2012 AWMA Show “Rocks!” Gets Rave Reviews

An outstanding educational program designed to help convenience distributors thrive in the years ahead and a dynamic trade show where suppliers and distributors learned about each other’s needs and opportunities for doing business together highlighted the 2012 AWMA Show held Feb. 15-17 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.
   
“This was one of the best shows in the past 10 years,” declared Frank Falter, The George J. Falter Co., Baltimore, MD, “and talking to the exhibitors and the manufacturers, they feel that way too. It was larger, there were a lot of different manufacturers, including foodservice, and that is what our company is looking at. There were enough vendors here for us to get a good start.”
   
“It rocked!” said Paul Bilton-Smith, national account manager, World Kitchens. “This show gets you out of your comfort zone a little bit, but for us and our customers, that’s a good thing.”
   
Debbie Robins, president of Century Distributors Co., Inc., Rockville, MD, found her experience at this year’s show to be valuable and worthwhile.
   
“It has changed and grown,” she said. “This was a great way to do business.  I was able to spend good, quiet one-on-one time with manufacturers.”
   
Robins attended the AWMA Summit & Business Exchange in Atlanta last fall, where she met with manufacturing trading partners and mapped out plans for the coming year. “This was a great opportunity to recap and see how we’re doing,” she said. “Plus, there were show deals, and that pays for the buyers’ trips. And the manufacturers’ decision makers were here, and it is always great to regroup with old acquaintances.  I hope there is even more growth in the years to come.”
   
In addition to more than 11 hours of business opportunity on the Show exposition floor Feb. 16 and 17, two Super Sessions and several concurrent educational seminars provided attendees with a chance to gain insight into key business developments, including tobacco regulations, using data to improve business, human resources, and tapping into the Latino market. A bonus program on Feb. 15 offered advice on how to leverage category management.
   
The Show’s opening Super Session Feb. 16 featured the presentation of AWMA’s first Hall of Fame Awards and a fascinating address by Drayton McLane, Jr., chairman, McLane Group, and former owner of the Houston Astros Baseball Club. The Hershey Company sponsored the program.  Friday’s closing Super Session focused on changes in retail, and featured a panel discussion that included two top convenience store retail operators.

Presented the chairman’s gavel during the Show, by outgoing chairman Keith Channing, managing partner, Pine State Trading, Augusta, ME, was new AWMA chairman Chad Gummer, president and chief operating officer, Gummer Wholesale, Inc., Heath, OH. He pledged to work hard to expand AWMA’s membership and relationships with state industry associations, broaden the annual Day on the Hill lobbying event, and improve the organization’s communications tools.

Supplier companies large and small found value at the Show.

“We’re here to support the association – we’re a gold sponsor,” noted Joe Farnham, Lorillard Tobacco Co. “It’s a great opportunity to connect with customers from all over the country. To do that without a forum like this would be very time-consuming and expensive. It is a great opportunity to make relationships or to initiate them.”

“What I like about it,” said Tom Taunton, president, Gurley’s Foods, Wilmar, MN, “is that the people who come by are actually wholesalers, actually customers or potential customers – not close-out buyers. They don’t just fill the aisles with people; everybody here is pretty much either a customer or a lead. That is why we keep coming back.”

“The technology and service side has been the surprise for us,” noted Ricky Jones, Andalusia Distributing Co., Andalusia, AL. “There are new opportunities for us to learn and to visit with people. There are some new products and line extensions that look good, too. This is the best show that I’ve attended in years.”

Jed Brewer, vice president, Finance & Resource Management Consultants Inc., which operates industry study group programs with which AWMA partners, said he and company president David M. Nelson had spoken with at least 10 companies that are interested in joining a group.

Currently, the consulting firm manages two groups, both of which are near capacity with about 18 non-competing distributor members combined, he said. So there are plans to launch a third. Participating distributors from across the country, who do not compete with each other, share financial information and best practices and learn from each other in a structured format.

“They use the group as a sort of outside board of directors,” said Brewer, getting together twice a year, often at members’ locations.

“This has been a real success for us,” said Brewer. “We invite AWMA members to contact us if they are interested in more information. Visit www.studygroups.com.

Thank you to our 2012 AWMA Show Sponsors.  

Platinum Sponsors
Altria Group Distribution Company
American Snuff Company
The Hershey Company
Liggett Vector Brands LLC
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company

Gold Sponsors
BIC Consumer Products, USA
Commonwealth-Altadis Inc.
Kraft Foods
Lorillard Tobacco Company

Silver Sponsors
Atkinson Candy Company
East Carolina RYO
General Mills, Inc.
Inter-Continental Cigar Corp
S & M Brands, Inc.
Smoker Friendly International
Zippo Manufacturing Company