“The relationship has really taken off in the last five years,” current AIM/R President Brian Burke of Walled Lake, Mich.-based Burke Agency says. “It makes sense for us to be involved in their organization. It helps us understand their challenges and to be able to assist them. Distributors have identified product training as one of the key issues. As manufacturers reps we can provide that training in the field better than anyone.”

Burke notes AIM/R will have a strong presence at Network2015, ASA’s marquee event in Chicago Oct. 27-29. AIM/R is sponsoring an educational session titled “The Evolving Role of the Manufacturers Representative” and also will host an AIM/R principals appreciation reception. Incoming ASA President Tim Milford (Milford Supply) will speak at AIM/R’s 43rd annual conference in New Orleans on Oct. 15.

ASA Executive Vice President Mike Adelizzi adds AIM/R’s participation in ASA is beneficial to both groups from an advocacy standpoint. “AIM/R members lend significant support to our advocacy mission in Washington, D.C.,” he says. “They are helping to deliver the message to members of the industry to engage in writing and visiting their members of Congress. AIM/R members are advocates for our industry.”

AIM/R members currently sit on numerous ASA committees, including the ASA Education Foundation Board of Trustees and the Vendor Member Division Executive Council. Burke is part of the ASA Board of Directors.

For a list of AIM/R members that belong to the American Supply Association, see Page 85 of the September issue.

AIM/R firms that are members of the American Supply Association

A)  A.H. Deveney; Added Sales; Afco-Kaehr Sales; Aqua Products Group; Associated Marketing;

B)  Battersby, Danielson.; Bennerotte Marketing Agency; Big Rivers Marketing; Billingsley, Barbot, Woolf, Canale; Bongard; Bornquist; Bradford Sales; Burke Agency; BWA South;

C)  Campbell Equipment; Carolina Sales; Carrhill; Central Sales; Champions Marketing; Chesapeake Systems; Contact Sales; Cooper New England Sales; Cope-Wardell-Ammon; Corbett, Wingard & Ray; Cummins-Wagner; Curnayn Sales;

D)  Davenport; David Gooding; Dawson; Delco Sales; Dellon Sales; Delta-Q; Diversified Sales Group;

E)  E.J. Dwyer; E.W. Leonard; Ed Os; Edward B. Lingel; Elmco Duddy; Emerson-Swan; Encore Sales; Evergreen Sales;

F)  FC2 Sales; Focus Sales; Francer Industries; Friedman & Dorrans;

G)  Gasco; Geiger Sales; Great Lakes Sales; Group One Northeast;

H)  Harry Eklof; Harry Warren; Hart, Travers; Herbowski Stickler; Hodes & Sutter; Howard C. Fletcher;

I)  Inland Sales;

J)  J. Davis Sales; J.B. O’Connor; J.H. Pokorny;

K)  Kast Marketing; Keyline Sales; Keystone Sales; Kliman Sales;

L)  Libb Co.; Lowder Sales;

M)  M&H Sales; Major/Lozuaway; Maloney & Curico; McCain Sales; McGregor; McKee-Nix.; Mega Western Sales; Mersch Budco; Metropolitan Ind.; Mid-Continent Marketing; Midwest Sales & Marketing; Midwest Spec.;

N)  N.H. Yates; New-Tech Marketing; Northeast Sales;

O)  O’Connor Sales; Odum Sales; Output Sales;

P)  Paramount Sales; Pepco Sales; Perry Intl.; Pinnacle Reps; Platsky South; Plumbing Products Group; P-M Assoc.; Preferred Sales; Premier Marketing; Professional Dynamic Sales; ProLine Sales; Pulley;

R)  R.C. Sales & Service; R.L. Deppmann; R.D. Kincaide; Renco Sales; Repco Assoc.; Repcor; RepSource; RepWest; Rich-Tomkins;

S)  Sales Service Plus; Sales, Marketing & Service; Signature Sales; Smith & Stevenson; Snider; Soderholm; Southwestern Mechanical Sales; Specification Sales; Spirit Group; Sunbelt Marketing;

T)  Taggart-Knight Group; TFG Founders Group; The Carr Co.,; Thomas J. Higgins; Tim Morales; Tro Sales;

U)  U.S. Consolidated; United PVF; Urell, V.E. Sales;

V)  Vernon Bitzer;

W)  Walter F Morris; Water Solutions Marketing; Westmark Enter.; White Wolf Group; Whitney Co.; Wm. M. McClain;

Z)  Zurier.

 This article was originally titled “Working Together” in the September 2015 print edition of Supply House Times.