New Orleans— With signs that the economy finally may be turning around, the Power Transmission Distributors Assn. saw an exceptionally strong turnout at its annual convention Oct. 16–19. It was the largest attendance for PTDA members in the past three years.

Total attendance was 737, a 7 percent increase over last year. Distributor attendance was 187, a 29 percent increase.

"Distributor attendance is a critical factor in both manufacturer and distributor satisfaction," said Mary Sue Lyon, executive vice president of PTDA. "That is why we are particularly pleased to see distributor attendance up 29 percent."

The theme of this year's meeting, "Doing Business in Turbulent Times," was reflected in the many workshops conducted over the three-day meeting. In addition, the popular MD-IDEX booth program for manufacturers and distributors was the highlight of the convention.

In opening the meeting, Ray Harrington, vice president of sales and marketing for the Ruland Co., and convention chairman, stressed that PTDA distributors should answer the question, "Why should customers want to do business with you?" He said it was critical for distributors to develop a strategy so they can show their customers the value of the services that PTDA distributors provide.

Keynote speaker Nido Quebin, of the Great Harvest Bread Co., helped answer that question by focusing on ways to prove value to customers. He said it was important for distributors to move beyond selling products to developing a long-term, trusting relationship with their customers.

A series of panel discussions drew good crowds. They focused on supply chain evolution, controlling health care costs, international business, and partnering to cut costs and improve efficiencies.

William McCleave, of W.R. McCleave & Associates, presented a workshop on how to differentiate your company from other distributors, and Al Bates, of the Profit Planning Group, showed distributors how to improve their asset management.

David J. Witwer, general manager of Minarik-Midwest, received the association's prestigious Warren Pike Award for lifetime achievement in the power transmission industry.

Don R. Latham, president of Canadian Bearings Ltd., was chosen to succeed Carlos Ingram, of Kaman Industrial Technologies, as PTDA's president.