PT industry gathering focuses on future

More than 530 delegates from the power transmission/motion control industry took part in the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) 2011 Industry Summit in Washington, DC, Oct. 13-15. Including companions and guests, the total attendance exceeded 700.

Attendees came from all over the United States and from 12 other countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Trinidad and the United Kingdom.

The event offered many opportunities for business networking, industry education and economic insight, as well as various social events. The theme of the conference was ‘CAPITOLizing on Change’.

At the Summit, PTDA named Carlos Ingram, retired vice-president of business systems of Kaman Industrial Technologies Corp., Windsor, CT, as the 22nd recipient of its Warren Pike Award for lifetime achievement in the power transmission/motion control industry.

Mitch Bouchard, secretary-treasurer, General Bearing Service Inc., Ottawa, ON, was elected PTDA’s president for 2012, and George Rizza, president, Rossi Gearmotor Division, Habasit America, Suwanee, GA, assumed the duties of the PTDA Manufacturer Council chair.

The Summit’s signature event, the Manufacturer-Distributor Idea Exchange (MD-IDEX), brought together existing and potential channel partners to plan for the upcoming year. The program featured over 600 meetings through pre-scheduled appointments and open times.

For the sixth year, the Industry Summit included a Motion Control Showcase, featuring 20 motion control suppliers with live demonstrations of their latest hardware. The showcase is targeted at members considering expansion into the motion control arena, looking for additional suppliers to support current offerings or who are interested in networking with other market players.

One of the keynote speakers at the event, economist Alan Beaulieu of the Institute for Trend Research, predicted continued growth in the economy over the next couple of years. In the long range, however, he forecast a “major depression” by 2030.

A panel discussion, ‘Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions on The Distribution Channel’, was moderated by Barb Ross of Timken Drives LLC.

Distributors and manufacturers were each provided separate, distinct opportunities to network with their peer groups to share ideas, trends, problems and solutions during networking lunches and forums. Distributors heard from Jade West, senior vice-president of government relations for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) during their luncheon. The Distributor Forum focused on ‘Big Issues for Small Distributors’ such as value-added and fee-based services, and tiered distribution.

Manufacturers heard from Dave Asselin, vice-president, Allied Associations and executive director of the Council of Manufacturing Associations at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), during their luncheon. The Manufacturer Forum grappled with issues such as the expectations of distributors with regard to loyalty, demonstrating value in serving OEM customers, and distributor training.

PTDA’s 2012 Industry Summit is scheduled for Oct. 18-20, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Dallas, TX. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.