Dear SEBWA Members:
SEBWA’s Fall Education Seminar was held on October 23rd & 24th in Orlando, Florida. It started off with a great meal at Charley’s Steakhouse where stories about the industry were shared. It was certainly good to break bread (and have a drink) with old friends!
The seminar was hosted at Crystal Springs, Orlando Branch and Production Plant. The program was highly educational and informative, and it appears that everyone enjoyed and learned.
On Friday morning Sarah Young, Director of Marketing at DS Services kicked things off with a talk on the “Crucial Role of Marketing in Today’s Bottled Water Industry”. She reminded us that the things that made our phone’s ring in the past may not be the best use of our resources today.
Our second speaker was Steve Tischler, VP of National Testing Laboratories. Steve had a very interactive talk around the basic theory and operation of some of the most important analytical instruments used in drinking water laboratories today. Steve did a great job capturing his audience with both the contents of his material and with his welcomed humor.
Our final presenter was Andre Damiens, Region Manager for DS Services of America. Andre spoke on Front Line Coaching and Selling. He spoke about how some parts of our industry have changed while others still remain the same after 30 years. He covered the differences between a good “driver” and a good “route sales rep”. He also spoke to the audience on effective coaching & leadership methods that work. Andre’s passion for the bottled water industry was very evident in his talk.
The seminar was concluded with a plant tour hosted by Steve Oliver, DS Services Production Manager. Steve started with a brief overview of the plant and then walked everyone around his facility explaining and answering questions in great detail. Our thanks go out to all of the presenters and those that attended in making our SEBWA Fall Educational Seminar a success!!
Now onto our next event, under the direction of our Programs & Forums Chairman Clay Bell, Melwood Springs, we are busy preparing for the 2015 SEBWA Annual Convention and Trade Show. Our 2015 annual event will take place March 18-20 at Brasstown Valley Resort in the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains (Young Harris, GA). We have an exciting program in store so this is an event not to be missed! Come and learn from our speakers on topics very relevant to your business, share experiences and discover new ideas and solutions to common issues and problems within our industry. You can find program details and see regular updates on our upcoming convention at www.sebwa.org.
It is my pleasure to announce the recent appointments of our new board members Malone Garrett, president of Nantze Springs; Jay Trumbull, president of Culligan Panama City; and Andre Damiens, Region Manager of DS Services. Each brings their own set of talents and experience, and each will provide a great contribution to the future success of our organization.
In addition, I am pleased to announce the recent appointment of Gene Ross, Goodpac Plastics, as Chairman of the SEBWA Membership Development Committee. Gene is well known in the industry and will do a great job of recruiting new members to strengthen our organization.
Please mark your calendar and make plans now to attend the 2015 SEBWA Convention at Brasstown Valley Resort in Georgia. Through SEBWA programs and events, you can gain exceptional ideas, build great relationships and find solutions to common industry issues. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
If you are not a current member of SEBWA, please consider becoming one today! You can review our Benefits and Services and access the 2015 SEBWA Membership Application at www.sebwa.org.
Thank you SEBWA members for a good 2014. I look forward to a GREAT 2015 with SEBWA, and wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sincerely;
Glen Sanders
SEBWA President