Atlanta — The Power Transmission Distributors Assn. named Ralph Rivera the 13^th recipient of its Warren Pike Award for lifetime achievement in the power transmission/motion control industry.

The award, presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding, continuous, long-term support of PTDA and the PT/MC industry, was presented at the association's annual convention in Atlanta, October 5. Rivera is president of The Gates Rubber Co.'s Hydraulics Division. He is also the fifth PTDA manufacturer member to win the Warren Pike Award, which was established in 1984 in the name of the association's first president and co-founder.

"No one is more deserving of PTDA's Warren Pike Award than Ralph Rivera," said Mary Sue Lyon, PTDA executive vice president. "He is well respected throughout the industry for his knowledge, his abundant wisdom, his ever-present enthusiasm and his willingness to share his abilities and time with others. Ralph is a true industry leader and one that is dedicated to making the PT/MC industry a better place."

Rivera has been actively involved in PTDA for over 15 years. He was the association's allied chairman in 1994, served on the allied council from 1991 to 1995, and was a director in 1993 and 1994. In addition, his extensive committee work for PTDA includes stints on the convention planning committee, strategic planning task force, partnering summit and certification focus group. Rivera served on PTDA's Educational & Scholastic Foundation in 1995 and 1996 and re-joined the foundation this year.

The Warren Pike Award is presented only when an individual merits the honor, not necessarily every year, said Lyon. In presenting the award to Rivera, Lyon noted that he is an "icon at PTDA and within the PT/MC industry."

"For your contributions to our industry and to PTDA, we thank you," Lyon said.

About 550 people turned out for the Atlanta convention. While numbers were down as compared to recent years, Lyon and other PTDA officials were pleased with the turnout in light of the sluggish economy and recent terrorist attacks in the United States. Just three days after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, PTDA sent an e-mail to all members saying the convention would go on as planned. The convention began Thursday, Oct. 4, just three weeks after the tragedies.

In their opening remarks, PTDA president Kevin McCloskey, Dodge-Newark Supply Co., and allied chairman John Almarez, WAM USA, talked about the tough economic conditions. They stressed the need for members to re-focus and re-build their businesses — as individual companies and collectively, as an industry.

"It's pretty ugly out there," said Alvarez, pointing to the large number of people who've lost their jobs in recent months, and customers' declining need for products.

McCloskey emphasized the need for distributors to focus on their core strengths and abilities, noting that "we can't afford to be a jack of all trades, master of none."

The rest of the convention focused on ways for members to build better business together. Seminars included a presentation on manufacturer-distributor relationships, market briefings on selected end-user segments, a seminar on applying B2B technology tools, and an independent distributor forum on finding capital to expand and improve your business.

PTDA's 2002 Annual Convention will be held September 12-14 at the Marriott Desert Springs, Palm Desert, Calif.