It doesn't seem like it has been a year since I embarked on my adventure as DMIA's 2002-2003 president. Was it really 12 months ago when I struggled for the words that explained my vision for the association? It seems more like yesterday when I had the honor of speaking about DMIA's potential for cooperation and collaboration before a distinguished audience at the 2002 Print Solutions Conference & Expo in Rosemont, Ill.
During the year, I've been privileged to have a front-row seat to some spectacular examples of cooperation and collaboration.
At the beginning of my term, the work that had begun between DMIA and IADT (formerly IBFI) came to fruition, and the two associations came together. (Talk about being at the right place at the right time!) Through that cooperative effort, we have built a stronger association with a wider base for collaboration.
Some collaborative activities have become commonplace, as many of our channel partners now make joint calls to end users. DMIA has preached the necessity of this for more than a decade--remember the "partnering" concept from the early '90s? With an influx of new DMIA members that supply raw materials and machinery that feed the industry, these collaborative sales calls can become even more comprehensive.
The collaborative spirit also is thriving in some groups that DMIA members are forming themselves. We have groups of members that concentrate on distribution, aligning with each other to build strength from their collective purchasing power. We have groups of members who concentrate on manufacturing, aligning with each another to give their clients national coverage. These members understand the concept that individual companies working together can add more value to the supply chain than they could by working apart.
The one thing I've cherished most during my year as DMIA president has been the telephone conversations I've had with many DMIA members. Through these calls, I've learned about some extraordinarily clever ways companies work together to build creative models. Those models play to each participant's strengths.
To modify the famous Caesar quote, "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered), I'm so proud to say, "I came, I saw, I participated."
Of course, a final column wouldn't be complete without a few sincere words of thanks. I've worked in many capacities over the years with DMIA's staff members. I always knew they were great. This year, I learned they are phenomenal. As members, we're fortunate to have them. I have also had the opportunity to get to know many more DMIA members this year. I always knew the caliber of our members was high, but this year I learned that the "average" member is so far above average, it's hard to believe. This sounds like a chicken-and-the-egg thing. Is DMIA's staff so terrific because association members they serve are so great, or is the quality of association members so high because DMIA's staff is so terrific? I thank both the membership and the staff for the time we've had. This year has been an experience I will remember forever.
Gail O'Roke, CDC, is CEO of distributorship Independent Business Group, based in Hayward, Calif., and president of DMIA.
