A-D Leads the Way with Advocacy

Last week we posted an entry entitled “Influencing Direction to Create Industry Opportunities” and referenced the endeavors that NEMA is undertaking to influence the economic stimulus package and that NAW is doing to ensure the competitiveness of distributors.

Bill Weisberg, CEO of A-D, noted similar concerns to his affiliates last month in an email he sent them encouraging A-D’s over 530 independent distributor companies to join NAW (Bill agreed to let us post his email). In Bill’s words, distributor involvement in NAW is needed “because of the very real potential for us to see a dramatic increase in legislation detrimental to business growth.”

With the ability of labor unions to put pressure on the administration to support union friendly rules and interest in Congress to repeal LIFO provisions, it is important that distributors become active in their support of legislative initiatives that could generate business opportunities (i.e. energy initiatives) and issues that could be construed as “anti-business.”

According to Bill, his goal is to get 100 A-D affiliates to become NAW members this year. If we presume that A-D has about 30% of its affiliates in its electrical group, this could represent 30 electrically-oriented NAW members. We know Graybar is a member. So, if IMARK and NAED can further encourage distributors to join, or at least enhance their support for NAW, perhaps the electrical industry could have some more influence in legislative efforts.

Or, become active and write your Congressman. This site provides names and addresses.

And if all organizations can supplement NEMA’s efforts, perhaps we can further grow industry revenues.