ASMMA/I.D.A. co-sponsors program. The American Supply and Machinery Manufacturers Assn. and Industrial Distribution Assn. are co-sponsoring a value-added partner (VAP) recognition program. It is meant to complement the existing VAP program in ASMMA/I.D.A. which recognizes members for their value-added activities.

"The VAP recognition program honors the relationship between I.D.A. distributors working with their ASMMA manufacturing partners to deliver increased profitability to the end-user customer," said ASMMA Executive Director Charles M. Stockinger.

Participants in the program will be honored at ASMMA/I.D.A. spring conventions and will receive recognition certificates. Participants will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

AMTDA/AMT releases national sales figures. The American Machine Tool Distributors Assn. and Assn. for Manufacturing Technology noted a marked slowdown in consumption of machine tools for January 2001. The total, $246 million, is down 17 percent from December 2000, and down a disconcerting 22.4 percent from January 2000. The numbers and data are based on the totals of data reported by companies that participate in the AMTDA/AMT reporting program.

"The slowdown in investment in highly productive capital equipment may threaten future productivity gains so important to economic growth," said Don F. Carlson, AMT president. "Thus, enacting capital cost recovery reform becomes increasingly important to revitalizing manufacturing and stimulating the American economy," he said.

Machine tool consumption by region for January 2001:

• Central, $47.85 million, down 3.7 percent.
• Midwest, $89.83 million, down 27.4 percent.
• Northeast, $47.15 million, down 16.9 percent from a year ago.
• South, $29.77 million, down 42.3 percent.
• West, $31.56 million, down 26.8 percent.

AMTDA also reported the full-year result for 2000 was flat, up only 0.8 percent from full-year 1999.

PTDA member forecast released. The Power Transmission Distributors Assn. has completed its 2001 member forecast that offers an upbeat outlook for the coming year despite signs of economic turndown.

While admitting the economy is in a period of decline, members also believe it will be short-lived and the economy will rebound this summer. Sixty percent of respondents expect a sales increase this year, and 35 percent expect that growth to be over 10 percent.

Manufacturers of power transmission products were less optimistic, a majority expecting growth but only 10.5 percent expecting growth of over 10 percent.

Fifty-five percent of distributors expected gross margins to stay flat this year.

ASA holds successful winter forum. The Young Executives division of the American Supply Assn. held its annual Winter Forum in Lake Tahoe, Calif., in February. Participants learned how best practices and statistical marketing affect the plumbing/heating/cooling industry.

Presented at the meeting was, "Marketplace Mega-Trends...and what to do about them," by Mike Henry, president and CEO of Equitec/Marketing Advantage.

The association also wants to double division membership over the next year, according to division chairman Frank Naughton.

NTMA installs new chairman. The National Tooling & Machining Assn. installed John D. Razzano as chairman in February. Razzano is owner and president of Fulton Industries, Inc. of Rochester, Ind. His message for members this year, according to the NTMA, is "The management of technology: Achieving success in the 21st century."

Also installed to NTMA's executive team were: John Belzer, vice chairman, TCI Precision Metals, Gardena, Calif.; Larry Sippy, secretary, Sipco, Inc., Meadville, Pa.; and Dan Yahraus, treasurer, Modern Industries, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.

NAW elects officers at annual meeting. The National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors elected the following slate of officers for 2001 at their Annual Meeting earlier this year: Alan Vidinsky, chairman, Valin Corp, Sunnyvale, Calif.; Grady Rosier, chairman-elect, McLane Co., Inc., Temple, Texas; Andre Lacy first vice chairman, LDI, Ltd., Indianapolis, Ind.; William A. Parsley, second vice chairman, Carswell Distributing, Winston-Salem, NC.; J. Michael Moore, treasurer, Applied Industrial Technologies, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and Byron Potter, past chairman, Dallas Wholesale Builders Supply, Inc., Dallas, Texas.

Send Association News to associate editor Al Tuttle, 275 Washington St., Newton, Mass., 02458; call (617) 558-4770; fax to (617) 558-4327; or e-mail to atuttle@cahners.com.