Honolulu—Close to 900 people turned out for the Spring Convention of the American Supply & Machinery Manufacturers' Assn. and the Industrial Distribution Assn., held May 19 - 22 in Honolulu.

Despite the low turnout — in comparison, 2,260 people attended last year's meeting in Dallas — leaders from both associations said the convention's content and format were as strong as ever.

"The people who [attended] this convention [got] every bit as much as usual," newly elected I.D.A. president Scott Parrish said during a press conference at Honolulu's Hilton Hawaiian Village. Parrish pointed to the educational sessions — 11 in all, taking place over two days — and the Conference Booth Program, which was shorter than usual but provided six hours of face-to-face meeting time for manufacturers and distributors. The convention also included its annual social and networking events and the Construction Products Showcase, though the Business & Technology Solutions Showcase was omitted.

Both Parrish, of Turner Supply Co., and outgoing I.D.A. president Bruce Baker, of RPM, Inc., said they expect attendance at this year's Fall Convention in Chicago and next year's Spring Convention in Denver to be back on track.

Association leaders blamed the dramatically low turnout, in part, on the tough economic times many companies have been experiencing. In his speech during the Opening Session on Sunday, May 20, ASMMA president Jim Packard likened the economic situation to "The Perfect Storm" — the 1991 storm that battered the New England coast and claimed the lives of a crew of fishermen from Massachusetts. The storm was the result of a rare convergence of factors and took the region by surprise.

"It seems to me that our economy and many of our businesses have been victimized in the same way," said Packard, who is chairman, CEO and president of Regal-Beloit Corp. "[By] an unexpected 'perfect storm' in which a number of negative influences occurred all at once."

Those influences included: rising energy prices, accumulating inventories, a continued high exchange rate, a lack of meaningful tax relief, and key losses in the stock market, Packard explained. Both he and Baker noted the importance of embracing technology and change as a way of weathering the storm, but they also pointed to the importance of people.

"People will navigate us out of this storm, as they have in the past," Packard said, adding that: "I salute those of you who are here. It's in challenging times like these that we can really appreciate the value that our conventions produce."

Perhaps the biggest news of the convention was the ASMMA name change. After nearly 100 years, ASMMA changed its name to the Industrial Supply Manufacturer's Assn. as a way to better reflect its membership and mission. A panel of members and association staff spent close to a year preparing for the change, which was announced during the convention's Opening Session.

Packard told members that the new name will "guide us into the future." In a videotaped presentation, he and other officers talked about the reasons for the change. For example, they noted that dropping "American" from the title addresses the global nature of members' business and of the supply channel in general.

"The new name adds value in the sense that it really reflects what the organization is about," said Gay Peeples of Igloo Products Corp., who chaired the committee charged with developing the new name.

In addition to the name change, both associations announced the launch of their Value Added Web site, www.valueaddedpartners.org, and unveiled a new Value Added Recognition Program designed to recognize ISMA and I.D.A. members for their "value-added" activities and accomplishments. The Value Added Partners program — a campaign designed to promote the benefits of doing business in the distribution channel — was launched at the Spring Convention in Dallas last year.

Other projects in the works include a "customer involvement task force," an ISMA/I.D.A. joint program designed to involve end users in future conventions. Parrish said he expects the committee to be up and running later this year. I.D.A. will also begin an aggressive membership drive this year, Parrish said, aimed at increasing the number of member companies from 772 to around 1,000.

Also at this year's convention, ISMA recognized the American Eagle Award winners. The American Eagle Awards are given to distributors and manufacturers based on their work in support of the free enterprise system. Gary Salvatore of Carborundum Abrasives North America presented the awards to the following companies:

Manufacturers with over $20 million in annual sales: Weiler Corp., Cresco, Pa., for community and corporate educational commitment; SGS Tool Co., Munroe Falls, Ohio, for employee enrichment and involvement; 3M Abrasive Systems Division, St. Paul, Minn., for environmental improvement and conservation efforts; and Devcon, Danvers, Mass., for local community involvement.

Distributors with over $10 million in annual sales: Cunningham Supply Co., Akron, Ohio, for community/corporate educational commitment; Cameron & Barkley of North Charleston, S.C., for employee enrichment and involvement; and Mill Supplies, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., for local community involvement.

Manufacturers with less than $20 million in sales: Lexington Cutter, Inc., Bradenton, Fla., for employee enrichment and involvement; Arc Abrasives, Inc., Troy, Ohio, for environmental improvement and conservation efforts; and Whitney Tool Co., Bedford, Ind., for local community involvement.

The winner for overall achievement was manufacturer Elk River Inc., Cullman, Ala. President Philip Clemmons accepted the award on behalf of his company. Zerla Stayman, CEO of Arc Abrasives in Troy, Ohio, was given the award for individual achievement.

The 2002 ISMA/I.D.A. Spring Convention will be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver, Colo., May 4-6.