Distributors are living in an age of disruption unlike anything that has ever been experienced before, according to Dirk Beveridge, founder of UnleashWD and author of the book Innovate! How Successful Distributors Lead Change in Disruptive Times. Those companies that will prosper long term will need to think critically about how to improve their company and the businesses that support them. As an industry organization seeking to keep our members relevant and viable into the future, ASA’s leadership is forever scanning the horizon to see what’s in store and then seek to support our members to best meet future challenges.

ASA volunteer leadership and staff are innovating how we can best position the association to be an integral part of a member’s business. A large component of our long-range strategic planning process is to attack the status quo, which makes companies stagnant and staff complacent....to challenge distributors to think well outside the norm by changing their culture and business practices. Ideas that have been percolating in ASA’s strategic meetings for years are now moving to the forefront of new programming to strengthen our member’s position as industry leaders.

Facing a looming labor shortage, an unresponsive government, economic uncertainty, collapsing energy markets and new challenges from disruptive competitors are all changing how members do business and are issues on the minds of the ASA leadership. Earlier this year at the ASA Winter Leadership Meeting, the association revised the ASA Long Range Strategic Plan to refocus our leaders, divisions and committees and build the goals of the association to address these concerns. The newly revamped mega goals of the American Supply Association are divided into four targeted areas which are:

• Building our members’ operational excellence
• Recruiting, developing and retaining of our members’ employees
• Being the recognized and unified voice for advocacy for our industry
• Being stewards of our workplace, community, industry and environment

This focused vision is guiding ASA decisions on new and improved programs and benefits for our members to best position them to succeed both in the short- and long-term.

Today, ASA is a proven leader of the PHCP/PVF industry, mobilizing members to be a driving force on Capitol Hill, at the forefront with codes and standards, employers of choice with top-notch education and staff development plans, prepared for the business markets with accurate forecasting and key business intelligence, and constantly improving with innovation sharing. As more and more companies within the industry become engaged with ASA, the association’s value and effects become stronger and stronger. “I believe that ASA got here because of the visionary volunteer leadership and staff that sought to be relevant by ensuring the future of their companies and the industry by disrupting the status quo that had bogged them down a decade ago,” Beveridge says. “I have had the privilege to work closely with ASA and many of its members. What’s exciting to see is that they aren’t complacent. They aren’t satisfied with the way it’s always been done. They continue to drive culture change to advance the ability of their membership to remain relevant in the age of disruption.”

ASA key accomplishments and new initiatives impacting strategic direction

Dedicated Representation: Established full-time Washington office with an ASA staff member representing the interests of the industry.

Louder Voice: Expanded one-on-one meetings with lawmakers with WIT & AD Hill visits.

Sacramento Day: Engaged industry leaders in advocacy effort in California critical to impacting future code and regulatory issues.

Key Oversight: Engaged in full-time involvement in the codes and standards process to advocate on our members’ and industry’s interests.

Diversity: Formed Women in Industry Division with an annual conference, educational webinar programs and
mentoring program.

Informed Customer: Produced PB Outlook & PVF Outlook, a monthly e-newsletter sent to more than 60,000 industry customers.

Member Advocate: ASA is an organizational sponsor of Design Build Week sponsored by NAHB and NKBA and participates with a trade show booth at the KBIS & Builders Show.

Supply Chain Education: ASAEF programs are approved courses for designers continuing education through the NKBA CEU provider program.

Craft Training & Recruitment: ASA is a sponsor for the national SkillsUSA plumbing contest sponsored by PHCC. 

Career Recruitment: Developed programs and materials to expose students and job seekers to the career opportunities that exist in the PHCP & PVF industry.

ASA University & Advisory Service: Dramatically expanded the ability of ASA to reach and train our members’ employees efficiently and cost effectively through ASA-U.

Master of Distribution Management: Developing industry leaders of today and tomorrow.

Economic Forecasting & Monthly Updates: Provide members with an advanced look at what economic forces will be impacting the industry in the year ahead, along with monthly updates.

Professional Peer Networking Councils: Networking within all levels of an organization to learn from others’ successes, failures and advice.

Social Media: Expanded exposure through various social media outlets to market and inform.