Participants in the ASA Convention program this year not only enjoyed the "Summit" portion of the agenda, but also got outstanding value as the ASA Education Foundation kicked off its brand new course, "Essentials of Profitable PHCP Distribution." The course was introduced in an energizing, half-day "train the trainer" workshop led by Dr. Kathryne Newton of Purdue University.
Almost 100 ASA wholesalers and vendors crammed the meeting room as Dr. Newton facilitated a lively discussion on how distributors could engage employees in thinking like owners and helping ensure a profitable operation. She showed the participants how to use "Essentials" to solicit commitment from their employees to increase profits. She demonstrated how to clarify concepts like margin vs. markup that are mysterious to new and sometimes even very experienced employees. Most importantly, participants learned how to use the course to help their employees emphasize improving factors that exert the greatest influence on profits.