President's Blog

Are you familiar with NAED’s Women In Industry group? It is one of our thriving niche groups and if you are a woman working in the electrical channel or have women working at your company, it is definitely worth getting to know more about. The group was designed to increase the visibility of women in the electrical industry, offer valuable networking opportunities amongst women, and give them a platform for sharing tips for success as well as mentoring other women.

We would love to see more of our NAED member companies supporting the Women In Industry group. The industry’s future success is based on bringing in a younger and more diverse workforce. While women may start with a company, they may not stay in the industry for the long haul without a solid support system. That support system can be established through the Women In Industry group.

Women In Industry hosts networking luncheons during all three of the NAED regional conferences, as well as during the National Electrical Leadership Summit. We are also getting ready for the 2011 Women In Industry Forum, which will take place June 5-8 at the Hyatt Regency Newport in Newport, R.I. The Forum expands on the group’s other networking opportunities, and everyone who attends is sure to walk away with new connections for personal and professional growth, tips for success and a strong support group.

Some of our members have also taken steps to encourage support systems for the women at their companies. Graybar has Women Influencing Graybar’s Success or “WINGS” and Cooper B-Line has established a mentoring program. We hope to see more companies put forth efforts like these as well as participate in Women In Industry.

To find out more about the Women In Industry group, contact Becky Burgess, director of meetings and conferences, at 888-791-2512. Or sign up to receive Women In Industry’s electronic newsletters and information about the luncheons and the annual forum.

Last week, President Obama signed H.R. 4 into law, revoking the expansion of IRS Form 1099 reporting requirements in the new healthcare reform law. NAED, along with many other organizations, including the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), pushed for the repeal of the 1099 provision.

Last summer rumblings began about the 1099 reporting provision that would affect businesses starting in 2012. After everyone started taking a closer look, they realized that companies would have to file a Form 1099 for every individual or company from whom they purchased more than $600 worth of goods or services in a year. Talk about a big burden for many businesses.

That’s when NAED began asking you to reach out to your elected officials, and send letters letting them know the impacts that this new requirement would have. And you responded – so many of you took the time to send letters on this important issue. You made a difference; the voice of the business community was heard. Take a moment to see if your senator or representative voted for the 1099 repeal, and then personalize and send this letter thanking them for doing so.

This is a perfect example of what can happen when you speak out on the issues that matter. If you have not gotten involved with NAED Government Affairs yet, get familiar with all of the resources available on our website and be sure to join us for the first-ever NAED Congressional Fly-In, September 7-8, 2011, in Washington, D.C. Whether or not you know a lot about the issues, the fly-in is a great way to learn about the political process and help promote electrical distribution on Capitol Hill.

NAED recently launched the new Branch Manager University. This educational resource focuses on the importance of the role of the branch manager and caters specifically to advancing their success. It was created for our members with funds from the NAED Education & Research Foundation’s Annual Campaign, because so many of you approached us about the need to develop your branch managers.

The Branch Manager University portal provides tools that branch managers can use to run their operations in a profitable way. There is a skills assessment, training tips, a forum, branch manager curriculums, and a variety of related resources. Branch Manager University was made as relevant to the real world as possible because we used the input of actual branch managers to create all of the materials.

The different skill areas of branch management have been divided into four categories: Customers, Operations, Financials, and Employees. By strengthening skills in those areas, branch managers will be able to better strategize plans for profitability, growing market share, operational effectiveness and productivity, and maintaining a skilled and accountable staff. This is just phase one of this ongoing project.

Branch Manager University was created by branch managers for branch managers. The industry leaders of tomorrow need to start preparing for those roles today; I encourage everyone to check out this valuable resource.

Enter Branch Manager University. For more information on the branch manager curriculum on the NAED Learning Center, contact NAED Member Services at 888-791-2512 or memberservices@naed.org.

As we continue to receive your questions for “Ask NAED,” the latest question posed by one of our members is what is the biggest challenge facing the association this year. Even though some people the economy is looking up, things still are not where they were a few years ago, so I think it definitely qualifies as the biggest hurdle.

So how do we address the challenge the economy has presented so many of us with? Education is critical to our economy in good times and in bad. Education better prepares your workforce to deal with a variety of business scenarios and prepares them for when the marketplace does finally bounce back.

That’s where NAED can really help your company. Our educational offerings include some of the most respected courses in the industry, EPEC and CEP. We also have the best custom education programs around, offering hundreds of courses through the NAED Learning Center. Our Member Services team can help you design a custom curriculum to meet your specific training needs. Contact them today at 888-791-2512 for a free consultation.

Do you have a question for NAED? Leave it on the comment section below, e-mail us , tweet it, or find us at the Summit so we can video your question for a future “Ask NAED” segment.