Pro-Link, a full-service janitorial supply, marketing and buying organization, recently held their annual meeting and 30th anniversary celebration in Tampa, Florida.
 
The organization called the meeting a "resounding success," where distributor-members enjoyed the opportunity to network with each other, suppliers and Pro-Link staff. According to Brian Slack, CEO and president of Pro-Link, members were excited about the future throughout the three days of executive-only meetings.
 
“Our distributor-members consistently rank Pro-Link’s two formal networking events very high and important to them“ said Slack. “They share best practices, and get feedback without fear of giving away secrets,” he added, as there is little territory overlap among the membership. On top of business, the organization says there is a real friendship throughout Pro-Link’s network.
 
The keynote speaker was Mike Marks, managing partner of Indian River Consulting Group and the senior NAW Research Fellow, giving all an exciting glimpse into the future of the distribution salesforce to create the opportunity to get beyond the price discussion.
 
Other business meetings leveraged the knowledge gained, and continually built upon, on prior years’ keynotes, such as follow-ups on baseline selling and creating competitive advantages.

In addition to attending a supplier tradeshow, attendees took part in Pro-Link’s annual golf tournament, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ride and a fishing tournament.
 
 
Awards
Pro-Link’s recognized several members and suppliers who have excelled in sales or in assisting the group. The awards celebration was held aboard the Yacht StarShip, Florida’s largest dining yacht. This year’s main award winners were: 


Distributor of the Year: Americhem International, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Supplier of the Year: Berry Plastics, Minneapolis, Minnesota
.
 
Brand Champion: Lawton Brothers, Orlando, Florida.

Regional Manager of the Year: Bob Scheuermann

 
In addition, Fitch Co. of Baltimore, Maryland won the Distributor Link award, and Hyso of Carlstadt, New Jersey won the Supplier Link award. Members honored for their 30th year with Pro-Link were Casey Engineered Maintenance, Fitch Co., The Rhiel Supply Company, Pur-O-Zone, and Penn Valley Chemical.
 
“This was without question one of our best [annual] meetings ever,” says Slack. “Our members value this organization. As one attendee noted – Pro-Link’s annual meeting ”Knocked it out of the Park”, covering topics that concern distributor-members in a perfect combination with networking and social opportunities.