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A Letter from the President

Josh Hale, ISD President

Greetings and salutations everyone!

Well, 2021 has started quite differently than expected, huh? Business has picked up in our little corner of the world and we at MPRC have been working hard to keep up!  I hope you find yourselves in similar situations as the economy comes back to life.  From my conversations with our industry peers, it certainly sounds like I’m not alone in this experience. 

The ISD continues to add additional insight on the state of the economy, provide new ways to interact with and develop customers, and, most importantly, administer education to increase your technical awareness and proficiency through our monthly webinar series.  We have heard the requests for more economic insight, whether it was for 2020 (with its extra challenges) or for long-term future outlook, and answered with recurring Economic Outlook webinars with ITR Economics.  We have also heard the call to expand webinar topics to include a sales perspective in response to our new social-distanced world. Sales gurus Jim Pancero and Paul Reilly will soon teach our members how to shift their mentality in a less face-to-face world with the first in an all-new (annual) Sales Workshop on April 15.  And, finally (the ISD’s longest-standing tradition), we continue to provide quality technical knowledge through partnerships with our Tech Sponsors. Is your company the leading expert on Metal Gaskets, Expansion Joints, Rubber, or Hydraulic? These four categories are the only opportunities left! Contact Cathy Vick to become a sponsor and hear about the endless benefits and opportunities this partnership brings!

Though we are seeing positive news regarding vaccine distribution and availability, in order to keep our members safe, we will be foregoing our traditional Spring Tech Event this year. Instead, we are setting our sights on the aforementioned Joint Sales Workshop. This will be an outrageous opportunity to help “prime the pump” for your sales force by preparing them to “hit the ground running” visiting customers both in-person and virtually. Be prepared to stretch your mind and share ideas on ways to better solidify your value to your customers – moving them away from that “price shopping” mentality. Register before the April 9th deadline to ensure your key sales staff has the tools to keep up in this rebounding economy.

Breaking out of the virtual space, we are perhaps most excited about the upcoming 2021 Industry Summit in beautiful Sandestin, Florida.  Honestly, we have been excited about this event for the better part of two years, and after the hand we were dealt last year, October can’t come soon enough! With the addition of a new Summit partner, Equipment Services Association (ESA), and our old friends FPDA, there is even more opportunity for networking and sharing of experiences.  Mark your calendar for October 3-6, 2021 and get your “Fun in the Sun” gear ready to roll! 

As I mentioned in my last letter, we need your help in filling out the various committees that make our organization run:

The strong ISD staff team ensures your volunteer time commitment is minimal but robust with quarterly Zoom calls lasting no longer than an hour. And I promise, there’s only limited homework 😉. If you are interested, email ISD’s Executive Director, Amy Luckado. (Don’t tell her I told you, but there are perks to volunteering. I’ll fill you in when I see you in October).

I can’t express to you how much I’m looking forward to seeing you in person in October.  We are cautiously optimistic (as always), but with our current trajectory and the daily positive news, I truly believe we’ll be able to have a completely safe in-person meeting this year. Will I see you?


Your ISD President,
Josh Hale
Master Packing & Rubber Company

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