PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.— Meeting under the theme "Plan for Profit, Profit from Planning," nearly 700 members of the Power Transmission Distributors Assn. gathered for their 43rd annual convention at the Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Sept. 12-14.

"All in all, we're very pleased with this year's turnout," said Mary Sue Lyon, PTDA's executive vice president.

In keeping with the theme, the convention included two separate panel discussions, one for manufacturers and the other for distributors. Both sessions focused on joint planning. During the manufacturing session, panelists emphasized the need for sharing information, particularly point-of-sale information, across the supply chain. They also stressed the need for keeping that information confidential.

Panelists also emphasized the need for distributors to learn as much as possible about their customer's customer in order to keep track of market conditions.

During both discussions, panelists stressed that distributors and manufacturers must work together and trust one another.

Patrick Frater, outgoing PTDA president, had similar sentiments. Earlier in the meeting he told attendees that manufacturers and distributors must work as a team so both can take advantage of sales opportunities. Frater, who is also president of Northwest Power Products in Eagan, Minn., said that any good plan requires a well-defined target and must include benchmarking. Plans also need to be constantly reviewed to make sure that they meet market and industry changes, he said.

Timothy Murphy of the Gates Rubber Co., PTDA's Allied Chair, stressed the need for distributors to be solution providers.

"There's no substitute for putting our heads together and coming up with solutions," he said.

Murphy also said manufacturers and distributors must agree on a market focus for specific accounts.

The convention included workshops on how to improve distributor profitability, briefings on end-user markets, networking forums and special programs for independent distributors and niche manufacturers.

Carlos Ingram of Kaman Industrial Technologies was elected president of PTDA for 2003.