As we head into a new year, it’s time to take stock of our commitments. Everyone agrees these are trying times on both a personal and professional level.
A lot of our readers are quick to complain about the difficulties they face. A second group of readers, smaller in number but significant for their resolve, go a step further and take action to make things better. We honor such individuals every year at this time with our Readers’ Choice Awards, beginning on page 8.
These good citizens give us hope for a better future. We can only imagine how strong our collective future would be if the majority of operators stepped forward and did the bare minimum of supporting their industry trade organizations.
Those industry members who choose not to join industry associations let others foot the bill for the work that associations do on everyone’s behalf. This is bad industry citizenship, which is something the industry cannot afford in today’s environment.
We face big challenges in areas such as calorie disclosure, debit card fees, machine reach requirements and more. The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), despite declining membership, continues to battle on everyone’s behalf.
The arguments for shirking one’s responsibility for supporting industry associations have never made sense. First on this list: NAMA doesn’t fight for better purchasing terms from suppliers. That’s what buying cooperatives are for. Number two: NAMA allows suppliers on its board who by virtue of being suppliers don’t have the operator’s best interests at heart. Utter B.S. The suppliers have always shouldered a disproportionate share of NAMA’s costs, despite the fact that nearly all NAMA education programs are geared to operators.
There are other reasons operators give for not supporting NAMA. And yes, no organization is perfect. But these excuses just don’t cut it.
In the past decade, NAMA has enhanced its member benefits in many areas: education, coffee certification, an improved trade show, uniform technology standards, Fit Pick, industry growth strategy, and more.
This past year, the NAMA board, under the leadership of Craig Hesch, went above and beyond its calling in deciding to find a new CEO with unique skills to take the industry into the new era. If you doubt they made the right decision, read the interview with the new CEO, Carla Balakgie, on page 34.
Good citizenship goes beyond acting on behalf of one another. It’s also matter of looking out for your own survival.
Anyone who thinks they can survive today without taking advantage of the education provided by our national association and many state associations is in for a rude awakening. New skills are needed in an industry changing as fast as automatic merchandising.
The NAMA staff and the board have a lot to offer as we face a challenging future. But they can’t do it alone. The least that any one of us can do is be a good industry citizen and support the association that covers our back.
Damn it, be a good citizen.
