The NAED Manufacturer’s Council, made of up 14 members from various sized suppliers, is focusing on building relationships throughout the supply chain in an effort to streamline processes and overcome some of the obstacles many members are facing. The council is working on a series of efforts, and wants all NAED members to know about the projects. Additionally, it is also looking for feedback or recommendations as it prepares for its upcoming meetings.
On Monday, February 20, the council will meet at the NAED South Central Conference to discuss two key issues: recruiting the next generation of our workforce in this supply chain and advocacy.
On the recruiting side, the council has worked for more than a year to help all NAED members recruit new employees. As council member Jason Hill, National Sales Manager at HellermanTyton, points out, “We are not competing against one another for the top talent, but with other industries.” Hill and the council are trying to build a team of people from the association who will help get the word out that working for a company in this association has benefits that many other companies cannot offer. The council wants to get that word to high schools, trade schools, and universities that offer degrees in supply chain management and electrical engineering.
When it comes to advocacy, the council wants to be more in line with NAED’s strategic planning by working on the same initiatives and creating more of a connection between suppliers and distributors. The council has attended the distributor council meetings at the Eastern Region and Western Region Conferences, and will be doing the same at the upcoming South Central Conference in Tampa. “We want to get more in alignment with NAED’s objectives,” Manufacturer’s Council President-Elect Tom Fredericks said. “We want to be more in concert with the organization.”
The Manufacturer’s Council is also going to host a discussion group at the NAED National Meeting in Boston in May. “We want to let manufacturer’s know what we are doing and what NAED’s board is focused on. This meeting will be an open discussion to get new ideas on how to work better together.”
If you would like to contact the NAED Manufacturer’s Council about the agenda at the South Central Conference or provide feedback on the initiatives, you are invited to e-mail Council Chair Don Spurgin at Donny.spurgin@encorewire.com. Council Chair-Elect Tom Fredericks at freddy@polywater.com, or past Council Chair Troit Freeland at tfreeland@burndy.com.
Tagged with NAED, tED