Todd Ford, CEO and President of Omaha, Neb.-based Central States Group, says involvement with the American Supply Association’s educational arm, ASA University, has helped his company move forward in a significant way. “In today’s climate it’s hard to attract talent, especially for a smaller, mid-range company,” he says. “We’re not big enough to have a complete training department where we can put something together to give potential employees a vision of what our company looks like and the opportunities they will have. ASA University has all the training resources for products, leadership and management. We’ve been able to use that to recruit employees. Our employees have that training material at their disposal now and can use that overall expertise to help them long-term from a career standpoint.”
Ford’s industrial PVF company is far from the only one that is benefitting from the continually burgeoning offerings ASA University offers its members. In the last two years, ASA University has seen a 242% increase in the number of courses taken by ASA members, Executive Director Amy Black notes. During that same timeframe, ASA University has enjoyed a 134% increase in new users. “Our offerings have certainly grown and the usage tells the story,” Black says.