WORKSHOP HELPS PTDA MEMBERS DEVELOP INTERNAL PRODUCT EXPERTS

Chicago, IL – According to the Business Index released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), a net 30% of distributors and 40% of manufacturers reported increased staffing in the fourth quarter of 2010. In the same study, survey respondents predicted 11% growth in 2011.

For many companies, the uptick in business activity is putting an increased urgency on training these new hires, as they can’t afford to wait months to get their sales or customer service staff trained.

As a members-only benefit to address the need for skilled employees, PTDA presented a Product Application Workshop in April 2011 to give sales and customer service personnel hands-on experience with the application basics of power transmission products.

Conducted in a classroom/hands-on lab environment at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, MI, with actual products, the two-day workshop gave attendees an understanding of the power transmission (PT) products used in typical industrial applications and processes so they can better assess and solve customers’ problems.

“The Product Application Workshop offers the most fundamental training over a broad spectrum of PT products that a typical PT distributor sells. The hands-on aspect makes this program unique in our industry,” said Carlton Harvey, vice-president of industrial sales for Jamaica Bearings Co. Inc., New Hyde Park, NY.

Harvey sent Carlos Navarrete, a customer service representative, to the Product Application Workshop when it was previously offered.

“In our case, Carlos was exposed to products he had yet to deal with on the order desk. The hands-on training reinforced the classroom work and gave him a perspective that enabled him to better serve his customers. Carlos’s understanding of their needs, in a product sense, was enhanced because he installed product, [and] he worked on a PT system from the wiring [and] motor control, to the mechanicals on a conveyor system.

Now when a customer calls and talks about bearing installation, couplings, motor control, etc., Carlos can visualize the situation and his service level becomes priceless. This investment has paid back many times over,” said Harvey.

“This is exactly the kind of training I was looking for when I was a new hire, and could still benefit from it,” said Dena Kelley, branch manager, US Bearings & Drives, Vancouver, WA. “To be able to use the products in real applications is a great idea and offers a unique, more effective learning experience than traditional training styles. I think this type of training would take our customer service to the next level because we would have hands-on product and troubleshooting experience to speak from, as well as more comprehensive understanding of the products we sell.”

The workshop is designed for employees with less than three years of experience in the power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) industry. Products covered include: bearings; belt drives; chain drives; motors, clutches and brakes; conveyors and components; couplings and u-joints; gears; and power transmission accessories. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.