ISA hosts 4th Annual IMR Summit
by Tom Hammel
The Industrial Supply Association will bring together reps and manufacturers at its fourth annual Industrial Manufacturer’s Rep Summit, Feb. 22-25, 2015 in Pompano Beach, Fla.
The event features three days of productivity-focused seminars, keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking receptions and social events.
The 2015 IMR Summit is designed to help manufacturers and reps share best practices, enhance communication and improve sales plan performance with state-of-the-art marketing, training, customer management and productivity systems. The Summit’s goal is to help manufacturers and reps gain better understanding of each other’s businesses, strengthen and develop opportunities to increase regional sales, market share and profitability.
The theme of the 2015 event, “Knowledge Equals Opportunity,” highlights the technologies that manufacturers and their rep firms are sharing to drive field sales and improve supply chain efficiencies. The Summit also reinforces the role that emerging technologies play in the evolving manufacturer and rep partnership.
The first IMR Summit, held in 2011, drew 45 rep and manufacturer attendees. The 2014 Summit attracted 84 high-level professionals and Summit leaders expect in excess of 100 rep and manufacturer participants for 2015.
2015 IMR Summit highlights
On Monday, Feb. 23, the IMR Summit kicks off with registration, an attendee golf outing and spouse activities, followed by an evening networking reception.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Kevin Weinacht, chairman of the ISA Industrial Manufacturer’s Representative (IMR) special interest group, will present the state of the industry and 
introduce the day’s key events, including:
- Keynote presentation by Major General Lawrence W. Brock III on the importance of “Information and Computers in War, Business and Everyday Life.”
- General session presentation by Julie Bartl, president of Johnson, Kendall & Johnson Benefits, speaking on ObamaCare/ACA.
- Focused sessions on CRM and sales productivity systems for manufacturers and rep firms led by Telenotes, Microsoft Dynamics and Batchbooks.
“The 2015 Summit’s theme, Knowledge Equals Opportunity, highlights the importance of technology in our changing industry,” observed Weinacht, president of Weinacht & Associates, Collinsville, Ill. “Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are increasingly important tools for our industry and part of this Summit will explore how CRM and sales productivity systems can improve communication between reps and manufacturers to help us drive more sales and bottom-line growth.”
From his experience with previous IMR Summits, Weinacht is confident the Summit will give manufacturers a better understanding of how rep agencies work in the field and some of their unique capabilities.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Summit will host a 2015 industry panel session, led by:
- Craig Vogel of Lenox, ISA vice president
- Chris Frew of Ames/True Temper
- Bart Carter of SGS Tool
- John Pittman of Pittman Industrial
- Tommy Thompson of Turner Supply
The event will conclude with a closing keynote by Charlie Lingenfelter, president and CEO of Industrial Distribution Group (IDG), a distributor of indirect materials for more than 600 global corporations and institutions.
Why manufacturers should attend
The 2015 IMR Summit is designed for both industrial- and construction-oriented manufacturers that currently utilize rep agencies and representatives of companies that are interested in networking with the top manufacturer’s representatives in North America.
Craig Vogel, vice president of sales for Lenox, a Newell Rubbermaid Co., attended the summit for the first time last year. At the coming 2015 Summit, he will be a manufacturer voice on the 2015 industry panel.
“I was very pleased with last year’s Summit,” Vogel said. “We are looking for ideas from IMRs on how we can be easy to do business with so they can help us accelerate our growth. The Summit gave me valuable insights into what works for reps, the trends they are seeing that help them grow business for manufacturers — and the hindrances that make doing business with manufacturers more difficult.”
“If you go to the Summit with the mind set of, ‘What can I do to grow my business faster?’ and listen to the reps and the guest speakers, you will leave with some great ideas that you can use to make your business better,” Vogel said. “That’s what it’s all about for me.”
Bob Cutler, president of Cutler Industrial Sales in Islip Terrace, N.Y., said the Summit is valuable both for its networking opportunity and for the take-home value of information presented.
“I’m a small businessman and we get tied up on the details of running our business. This is a wonderful way to learn new methods, new opportunities, and to talk to people people about how to grow our businesses.”
John Pittman, president of Pittman Industrial Marketing in Birmingham, Ala., said the Summit helps channel partners better understand how to work together. “It is an opportunity to have conversations that strengthens the relationship between a rep and a manufacturer. I think the manufacturers walk away with a better understanding of how to work with their reps or how to work with a rep organization,” he said.
Past Summit attendees and presenters, including Snap-on, MSC and Fastenal, attest to the event’s take-home value and potential for business growth. The 2015 Summit promises the best value yet.
In the battle for sales and market share against competing brands and direct-sales organizations, the best weapon is a superior organization working for you. Attend the 2015 IMR Summit and learn why nothing opens doors like a great rep. Learn more about the 2015 IMR Summit online at www.isapartners.org/events/imr-summit or call (215) 320-3862.
This article originally appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2014 issue of Industrial Supply magazine. Copyright 2014, Direct Business Media.
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