BSA campaigns for authorized distribution

Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 6/1/2007

During its annual convention in Marco Island, Fla., last month, the Bearing Specialists Assn. unveiled its campaign to educate bearing industry end users on the value of buying bearing products and services only from authorized distributors.

As part of the campaign, and as reported in ID's April issue, BSA identified 10 reasons buying from authorized distributors makes good business sense. The campaign will include posters and brochures BSA members can present to end users, Hal Allen of Allied Bearings Supply told attendees at the three-day meeting.

“This will be a complete turn-key marketing campaign,” Allen said, noting that the posters can be customized.

Allen served as chairman of BSA's Distributor/Manufacturer Relations Committee, which developed the program. Chuck Kitchen of Interstate Bearing Technologies served as vice-chairman, and Randy Bowen, vice president of distributor relations for SKF Service Division, served as manufacturer liaison.

Also during the meeting, BSA president Tom Miller updated members on the state of the industry and the association. He said consolidation has taken its toll on the industry since BSA last met on Marco Island 21 years ago. For example, he said there are 45 percent fewer BSA members today than there were in 1986 and 14 fewer manufacturers.

“We're going for quality over quantity,” he said, adding that the current volume of sales through BSA distributors is three times more than it was in 1986.

Many of the bearing industry's top executives attended the meeting, which featured presentations from some of the industry's leading experts.

Dr. Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics, which specializes in economic research and forecasting, told BSA members he sees sluggish growth ahead but no signs of a recession. He added that “the window is closing for the chance of seeing interest rate declines” and forecasted higher interest rates in 2008.

He said the next recession will probably occur in 2010.

Eric Chester, an author and speaker on Generation Y, pointed to the challenges managers have today in hiring the new generation of workers.

Chester described Generation Y, those born between 1980 and 2000, as impatient, disengaged, blunt and skeptical, but committed to volunteering.

“Sixty-eight percent of Generation Y is involved in volunteering in some type of community cause,” he said.

He also said Generation Y has just three to five minutes of meaningful conversation with their parents each day, though they spend several hours socializing or on their computers.

“This generation is technologically savvy and, make no mistake about it, they're smart,” he said. “They cannot be recruited, trained and motivated the way employees [were] before.”

Former National Basketball Assn. player Walter Bond gave a motivational talk on achieving goals.

BSA's president for 2007-2008 is Cam Lawrence of BDI Canada. Steve Durston of Jamaica Bearings was elected first vice president; Eduardo Bichara of Baleromiz S.A. de C.V. was elected second vice president; and Ellen Holladay of Motion Industries was elected treasurer.

Dennis B. Clark, who retired in 2003 as president of North American Industrial Distribution for SKF, and Richard Gipson of Gipson Bearing Co., each received Lifetime Achievement Awards.