It's been a year since the merger of the Industrial Distribution Assn. and the Industrial Supply Manufacturers Assn., and the new Industrial Supply Assn. is roaring along, making changes, improving processes, and catering to members as it never has before. Industrial Distribution sat down with John Buckley, ISA's executive vice president, in March, and asked him about the association, its progress and its future.

INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION: It's been almost a year since the merger between I.D.A. and ISMA was announced. What's the feedback been from members of the new integrated association?

John Buckley: It is always difficult and dangerous to determine the attitudes of a group as large and diverse as the new combined membership of ISA. Do 20 or 50 comments really represent the overall attitudes?

All I can report at this time is that during the past nine months, there has been an almost endless list of calls, messages and conversations, most of which have been positive, supportive and happy to have begun seeing new services, but more importantly, a new attitude and attempt to participate in important industry events.

The biggest attitude I have discerned is one of anticipation that something new and good is emerging from ISA. The next attitude check will be about the new services the membership is expecting.

ID: Have the association activities met your expectations for the first year?

JB: You would hope and expect that the answer to the question would be yes, and it is. I have been in the wholesale association business for more than 25 years, and to have the opportunity to be part of this founding group of industry executives, and to build and direct the direction of an association of an industry this size has been exciting.

The possibility to influence the procedures and performance of so many companies is one of the things association executives have staked the satisfaction of their professional careers on. It doesn't get better, more exciting and more challenging than that.

There are always those frustrations of things moving slower than you thought or want, but that is part of the territory. You always wish the recommendations and programs that you develop with the board and committees would be embraced faster, but they are also things you learn to live with and adjust to.

ID: With that year's experience behind you, what would you like to see happen within the next year or two?

JB: I would need three pages to go into detail of what is to come. We have adopted a new value proposition. A new service package is being developed. We are committed to provide a value package to our members the likes of which they have never seen from another association. We will probably need six months to get up and running, and another six months to measure the results and make the modifications required to exceed all member expectations.

Not only will the service package be of interest, but I think you will be surprised with the new strategic alliances and new service providers we bring into our arena.

ID: There will be a presidential changing of the guard this summer, from distributor to manufacturer. What is the process for that?

JB: Our volunteer leader year begins July 1. That is the date the new president's administration begins. We expect a peaceful transition of power from the distributor side to the manufacturing side. No revolutions or coups are expected.

You may be surprised to learn that the integration of buyers and sellers, manufacturers and distributors into one association has been a seamless operation and procedure. This has been a joint effort almost from the beginning.

We will have the United Nations monitoring the transition, though, just in case.

ID: Are there any new challenges for the association that have arisen over the last year?

JB: I don't know if they would be considered new, but I am more convinced today than ever that the ultimate success of ISA will depend on having the organization represent and work with a bigger portion of the industry than it has in the past. A broader membership base, and strategic alliances with other interested parties will be vital to our ability to help the channel raise sales, reduce expenses and increase profitability. This needs to be an industry-wide effort.

ID: How has membership recruiting been?

JB: Industry members have begun to hear and believe in our message. Considering the fact that there was a time in the last nine months that we didn't have a proper application in place, I would say our membership recruitment has gone well.

To date, more than 50 companies have joined or rejoined our ranks. And our real recruitment programs are only just beginning. Starting in May, I will embark on a 13-city regional meeting tour inviting members and non-members to experience and learn about the new ISA with the intent to resell and retain our existing members and attract non members to the fold. This is only one plank in a multi-dimensional platform of membership retention and recruitment.

ID: Have you and the association leadership decided how to handle the two-convention format after this year?

JB: That is the question most asked over the past six months. We have surveyed the membership on the issue. Members have said to go to one a year. That is where we are going. The whens, wheres and whats are still being developed and defined.

Tom Berger will have more to say on the subject during his address to the membership at the convention's opening session.