PTDA Leadership Conference draws 40 future industry leaders.

Press Release Summary:



Fifth annual PTDA Leadership Development Conference brought together industry expert Joe Ellers and 40 future leaders of power transmission/motion control industry. March 2011 event was divided into 5 sessions covering leadership skills, distributor manufacturing relationships, sales strategies, managing sales margins, and wrap-up of topics discussed. Program was also designed to build participant's networks and featured group dinner with PTDA's volunteer leadership.



Original Press Release:



PTDA Builds the Skills of Tomorrow's Leaders



Chicago, Ill. - Now in its fifth year, the Power Transmission Distributor Association (PTDA) Leadership Development Conference brought together industry expert Joe Ellers and 40 of the power transmission/motion control industry's future leaders.

"The Leadership Development Conference is a fantastic opportunity for me to make and create valuable relationships in our industry," said participant Steve DuComb, sales representative for W. C. DuComb Co., Inc. "It is also one of the best idea generating sessions I've ever had. I have attended the conference for three years now and always come home with a great list of fresh ideas that I can put to work right away."

Over two days in March, the participants in this interactive workshop developed the skills they'll need to effectively manage people, processes and relationships.

Barb Ross, vice president of sales and marketing, Drives LLC, and chair of the Leadership Development Programs Task Force, considered the program a success.

"Our goal was to design a program with real take-home value - and, based on the terrific evaluations, we did just that. Participants told us they'll be implementing many of the techniques they learned at the conference as soon as they get back to the office."

The one-and-a-half day program was divided into five sessions; each focused on an aspect of leading and managing a distribution or manufacturing company.

o Session 1: Taking Your Leadership Skills to the Next Level provided an overview of the 11 key elements of management and the leader's role in communicating those elements.

o Session 2: Making Money Together: Profitable Distributor/Manufacturer Relationships emphasized that a successful relationship means maximizing the profitability for both players.

o Session 3: Making Process Work for You: Sales Strategies for Today's Market tuned attendees in to the difference between a "process-driven" approach and a "personality-driven" approach.

PTDA member Mike Dolpp of Thomson Industries showed attendees how using PTDA's Customized Solutions Selling Tool Kit (which each attendee received as a take-away from the conference) focuses their sales efforts on creating defined value.

o Session 4: Managing Margins: A Joint Effort demonstrated that managing sales margins is a critical element of leadership. Attendees learned what they need to do to better manage margins.

o Session 5: Wrap-Up. In the closing session, participants discussed how to communicate and implement all of the leadership and management elements presented at the conference and walked away with valuable tools to take them to the next step in becoming a successful leader.

"I wish I attended the Leadership Development Conference when I first started working in distribution. It would have been enlightening," said Alex Valentino, 2011 participant and market manager for U.S. Motors/Nidec Motor Corporation.

"Even now that I've been in the industry, it was amazingly helpful in positioning how the business works, especially the relationships between manufacturers and distributors," continued Valentino.

In addition to the sessions, the program was designed to build the participants' networks. As in years past, the conference was co-located with PTDA's mid-winter meetings, but the schedule was revised in 2011 to eliminate overlap between committee meetings and the conference. This allowed volunteers to fully participate in the Leadership Development Conference. Attendees were also invited to a group dinner with PTDA's volunteer leadership, including the Board of Directors, Manufacturer Council and five standing committees.

Stay tuned for information about the 2012 program at www.ptda.org/LeadershipDevelopmentConference.

Founded in 1960, the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) is the leading association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel. A U.S.-based trade association, PTDA represents 188 power transmission/motion control distribution firms that generate more than $10 billion in sales and span 3,500 locations in North America and 11 other countries. PTDA members also include 187 manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry.

PTDA is dedicated to providing exceptional networking, targeted education, relevant information and leading-edge business tools to help distributors and manufacturers meet marketplace demands competitively and profitably. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.

Contact:

Brigitte Lyons

Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA)

blyons@ptda.org

+1.312.516.2100

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