ISD celebrates 10th anniversary. The Independent Sealing Distributors will celebrate a decade of service to the sealing industry at its 2001 annual convention October 4-7 in Olympic Valley, Calif.

Presenters include Tim Underhill and Dr. Bill McCleave, distribution experts; Tom Reilly, sales expert; and Anita Bausman of Eastman Chemical Co. with the customer's perspective.

"ISD's 10th annual convention will offer outstanding business sessions and networking opportunities, plus the added excitement of celebrating our first decade anniversary," said executive director Joseph Thompson.

ISD will honor the founders of the association as part of the festivities.

For information, contact ISD at (410) 263-1014.

ASA annual convention is October 23-26.

The American Supply Assn. holds its annual convention Oct. 23-26 in Las Vegas, Nev. Featured are a conference booth program and branch manager training session.

Highlights include Dr. Michael Workman presenting a "state of the industry" program, J. Michael Marks presenting the keynote address, and nine workshops .

The convention's theme is "Making Change Pay."

For information, contact ASA at (312) 464-0090.

I.D.A., ISMA's Young Executives Forum offers scholarships. The Industrial Supply Manufacturers Assn. and the Industrial Distribution Assn. Young Executives Forum is accepting applications for the John R. Stallings, Jr. Memorial industry executive scholarships. Eight scholarships will be awarded to distributors and manufacturers for free tuition to the University of Industrial Distribution. Applicants need not be YEF members.

UID classes focus on learning more about distribution and how to more effectively move products to market.

Applications are available from ISMA and I.D.A.

For more information, contact I.D.A. at (404) 266-3991.

NFDA plans special one-on-one sessions. The National Fastener Distributors Assn. will feature one-on-one executive sales/planning sessions between associate and distributor members at the Fall City Meeting in Denver the morning of Oct. 26.

Held at 50 hotel suites on a first-come, first served basis, the sessions are intended to provide privacy for attendees to discuss and plan business arrangements for the coming year.

Sessions are 25 minutes, limited to one per associate member, and subject to an executive planning fee.

For more information, contact NFDA at (216) 579-1571.

NEMA issues battery standard. The National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. released ANSI C18.1M, Part 1-2001, American National Standard for portable primary cells and batteries with aqueous electrolyte — general and specifications.

The standard replaces the 1999 edition and covers the general and dimensional performance for primary portable batteries like AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, lantern and hearing aid batteries.

Primary batteries are non-rechargeable.

"A significant change in the 2001 edition ... is the inclusion of two silver oxide batteries and test scheme revisions for the common sizes of carbon zinc and alkaline manganese batteries," said Michael Babiak, chairman of the American National Standards Committee C18.

STAFDA releases PAR results. Analysis of a survey of Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Assn. members was released by Dr. Al Bates, president of Profit Planning Group. The survey measures the difference in some critical ratios between "high-profit firms" and "typical firms," as defined by Bates.

Among the ratios calculated are profit margin, return on assets, sales per employee, and operating expense control.

The typical firm had a profit margin of 2.4 percent, while the high-profit firm had a margin of 8.2 percent, a "spectacular" difference according to Bates.

Return on assets — net profit before taxes as a percentage of total assets — had an equally dramatic disparity. Typical firms' return was 7.2 percent; high-profit return was 26.2 percent.

Sales per employee for typical firms was $226,249 vs. high-profit firms' $235,089. "The difference in performance suggests that, while virtually every firm is facing the same challenge with wage rates, the high-profit firm is offsetting the challenge with higher employee performance," Bates said.

Send Association News to associate editor Al Tuttle, 275 Washington St., Newton, Mass., 02458; call (617) 558-4770; fax to (617) 558-4327; or e-mail to atuttle@cahners.com.