New AWMA Chairman Takes Gavel, Outlines Progress and Focus for 2005
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photo by David Hathcox
Incoming Chairman Steve Shing accepts gavel from 2004 Chairman Pat Carrico.
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The 2005 AWMA REAL DEAL EXPO got off to a flying start in Las Vegas, NV Thursday morning when 2004 Chairman Pat Carrico, Richmond Master Distributors, Inc., South Bend, IN, turned over the gavel to Steve Shing, the new chairman for 2005, during the convention’s opening session.
Carrico was commended by Shing for his leadership, and given gifts of a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol, an engraved watch, and a plaque symbolizing his chairmanship.
Outlining the progress that AWMA has made over the past year, Shing said a top priority for the association for 2005 will be improving the relationships between distributors and manufacturers, as well as continuing to make progress on government affairs, education and research. Shing is corporate vice president, marketing and trade relations, at GSC Enterprises, Inc., Sulphur Springs, TX.
"Manufacturers must recognize the many services that distributors provide for them," Shing declared. "Manufacturer programs must allow distributors to remain profitable."
At the same time, Shing said distributors must recognized the challenges faced by manufacturers, adding, "We are all in the same supply chain, and we must work together to advance the common good."
Shing noted that AWMA overhauled its industry affairs operations and has been "really striving to represent the concerns of distributors before the manufacturing community." He commended the Industry Affairs Committee, chaired by Jode Bunce, of Eby-Brown Co., Naperville, IL, in 2004. The committee will be led by Dan Finkle of Finkle Distributors, Inc., Johnstown, NY, in 2005.
Over the past two years, AWMA has held several meetings with each of the major cigarette manufacturers, and after a meeting with USST President Murray Kessler in Connecticut, succeeded in getting the company "to make significant changes to their distributor program—and to look at the idea of weekend deliveries to address the Copenhagen dating problem."
At the recent NACS show, Shing said AWMA representatives met with the senior management of Philip Morris, Reynolds, Lorillard, Santa Fe and Nestle.
Citing progress the association has made financially (2004 was the second consecutive year with a surplus) and improvements in the quality of its meetings and information provided to members, Shing added that distributor involvement in AWMA has been boosted significantly.
He cited studies on Compensation, Dollar Store Items in the Convenience Channel, and others and said AWMA has beefed up educational offerings at its meetings and "tuned up" the STEPS and Bantle Institute programs.
The new Warehouse Delivered Snack program has resulted in almost 10,000 warehouse snack multi-vendor endcaps in convenience stores with plans for nearly 14,000 placed by the end of this year. Studies have shown that the program has dramatically increased MVE snack sales, Shing said.
Some of the achievements in government affairs cited by Shing include:
- Creation of a robust Government Affairs Portal on the Web and increased grass roots member involvement.
- Defeat of legislation that would have given FDA regulatory authority over tobacco.
- Efforts to shape new Bioterrorism regulations "so they don’t cripple our distributor members’ ability to do business."
- Work on legislation cracking down on "remote" sales of cigarettes, such as the Internet, phone or mail.
- Efforts to protect convenience distributors against overzealous legislation aimed at curbing obesity.
Shing urged distributors to actively participate in the association and to strongly support AWMA’s efforts. "United we stand. Divided we fall," he said. "This certainly applies to our industry today."
For more information on attending the 2007 AWMA REAL DEAL EXPO, contact customer service at either 800-564-4220 or 703-449-6418 or awmaregistration@jspargo.com
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