ASA President’s Letter

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I am not, nor do I want to be, in the business of telling other business owners how to run their businesses. If they don’t want to be a member of an association, that is their choice and their right, and I don’t feel it’s my place to try to change their mind.

Knowing these are the expectations we all put on our work travel, we pushed hard to create a conference at this year's NETWORK that we believe is worthy of your very valuable time.

It was clear after attending the ELEVATE conference that connecting women professionals who are building strong careers in the PHCP and PVF industry is enormously valuable.  And having a robust women’s group is something that ASA is already leveraging as we look to attract more women to our teams.

You cannot read a newspaper, turn on the news or even have a casual conversation at one of your counters without hearing about the struggle every business is having to attract talented people today.

We all realize the need for a robust online offering as eCommerce continues to be a growing share of the market. However, as the group discussed and debated the topic, we realized how much more complex the situation is currently.

Given today’s rapidly changing business environment, strengthening your company’s ability to compete requires you to think about your businesses like never before.

The environment requires new levels of strategic vision and a growth mindset that prioritizes strategic planning and investment. We are all challenged every day to stay relevant and enhance our ability to compete, and this is true now more than ever.

As we emerge from this seemingly never-ending pandemic, I realize how much I value connecting with my industry friends. 

I can’t believe that is has been nearly 10 years since Joe Poehling of First Supply flew out to visit me at our offices in New Hampshire to pitch me on the value of getting active in ASA. Joe was ASA president at the time, and I always looked up to him as an industry leader and great business person. Little did I know that meeting would eventually lead me to taking over as the 53rd president of ASA.  Guess I should have known that Joe is way too good of a salesman! 

As another year comes to a close, I cannot help but to look back and reflect on how resilient and successful our association was during another year of disruption. For a second straight year, our world struggled with a worldwide pandemic and unprecedented supply chain disruption. But one thing remains constant. Our association and our dedicated volunteer leaders continue to be the voice of hope for a stronger future for our industry.

It’s easy to rest on your laurels when things are going well. Some may not think to stretch your organization out of fear that you will get in the way of a “good thing.” Remember the old adage — “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”