Top executives from distribution companies across the country will meet in Washington, Jan. 24–26, for the National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors' Executive Summit 2005. Titled "Exploring Value: Real Tools for Success," the meeting will bring together experts from the business community, politics and the media to discuss how current events and business trends are affecting the wholesale-distribution channel.

Speakers at the event will discuss the challenges of industry change, the impact of the recent elections, and the future of the economy. By early December, NAW had lined up newly elected U.S. Senators Richard Burr (R—N.C.) and John Thune (R—S.D.), three executives from business consulting firm Deloitte, radio talk show host Tony Snow, and distribution industry veteran Brent R. Grover as Executive Summit speakers.

The Executive Summit will also include a special briefing at the White House.

Senator-Elect Burr served 17 years with Carswell Distributing Co. in Winston-Salem, N.C., which is headed by NAW 2004 chairman of the board William A. Parsley. Burr was elected to the U.S. Senate in November over Erskine Bowles, former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff. After serving five terms as Congressman representing North Carolina's 5th Congressional District, Burr replaces senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards.

In one of the most closely watched Senate races in the 2004 elections, three-term Congressman John Thune challenged the Senate's Democratic Leader, Tom Daschle, for the South Dakota Senate seat. It had been decades since a sitting party leader in the Senate had been defeated for re-election, so most Washington pundits predicted a Daschle win in a close race. But Thune supporters and the voters in South Dakota thought differently, and rewarded Congressman Thune with the seat in the U.S. Senate. Senator Thune will share his thoughts on prospects for the coming year.

The centerpiece of the business portion of the meeting is a presentation by Neil Gholson, global segment leader, wholesale distribution, Deloitte. NAW formed a relationship with Deloitte last year to develop strategies and techniques to assist wholesaler-distributors with business issues. Gholson will introduce Deloitte's Distribution Value Map, a new set of planning tools to help distributors increase market share, reduce costs, and add value.

The business segment will also include two other representatives of Deloitte: Carl E. Steidtmann, chief economist, and Michael E. Raynor, director of Deloitte research, who will comment on the current events shaping the wholesale distribution industry.

Tony Snow, former host of "Fox News Sunday with Tony Snow," now hosts a nationally syndicated radio talk show. His analysis of domestic and global current events during the 2003 Executive Summit was well-received, and NAW organizers say he promises to be as thought-provoking this time around.

Finally, Brent Grover, author of More to the Bottom Line, Customer Profitability Tools for Wholesaler-Distributors, will discuss ways to help distributors allocate the right amount of resources to the right customers—that is, those who are likely to contribute most to a company's bottom line—and return the value they deserve. Grover's company, Evergreen Consulting, LLC, advises privately held companies on strategy, profitability improvement, and other management issues.

NAW's Executive Summit 2005 will be held at Washington's Capital Hilton Hotel. For more information, visit www.naw.org.