PAMCA Associates Involvement
By: Stan Leslie, Lescon and Marty Kamerbeek, Moore Plumbing Supply
With several critical issues facing PAMCA in the forthcoming year, we felt it was important to address the involvement of our associate members in the association.
What makes associate membership in PAMCA distinctive and paramount in this industry?
In the history of this industry, and currently as far as we know, no other association except PAMCA and our Texas PAMCA sister organizations have supplier members who are full voting members, can serve on committees and serve on the Board of Directors.
From the creation of PAMCA we insisted that every company or individual who sells a product or service to the industry would be an integral part of the association and not be treated as a “second class member” where we ask for your money but not your input or your vote.
The Associate Membership was created with four levels of membership:
Dues have purposely been kept at a reasonable level. The rationale has been that it is better to have reasonable dues and allow our Associates to use other association venues to get their company in front of contractors, rather than higher dues and no opportunities through the organization to be with and before contractors. The result is that during the year the association offers a multiplicity of options for company and product recognition.
Associate members have multiple avenues for involvement that we will address. Secondly, we want to discuss how an associate member can take advantage of what is available to support the contractors and promote and increase their own business.
From the beginning of PAMCA we have sought sponsorship and advertising venues that allow a company and/or individual to market their product and/or service directly to our membership. Two of these options are provided monthly. The first is the sponsorship of our monthly magazine, The PAMCA Connection, the only statewide magazine for the industry. The sponsor receives either an ad or a written commentary about their company. In addition, the company’s name as sponsor is put under the masthead for that issue.
The second monthly opportunity is to sponsor the month’s general meeting or activity. The sponsor receives recognition in the magazine as that month’s meeting sponsor. At the meeting the sponsor may distribute information about their company on the tables as handouts, are personally recognized and receive a certificate of appreciation. A picture of their sponsorship is placed in the next issue of the magazine as well.
Our Board of Directors has three associate members on it, with full voting and vocal rights. The only association in the trade that has this distinctive involvement of supplier members.
We have a multiplicity of committees, councils, task forces and other groups that associate members may participate in as a member of the group. They can provide input as each segment works for the betterment of the industry. They are actual voting members of the group as well.
PAMCA’s annual trade show committee is comprise primarily of associate members, who plan and produce the annual event.
For our various events we have sponsorship opportunities, such as: golf tournament, annual raffle, Texas Educational Institute of PHC Fundraiser, Hall of Fame Dinner and others.
Annually we have a trade show for our associate members to exhibit their products and services. The past year saw numerous CEOs of major plumbing and air conditioning companies in attendance. This year for the first time the show included a buffet as an attractive drawing card.
Education and training is at the forefront of the association. Associate members are involved as instructors and providing products for the various educational opportunities of the association in classes, modules, seminars and courses.
Associate members are represented on the Code of Professional Conduct Committee, the Insurance Committee, Golf Committee, Raffle Committee, Board of Directors of the Texas Educational Institute of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, Hall of Fame Committee, Holiday Party, Political Action Committee, to name some of our organizational groups.
Our Community Service Committee is responsible for responding to requests for helping economically disadvantaged people. Associate members are and can be involved in this committee and its responsibilities. Associate members may refer requests for community service to the committee.
The Health and Safety Fund is our Political Action Committee, especially important in the political arena. Associate members are not only encouraged to make a donation to this most important political asset for the industry, but be involved in the PAC’s annual meeting and making political donations to selected candidates. The only PAC of its kind in Texas for the industry.
On a state level, associate members are a member of the TexasPAMCA with all rights and privileges appertaining thereto. They are welcome to support and participate in any state activities, including having an associate representative on the TexasPAMCA Board of Directors.
Advertising for associates is also available in both the association’s monthly publication The PAMCA Connection and our Web Site.
The association has an active and modern Web Site that Associate Members can utilize in getting their products or services in front of the industry. The Product Service Exchange is available for associate members to use in marketing to the industry throughout the world. A coterie of options are available for specific listings of any type of product or service alphabetically on the PS Exchange. Associates may also sponsor a number of pages on our Web Site and utilize a link to their own web page as well.
Once a member, how does an Associate take advantage of their membership?
Associate dues are an integral aspect of our annual budget. It shows the support of the associate member in helping underwrite the association to protect their interests and that of the industry. They are necessary, needed and appreciated. Annual dues might be viewed as insurance to help protect the industry against adverse legislation on a city, county or state level that could adversely impact an associate member’s economic viability.
That said, dues do not automatically guarantee an associate member’s increased financial productivity. What they do is provide an opening avenue that tells our membership of their commitment to PAMCA, and allows them participatory rights within in the organization.
Sometimes the difference between a bid to a contractor may only be that one is a PAMCA member and the other is a non-member. Hopefully if the bids are close the PAMCA member gets the business.
Membership certainly provides an ethical edge as our Associate Members must subscribe to our Code of Professional Conduct, the only association in Texas to require this ethical commitment.
How can an associate member use PAMCA for their own benefit? It will not happen by just paying dues, that is only a door opener. It is up to the representative of an Associate’s company to get involved and be involved. In a related association associate members are so involved that when you see that person you automatically think of the product or service that they represent. Or when you think of their product or service you think of them.
One of our own members stands out as utilizing this working opportunity, Jerry Duke of Anniversary Advertising.
Committees, meetings, dinners and association programs and activities all offer a special opportunity to be with a customer or prospective customer. On committees the Associate is sitting with the contractors in a neutral setting. It affords the Associate Member to see customers or potential customers, and be seen by them. It tells the contractors that the Associate member is interested in what is important to the contractor(s).
PAMCA offers Associate Members multiple opportunities to be with and in front of their customers, our contractors. How involved and active they want to be is in the final analysis up to each Associate Member. Your participation and input is welcome and is solicited. The rest is up to each of you.