Clearwater Beach, Fla. — To improve relationships in the supply chain, members of the NorthAmerican Industrial Representatives Assn. turned out for their 7th Annual Management and Marketing Conference February 27 to March 1 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort.

In addition to the many networking opportunities, speakers discussed how independent representatives should work with manufacturers and distributors to gain efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in the supply chain.

Hardy Hamann, president of the Industrial Supply Manufacturers Assn. and a keynote speaker at the meeting, reported that 75 NIRA members have now joined ISMA. Many of these NIRA members will be in attendance at the annual convention of ISMA and the Industrial Distribution Assn. next month in New Orleans.

Hamann, who is also senior vice president of Hermes Abrasives, pointed to the continuing problems faced by manufacturers during this economic downturn. He said 600 plants have closed during this recession and predicted that there will be an increase of U.S.-based manufacturers moving to China, but at a slower pace than the past few years. Hamann also said there will be a continued consolidation of plants in the U.S. as stronger manufacturers buy weaker ones.

In addition, he forecasted a technology boom, noting that companies will look to technology to increase productivity and help streamline information throughout the supply chain.

Another keynote speaker, Don Carlino, president of Airgas Safety, told attendees how his company works with industrial representatives. He gave an overview of Airgas and outlined his company's strategic plan, pointing to its focus on people, its redesigned business practices, and its emphasis on ways to improve supply chain efficiencies.

The meeting also included breakout sessions followed by a joint session in which the best ideas from each session were highlighted. Other workshops included presentations by Stu Mechlin and Mark Higgins of Affiliated Distributors, a national buying/marketing group; Gregory Jones of Tooling University talked about online training programs; and Brian Gardner of Selltis Inc. told attendees how a customer relationship management system can help improve channel communications.

Dan Shipp, president of the International Safety Equipment Assn., gave members an update on new safety standards and pointed out opportunities for NIRA members and distributors to increase sales.

Robert Nadeau of the Industrial Performance Group presented preliminary results of a study undertaken by NIRA and ISMA on a research project concerning the distribution channel. The research is aimed at examining any shifts taking place in the channel among manufacturers, distributors and end users.

The president of NIRA for this year is John Pittman of Pittman Industrial Marketing. The president-elect is Dave Turpin of Turpin Sales & Marketing. Jim Surpless Jr. of Surpless, Dunn & Co. was the conference chairman, while Teddy Pope of Edward H. Pope Ltd. and Nicholas Casale of A&N Sales Corp. served as co-chairs of the conference program.