Speakers and Presenters

by Industrial Distribution staff -- Industrial Distribution, 10/31/2007 5:19:00 AM

Though STAFDA’s trade show is a big draw, the convention’s workshops are top attractions, too.

This year’s keynote speaker is Christopher Gardner, subject of the movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring actor Will Smith. The movie chronicles Gardner’s struggle as a single parent who earned a spot in the Dean Witter Reynolds stockbroker training program in the 1980s. His meager salary as a trainee put him in the ranks of the “working poor,” but Gardner persevered, becoming the only trainee to be offered a job at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981, passing his licensing exam on the first try and becoming the firm’s top producer. In 1987, Gardner founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co. His speech to STAFDA members is entitled, “Breaking Cycles and Overcoming Obstacles.” He’ll speak during the General Session on Monday morning, Nov. 5.

Also on Monday morning, STAFDA president Greg Drouillard of Target Building Systems in Windsor, Ontario, and Tim Tevens of Columbus-McKinnon Corp., will deliver the distributor and manufacturer state-of-the-industry reports.

STAFDA will also offer four concurrent workshops covering everything from finance to time management; they’ll be held Sunday afternoon, Nov. 4. Dr. Al Bates of the Profit Planning Group will present “Making Money in a Tough Market;” economist Alan Beaulieu will present “Planning for Change;” security expert Mike Foster will present “Protecting Vital Business Systems;” and Laura Stack, president of The Productivity Pro, will present “Time Management Essentials.”