At its February 21 & 22 Board of Directors meeting, ASA held conducting a strategic planning session that set a strong course for the coming years.

“The past couple of years have seen a lot of events that will influence the course ASA travels in the future,” shares Jeff New, ASA President. “The completion of the $10 million Karl E. Neupert Endowment Fund for Education, new staff leadership and continued member consolidation really have brought us to a place where we needed to reevaluate the role ASA is going to play in the industry and address needs in the areas our members value most  It’s an ideal time to sit down with the Board and lay out some clear plans.”

Moderated by Glenn Tecker of Tecker Consultants, an international strategic consulting firm, Board members, key volunteers and ASA staff embarked on a journey to identify ASA’s core purpose, core strategies, a “Big Audacious Goal” (BAG) and sketch the map to get us there.

Participants were pre-assigned groups to ensure a representative mix of distributors, manufacturers and staff worked together throughout the process.  The two-day session was full of analysis, ideas and information that put together an aggressive and exciting plan for ASA to follow.  Below is a summary of what was developed by the Board Members during the process.

An organization’s Core Purpose is a concise statement of the organization’s reason for being. ASA’s Core Purpose is to help PHCP and PVF supply chain partners run better, more profitable businesses.

Core Values are essential and enduring tenets of the organization - a small set of timeless guiding principles. ASA’s Core Values are: Integrity, Relevance, Fairness and Leadership.

A Big Audacious Goal is a clear and compelling statement of what the organization seeks to be or become; what will constitute success. ASA’s Big Audacious Goal is to be indispensable to prosperity in our industry.

Strategic Principles are parameters that guide policy and program choices made by the organization. ASA’s Strategic Principles are:

• Promote our brand as the standard of excellence by which the market judges credibility.

• Contribute to business growth and profitability greater than the cost of membership.

• Provide innovative programming that improves the whole supply chain and offers value to all supply chain partners.

• Earn the appreciation of all populations touched by the products we sell as the recognized and responsible advocate for all segments of the PHCP/PVF industry.

In the coming weeks, the Board of Directors will review the draft goals and objectives that were outlined at the meeting and complete a final document that shows ASA’s members and the industry at large where its going, how its going to get there and what benefits will be realized as a result.

For more information on ASA or to share your thoughts on the strategic plan, please call 312-464-0090 or e-mail info@asa.net.