Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association Convention

Tomorrow I will be heading to Marco Island FL for the 2010 Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) Convention. As some of you may know I am on the Board of Directors for MHEDA and quite involved in association functions especially educational workshops, seminars and webinars. I am honored to be on MHEDA's Education Committee helping to plan our educational calendar every year. This year's convention looks to be a great educational opportunity for all attendees.

Every year I speak with members about the convention and if they will be attending. I receive quite a varied response. The member companies that have attended in the past usually always attend in one form or another. The economy is usually the barometer for the number of people from each company attending. New members aren't quite sure what they will get out of it but when explained quickly see the value.

The one response I get that always disturbs me is, "That's just a vacation for the dealer principal. We aren't allowed to go." I think maybe a half century ago that might have been closer to the truth but today it is different. Today the MHEDA convention is not just a golf vacation on the company. It's a concentrated networking and educational function that just happens to be in nice places (let's face it, who would go if it was in Minneapolis?).

We have many educational programs lined up that are geared toward sales, marketing, accounting, operations etc. The convention also provides a venue where you can network face to face with your industry peers. In many cases they have the same issues you do and may have found a solution to some of them.

I'm excited to get to the seminars and help my company move forward. In addition to economic forecasting and sales seminars I intend to sit in on the Strategic Planning seminar and the Profitability Improvement seminar.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there is a little fun to be had in Marco Island FL. MHEDA offers several recreational opportunities as well such as golf, sailing and shelling. The opening and closing parties are also very well planned out and always a blast.

My point is; the focus of the convention has evolved over the last 59 years. Our views of the convention should evolve also. The MHEDA convention is a valuable educational and networking function for all areas of your company not just the top level.

If for some reason you aren't attending you can follow the action on Twitter @markjuelich or by searching the hashtag #MHEDA. Perhaps I'll do a blog or two.

For more information on MHEDA check out the website at MHEDA. For more on me, go to American Warehouse Systems.

WireCrafters Wire Partitions - Protecting Product and Personnel

For over 35 years, WireCrafters has manufactured what we feel is the “Very Best Woven Wire Partition.” Contrary to traditional systems, the Style 840 is based on the simple idea that panels stack one on top of the other between tubular posts to reach the finished partition height. This all welded, modular, stackable system has benefits unequaled in the industry. American Warehouse Systems brings you a full line of wire partition products. These products are very common in many warehouses and are used as tool cribs, secured inventory cages, machine guarding and platform handrail.
Tool Cribs or Rack Enclosures are the easiest way to protect your inventory. These can be configured in any size or height from twenty standard size panels for a perfect fit in your warehouse. A full line of hinged and sliding gates are available for pedestrian or forklift traffic. Customers can custom design these partitions by adding slide-up service windows with counters, enclosing the area with a ceiling or even special locking devices.
What if your inventory is stored in pallet racking? Rack Enclosures may be your answer. The Rack Enclosure panels are simple to integrate with your current way of storing your materials. By adding panels and gates to one or several bays of pallet racking, an employer can lock in inventory or lock out unwanted personnel. These same panels can be configured on the pedestrian side of the racking allowing protection to your employees from pallets or boxes being pushed though the back side of the rack.
We can also offer assistance with Machine Guarding, Platform Handrail or Pedestrian Guardrails. Each of these items is a great addition to any safety program. Check with your insurance company or local government agency for discounts.
For more information please visit our WireCrafters Page.

Technology and the American War Machine.

The above video is aptly named, "The Last Campfire". It illustrates how the American Warfighter has evolved to embrace new technologies. The engagement in the video is vastly different than how it would have played out in our "fathers' wars". It certainly makes one wonder what the future of warfare will look like.