The University of Industrial Distribution will be held March 5–8, at Purdue University's Indianapolis Campus.

The educational sessions are sponsored by various industrial distribution professional associations and the Industrial Distribution Program at Purdue University. Among the associations that have signed on are the Fluid Power Distributors Assn., the Industrial Supply Assn., and NAHAD—The Assn. for Hose and Accessories Distribution.

Instructors and presenters come from a cross-section of industrial distribution professions and companies: Prof. Kathy Newton, associate professor at Purdue University; Mike Marks, principal, Indian River Consulting Group; and Tom Reilly, president of Tom Reilly Training and columnist for Industrial Distribution.

Jay Smith, a retired professor from the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Business, was involved in the origins of the UID. Today, he looks at the popularity of the program and calls it "more than successful," and points to the capacity attendance of the past few sessions.

"As the economy has turned around, enrollment has picked up and we've also picked up new associations as sponsors," Smith said. "It will cover logistics to sales, and back and forth. We pretty much let the market determine what kinds of topics are necessary and that would be beneficial to the member firms."

Some 26 different associations have signed on to sponsor this year's session, according to Joe Thompson, executive vice president of NAHAD.

The sessions are presented by manufacturing and industrial distribution professionals. In many cases, its "student body" for the week is also made up of distribution veterans. Managers, people in training, owners, and some who are new to the industry tend to make up the enrollment of UID. Each presenter is evaluated, and only those who have received good responses are invited back, Smith explained.

"It's a tough audience," Smith said. "The instructors we've retained have been those who have received very high marks on their expertise and their ability to communicate it."

"UID determined, right from the beginning, there was a real need in the industry for quality, comprehensive education at the right price," said Thompson.

"The thing that makes this work is the commitment of the sponsoring associations who bring their know-how and leadership, combined with the top faculty that teach the programs," he said.