Keeping the pipeline strong

Many of the members in ASA’s Industrial Piping Division (IPD) have expressed that their businesses and relationships with one another are more productive, increasingly relevant and propel growth and success as a result of their membership and participation. The camaraderie that permeates throughout ASA’s Industrial Piping Division lends itself to fostering a truly collaborative forum for the good of the industry and for all channel partners.

Today, 14 executives representing industrial PVF distributors and suppliers serve as volunteer leaders on ASA’s IPD Executive Council. Together, along with all ASA’s volunteer leaders throughout the organization, they work to ensure our national association is best-positioned to meet member needs in both the near and long term.

In particular, ASA’s IPD Executive Council is focused on implementing strategies and tactics with respect to two of the association’s mega goals: operational excellence, as well as employee recruitment and education.

With more than one-third of ASA’s members also part of IPD, understanding what motivates this segment of the membership to participate in and leverage the association’s business intelligence surveys and reports is key. “ASA’s IPD wholesalers are often best-positioned to read the pulse on the latest trends and activities in the marketplace and gauge performance,” says Brian Tuohey, the 2016 IPD chairman from The Collins Companies. “The more IPD can help to make clear what these different resources are and why they’re valuable, as well as how they can be improved will drive member value and participation.”

“ASA and IPD also afford us access to an environment that allows suppliers and distributors to work collectively toward creating and supporting common solutions,” says Kip Miller, the 2016 IPD vice chairman from Eastern Industrial Supplies. This synergy is critical for helping members to address the challenge they face to attract, recruit and retain the best employees. This summer, for example, IPD is planning to survey its members’ hiring professionals to collect information about best practices that will help companies to stand out and be recognized as employers of choice.

Bottom line, ASA is becoming increasingly indispensable to achieving prosperity in our industry. The efforts of or national association and its IPD work to enhance the image, brand and respect for each member company.