplies from Lowe's or wanted to refurbish their facilities themselves.

FORBES: The Resurrection of NCR

Each lease is all-inclusive, covering a set number of flights for astronauts to and from the module per year, the assistance and support of an onboard Bigelow crew, station maintenance, living supplies, communications and astronaut-training programs.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The culprits: Rising crude oil prices, slowing output at refineries that are undergoing maintenance, and low supplies of gasoline.

WSJ: Gasoline prices get early start on spring surge

It has also meant redefining the business: from offering a vast emporium of maintenance and repair products to providing e-commerce consulting and site maintenance to manufacturers of industrial supplies.

FORBES: Survivor

Barnes said the Cleveland-based business provides inventory management, technical sales and supply chain services for maintenance, repair, operating and production supplies.

WSJ: Barnes to sell distribution business for $550M

The agencies will be analyzing savings opportunities across the government, in areas such as desktops and laptops, IT software, janitorial and sanitation supplies, office furniture, building maintenance and operations services, and other professional and technical services.

WHITEHOUSE: Historic Savings in Contracting �C and Plans for More

Meanwhile recent maintenance shutdowns in the North Sea have worsened already declining supplies from ageing fields of Brent crude.

ECONOMIST: What, exactly, is the price of oil?