PRESIDENTS' MESSAGE

March, 2006  

INDUSTRY COUNCILS AT FPSA  
What comes to mind when you hear the term “Food Processing Suppliers”? It’s a broad phrase that encompasses machinery, technology, suppliers and services to a large industry. But you may still need a further word to help you understand more clearly whether or not FPSA fits your company’s needs. So if we substituted the word food with words like “bakery”, “confectionery”, “dairy”, “fruit and vegetable”, and “meat and poultry” you would have a much clearer idea of spheres of influence represented by the term “food processing suppliers”.  

It is this need for precision and focus that gave birth to industry councils at FPSA. There are certain programs of FPSA that serve all 600 members equally, e.g. PROCESS EXPO, the website, industry newsletters, etc. But many programs that are designed to benefit members must be organized along the vertical markets that those members serve. For example, while we all are concerned about “mad cow” disease or the introduction of avian flu into the United States, those companies selling to the meat and poultry industries have a greater need for understanding the impact these topics have on the life of their businesses. You get the idea.  

FPSA gives its members the opportunity to participate in programs targeted to various vertical segments and to network, in-person and electronically, with colleagues who are serving these sectors. Each FPSA member can select to be a member of one or more councils at no additional cost. Currently we have councils serving the bakery, confectionery, dairy, fruit and vegetable, meat and poultry, and pharmaceutical industries. Each council is governed by its own board of directors and has the opportunity to recommend programs and services specific to its industry sector. The councils are best understood and described as mini-associations within the FPSA association and administrative umbrella.  

Councils play a major role in shaping PROCESS EXPO. They provide guidance to staff about how to market the tradeshow to their particular customer groups. They inform us of important global markets to their sector. And some choose to exhibit at PROCESS EXPO in an industry pavilion within the show. Councils inform the association staff about important customer groups and develop meaningful programmatic ties with those groups.

Councils will help shape the Annual Conference of FPSA by developing programs and inviting speakers to sessions that are targeted to their respective sectors.  

Focused information and peer-to-peer networking are the features of Councils most mentioned when members are asked about the value of participating in Councils. Council members who participate in the FPSA Compensation Survey not only receive results about industry averages, but can receive data cuts on their specific industry sectors. Council members who have questions can utilize FPSA resources to poll their fellow Council members and receive instant feedback. In the near future, we will develop “chat rooms” on the FPSA website for Council members to network electronically. The possibilities for programming and services are only limited by the imaginations of the council members.    

Steve Schlegel, President and CEO
George Melnykovich, President and COO