For many years, the ASA team has traveled around the nation to meet with members in what it has been called the “ASA Member Blitz.”

The purpose of the blitz is for the ASA team to visit members and their teams on their home turf to explore the issues and challenges members are having. The team then brings those challenges back to ASA leadership to explore how the association might be able to help members face these challenges.

Leigh Suffian, owner of Atlas Supply, was visited by one team during 2023’s Member Blitz. With headquarters located in St. Louis, Missouri, three ASA team members visited with her in their Immerse by Atlas showroom location. During a sit-down meeting over coffee, Suffian explained her training needs to ASA, and shared the upcoming training challenges facing the business with the addition of new team members.

Suffian explained she did not have a formal training plan in place, but that she wanted to get her employee on the right foot and understood that training was essential not only for job proficiency, but also for long-term employee satisfaction and retention. She had always known about ASA University’s training offerings but had yet to take advantage of them — and the ASA team was delighted to tell her more about the services it offers.

Working together, the ASA team got an understanding of what skill gaps existed for the employee by asking probing questions about the individual’s background and previous job experience. ASA’s flexibility allowed Suffian’s direct input on creating a custom training track specifically for her new hire’s needs. During this preliminary conversation, the ASA team got a big picture view of Atlas’ needs and committed to continuing the conversation after its return to ASA HQ.

In the following weeks, the ASA team and Leigh conducted a series of calls and virtual meetings to get more into the nitty gritty of designing the perfect program. During the calls Suffian and the ASA team went over course descriptions and spoke with the employee directly to find out what she felt was needed to excel in her new role. This included evaluating the learner’s background, as well as integrating topics of importance to Suffian and the profitability of the business – such as planning and prioritization, profitable purchasing and inventory management, and sales negotiations.

ASA made the lift easy for Atlas Supply by sending key information to help Suffian and her team feel confident in the training they wanted to undertake. ASA also made recommendations on what other skills might be recommended for her new hire, based on years of experience with other clients and the successes they’ve had.

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“We at Atlas Supply have been very impressed with the ASA training for a number of years,” Suffian said. “Our employees have been participating in training from several departments, ranging from sales to purchasing to warehouse management. The programs offer helpful, specific product information on topics such as rough plumbing, water heaters, piping and more. We have also taken advantage of some skills-based offerings and programs that inform newer candidates about the wholesale distribution industry, how we operate, what it takes to be profitable, etc. We have found ASA to be an integral part of our education and onboarding process and are grateful for their leadership and dedication in this area.”

This success story with Atlas Supply exemplifies the transformative impact of ASA University in shaping effective training tracks. By working closely with Suffian at Atlas Supply, ASA University demonstrated its commitment to understanding their unique needs, overcoming challenges, and providing customized solutions.

With ASA University's comprehensive training resources, user-friendly portal and expertise, Atlas Supply achieved remarkable results. As more organizations recognize the importance of investing in training and development, ASA University continues to be a trusted partner in the PHCP-PVF industry.

To learn more about ASA’s education and training resources, shoot an email to education@asa.net.