Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/873071
S tr on g R o o t s , S tr on g B ran ch e s AD Strong | AD Today 2017 | # For Joe Pro, President of Pennsylvania Machine Works in Aston, PA, AD Field Marketing Summits provide a forum through which to forge deeper, more meaningful partnerships with affiliates. According to Pro, whose company has been an AD supplier since 1996, working with AD independents in these settings "gives us an opportunity to do business with people who share our values and makes it much more about the partnership and the relationship-building than about the commodity or the pricing of an item." Simply put, he said, "for us, AD Field Marketing Summits are a huge investment in our growth." Lindsey Portnoy Rodner, Marketing Manager for Aaron and Company in Piscataway, NJ, credits AD Field Marketing Summits with providing a forum for the creation of strong strategic plans. "They allow us to partner with the best manufacturers out there and form the best sales strategy ahead of our competition," she said. "AD Field Marketing Summits have also been a great asset to our company because they allow our entire sales team to be involved in a process over which they have control." "AD Field Marketing Summits are personal for me," shared Jeffrey Beall, AD U.S. & Canada PHCP Divisions President and a former AD member who hosted many of these events. "As an AD member for 16 years, I found Field Marketing Summits to be a unique way to grow my business in a very fun, easy-to-do, and really flexible way. They provided a model and a structure for our business to help plan, grow, and have accountability and to understand products so that our staff could really see the benefit of being in AD. This program goes a long way with suppliers too; suppliers see the benefit of diving deeper into your company and connecting with your team while being able to share opportunities for growth." A RESULTS-BASED EVENT "AD Field Marketing Summits provide a unique opportunity for our company to create a strategic plan and year-long growth strategy with some of our most passionate industrial distributors in the industry in a fun and relaxing atmosphere," shared Gene Huegin, President of Milwaukee-based tool supplier PFERD Inc. "At the end of the day, our collaborative efforts galvanize our relationship and we both walk away with a better understanding of how we're going to promote each other's brand and capture market share." Ron Herem, President of Baldwin Supply Company in Minneapolis, continued on page 54 Joe Pro President Pennsylvania Machine Works Lindsey Portnoy Rodner Marketing Manager Aaron and Company Jeffery Beall President AD U.S. & Canada PHCP Divisions AD S tr o n g R o o t s , S tr o n g B r an ch e s #ADSTRONG | AD Today 2017 | 53