If there are common threads connecting the newest members of MANA’s Board of Directors, those threads might very well be listed under these headings:

• A firm belief in the need to become more professional in their chosen profession.
• A reliance on a need for networking.
• A desire to successfully meet common challenges.
• A commitment to give back to the profession that has given so much to them.

The three new members of MANA’s Board who possess those common threads are:

John Davis

John Davis, Paul Davis Automation Inc., Chardon, Ohio. Provides industrial automation/process controls.

Readers of Agency Sales should be familiar with John Davis. A MANA member since 2013, Davis has authored articles in Agency Sales on an iPhone app he developed for agents (April 2014), his experience with CRM (June 2015) and putting his expertise as an airplane pilot to use to more efficiently cover his territory (December 2014).

According to Davis, a second-generation MANA member, “During the course of my father’s membership, he impressed upon me the benefits that would accrue to belonging to a professional association. Whether it was the practice of networking with other reps, attending seminars or reading Agency Sales, his example showed me it was a good idea for me to do the same. At the same time, I knew a number of reps, some of whom were MANA members. I could actually see a trend among those who were MANA members as being the successful ones. There are a lot of good things going on with the association, and it’s something I want to be a part of.”

As he readies himself to be a part of the association Board, Davis notes that there are any number of challenges that agents must be aware of. “I was in attendance at CPMR recently and among the topics that continually came up were concerns with everything from termination to getting the right CRM for your agency, and providing call reports in this technological age. These are all topics that MANA has to be concerned with.”

To address those concerns he stressed how important membership in MANA should be for independent manufacturers’ representatives. “I know membership is a concern for all associations, but there’s nothing like having the ability to get together with fellow reps to discuss common problems and come up with solutions to problems that we all face. I’d say that membership in MANA remains very relevant for any rep and it’s important for an agency owner to find an organization that works for him and take advantage of it.”

Stephen Fowler

Stephen Fowler, Process Equipment Resources & Consulting, Bridgewater, New Jersey. Provides process/rep management consulting services, marketing programs, equipment resource access.

In Fowler’s opinion there is no shortage of challenges facing independent manufacturers’ representatives, and it’s addressing some of those concerns that has served as an impetus for his involvement on MANA’s Board. Fowler explains that he became aware of the association as far back as the 1980s. “I was working for an equipment engineering firm and dealt with reps, some of whom were MANA members.” He became an agent himself in 1994 and joined MANA shortly thereafter. He observes that “Reps live and work in a world without a safety net. When we take our first steps in the business, we really don’t know if it’s going to work or not. That’s why I love MANA’s mission, because it intersects with so many of the reps’ concerns.”

Fowler notes that the New Jersey area where his business is located has benefitted from regular informal meetings where association members have been able to share experiences and come up with solutions to problems. “Costs being what they are,” he says, “we’ve had a strong core group for more than eight years. Generally we have 8-9 people getting together for breakfast and when business isn’t too harried, we’ll have 15-20 people.”

He adds that “When we get together, we go over what we’ve been reading, what’s going on with MANA and what we’ve learned from Agency Sales magazine.”

As for his own personal involvement in MANA and more specifically service on the Board, Fowler explains, “Whether a rep works for an agency or operates his own firm, he’s living in a solitary world. It’s difficult to establish meaningful relationships. The first thing that really intrigued me about MANA was the fact the association brought me into contact with an excellent group of fellow travelers who are interested in the same things I am.

“The second thing I liked about the people I deal with in MANA is that things are generally uncomplicated. They concentrate on planning and execution. I like that approach to business.”

And finally, as he offers his thoughts as he begins a term on the Board, Fowler says, “I know a lot of reps. We run the gamut as to what we deal with. They rep everything from lawn chairs, to castings, to any number of other products. One thing that gets my attention is the poorly performing rep who gives all the other reps a bad name. To combat that MANA is uniquely positioned in terms of facilitating the communication and rep education that are needed to increase the level of professionalism.”

Drawing from his own experience as both a manufacturer and a rep, Fowler advises other independent manufacturers’ representatives who may be on the fence about joining the association to take the step forward. “Failing to join MANA is a little bit like operating in the dark. If you join, you’re able to walk through a portal and find a website, educational opportunities and a wealth of documents that other travelers like yourself can take advantage of. MANA will help you successfully get from point A to point B. The association is a type of democracy for its participants. No one dominates and there are a number of people doing the same things for the benefit of all.”

Ed Juline

Ed Juline, Mexico Representation, Guadalajara, Mexico. Provides representation of companies outside of Mexico looking to grow their customer base by selling to Mexico and sourcing offshore low-cost suppliers within Mexico, for export.

Juline, a MANA member since 2009, has been working in manufacturing operations and sales in Mexico for 13 years. When IBM decided to move the manufacturing of X-Series servers from the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina to Guadalajara, someone was needed to lead the project. That someone was Juline. After a successful geographical transplant, he wasn’t quite done with Mexico, taking the severance that a non-manufacturing IBM was offering and going on to work for Nypro as the Dell Business Unit manager and then Pertek-Erler as plant manager. When MacDermid Autotype wanted to get into the Mexican market and searched LinkedIn for the keywords “Mexico Plastics Appliances,” his profile was at the top of the list. The transition to sales led to solicitations for representation from a number of companies wanting to sell into Mexico and Mexico Representation was formed.

As he considers why he became involved in MANA, Juline notes, “No matter what field I’ve been involved in, it seems to me that the professional organizations are the best way to become more professional yourself, to get the latest information about your field and to be able to network with others like yourself. As a result, it’s something I’ve always done. That’s why I’m involved with MANA.”

If that’s a general reason for his membership, he goes on to point to a couple of more personal if not “selfish” reasons. “On the selfish side I’m always trying to bridge the gap between Mexico and the United States. MANA can help me do that. “Perhaps a more noble reason is that the independent manufacturers’ representative profession, or industry as we know it, doesn’t really exist in Mexico. Sure, there are distributors and salespeople but reps don’t really exist. My goal is to expand the growth of the rep profession and make it a more formal career. Once again, that’s something that MANA can help with.”

Just as the other new members on the MANA Board, Juline is quick to observe there are any number of challenges facing the rep profession today. “One of the first things that comes to mind,” he says, “is that there’s a huge gap when we consider matchmaking between manufacturers and reps. MANA has the resources to allow both sides to find each other.”

While acknowledging the benefits he’s derived from his MANA membership, Juline makes a point to advise other agents to carefully consider membership. “When you consider what the association is able to accomplish, you’ve got to plug in economies of scale. If there are too few people involved who are trying to accomplish a goal, chances of success are minimal. If large numbers of reps join and participate, however, and if they’re committed for the long haul, there’s a real potential for all of us to strike gold.”

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