SEMA Member News - September/October 2009
MRC
News From the Council and 2009 SEMA Show Information
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| All manufacturers’ representatives—MRC members and non-council
members—are invited to attend the MRC general membership meeting and
awards ceremony on Sunday, November 1. Held prior to the SEMA Show
opening, the meeting will cover current MRC programs and offer an
outlook on the council’s future plans. For more information, contact
Staci Bostock at 909/396-0289, ext. 104, or via e-mail at
stacib@sema.org. |
Life is full of mile markers. July 1, 2009, was an important one for the SEMA Manufacturers Rep Council (MRC), as we welcomed four new members to the select committee. As the road of business winds through years 2009 and 2010, the interests of manufactures reps are attended to by the leadership body of the MRC. The select committee is made up of 13 sales professionals who carve out time in their busy schedules to come together and find solutions to the daily challenges our members face. Each select committee member is the eyes, ears and voice for every member rep firm and every sales rep who conducts business in the automotive aftermarket. Members are well represented when they belong to the MRC.
Mike Bolio of Scafidi-Bolio & Associates, Irv Cohen of SS Sales & Marketing Group and Chris Fairless of Fairless Sales & Marketing were welcomed back to begin their second terms on the select committee. Chairman Joel Rosenthal welcomed four new faces, including Mark Adin of PSKB, Jim Considine of Considine Sales & Marketing, Nathan Kunzman of Michael Kunzman & Associates and Chris Perry of Bill Perry & Associates.
Rounding out the select committee are Chair-Elect Wade Cobb of HAPCO, Bill Chamberlain of JS Chamberlain & Associates, Tommy Jourdan of True High Performance Sales, Evan Mecham of Evan Mecham & Associates and Les Rudd of Bob Cook Sales. John Iannotte of N.A. Williams Co. Performance Accessory Division will continue to serve as the immediate past chair/advisor for MRC, and Dave Wrobleski of Jim Wrobleski & Co Inc. will continue to serve as the SEMA Board liaison.
The combination of youth, talent and old-fashioned knowhow make the dynamics of this select committee a hard one to beat. Each committee member has a strong background from working in the rep industry and has dealt with the same situations and issues as every rep in the industry.
Join MRC at PWA
MRC will be hosting its annual long-range planning session at the Arizona Grand Resort on Saturday, September 12, 2009, from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. Dinner will be served. All Reps are welcome and encouraged to participate in this open forum, which will address issues faced daily by reps in all segments of the automotive industry. Bring your ideas and suggestions to raise the bar for all manufacturers’ reps.
This marks our eighth year of hosting the MRC Rep Conference. The topic for this year’s SEMA/MRC town hall meeting is “Don’t Just Survive…Thrive!” Our guest speaker will be Bryan Shirley, the president and CEO of the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA). This event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at the Arizona Grand Resort during the Performance Warehouse Association Conference. Join us for the open and interactive session addressing our industry’s biggest challenges in this turbulent economy. The MRC has established stimulus pricing. The cost has been reduced to $50 for the first registrant from a SEMA-member company and $25 for additional company employees. For more information, contact Staci Bostock at 909/396-0289, ext. 104, or via e-mail at stacib@sema.org.
MRC Meeting at the SEMA Show
All manufacturers’ representatives—MRC members and non-council members—are invited to the MRC general membership meeting and awards ceremony on Sunday, November 1. Held prior to the SEMA Show opening, the meeting will cover current MRC programs and offer an outlook on the council’s future plans.
MRC will also present its council awards during the meeting. The winner of the Sales Team Annual Recognition award will be announced and then recognized again during the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet later that week. To honor an outstanding member of the rep industry, the council will induct a manufacturers’ representative into the MRC Hall of Fame. This honor is reserved for icons who have contributed to enhancing professionalism, integrity and general growth of the manufacturers’ rep industry. For more information about the meeting or the awards, contact Staci Bostock at 909/396-0289, ext. 104, or via e-mail at stacib@sema.org.
MRC Rep Center: Open Early for Business
MRC members at the SEMA Show are encouraged to utilize the MRC Rep Center. Available exclusively to MRC members, the area will include resources to make conducting business at the Show easier and more convenient. Private meeting rooms can be used to plan the day with staff or to hold a business meeting with potential or current clients. The Rep Center will again be located in room C104 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Additionally, a new list of manufacturers seeking reps can be found in the Rep Center. The list, which is developed annually, includes exhibitors who have noted that they are in need of a rep. The list includes each exhibitor’s specific needs and whether they are seeking reps for a particular line of products or in specific areas. The list typically includes more than 100 exhibitors.
As a benefit to SEMA members, the list is made available to all SEMA manufacturers’ reps after the SEMA Show. However, it appears in the SEMA MRC Rep Center before anyone else is given access to view it. For more information about the list, contact Staci Bostock at 909/396-0289, ext. 104, or via e-mail at stacib@sema.org.