Cooperative Trend in Representative Associations

In any undertaking aimed at improvement, there’s often the unspoken goal of hoping to achieve what might seem impossible. For instance, consider having 1 + 1 = 3. But that’s exactly one of the goals that was explored last summer when executives of various independent representatives’ associations met to explore areas where working together could result in improved products and services for their respective constituencies.

As a follow-up to that meeting, some of those association executives offered their views of how and why the associations working together could find that 1 + 1 does indeed = 3. Was that meeting last year an aberration, or is there really a desire or trend among the several rep associations to seek out those areas where combined efforts can result in an improvement or a “raising of the bar” for the entire profession? A resounding “yes” answers that question.

Views from Industry Leaders

According to Rick Abraham, executive director of the Food Service Sales & Marketing Association (FSMA), “While we all serve vastly different industries, the fact is that rep agencies today face similar challenges at the industry level. As a result, it makes good sense for the rep associations to work efficiently together on common issues rather than separately.” FSMA works to promote sales and marketing agencies as the preferred method for suppliers to come to market.

Jay Ownby, executive director of the Power-Motion Technology Representatives Association (PTRA), notes, “The boards of directors and the management companies of virtually all rep trade associations currently are discussing options to minimize costs in order to serve declining memberships and improve the value of their associations. This constitutes a trend, and it’s one that we continue to build on as we work together on various educational efforts, conferences and in other areas.”

Joe Miller, President/CEO of MANA, mentioned, “There has been recent movement — led by MANA — to revive regular meetings of the rep association executives, and it appears that those who were present at last year’s meeting continue to express a desire to continue to cooperate in a variety of areas including education, local rep chapters and legislative lobbying efforts.”

Hank Bergson, president of the National Electrical Manufacturers’ Representatives Association (NEMRA), emphasized the importance of working together on subjects that have a common interest, especially when it impacts the activities of a wide variety of reps.

Benefits of Cooperation

The cooperative efforts have led to significant benefits, such as availability of multiple attorneys familiar with rep law, sharing of a full-time meeting management staff person, sharing manufacturer educational seminars, and significant discounts on educational seminars, publications, and trade missions.

Miller adds, “We feel that MANA’s association management services will make sense for additional small rep associations in the future, while the larger organizations will probably be content to just cooperate on education, promotion of the rep profession and advocacy activities. In either case, the rep profession will benefit.”

Future Outlook

Looking to the future, the heads of these rep associations predict some consolidation in the future for associations in like industries, perhaps with a wheel-and-spoke configuration with a centralized hub and distinct spokes for each member constituency. However, the stronger industry-specific associations will retain their identity and uniqueness, even if they combine resources and some activities with an umbrella association like MANA.

“There will probably be fewer rep associations, as is evidenced by what transpired with NIRA and BWSR. If our cooperative model continues to work, there will still be separate, industry-specific rep associations,” concludes Miller.