CTD Fall 2015-FINAL

A Quarterly Publication for AFFLINK Members and Suppliers

Fall 2015

The Ripple Effect:AFFLINK/Pinnacle Alliance Makes

Waves Across the Industry pg 5

Emerging Executives: A Day In The Life of The Next Generation of Distribution Leaders pg 16

How Will The New Overtime Rule Affect Your Business? pg 6

How you protect mattersReduce cross-contamination of germs by providing Kimberly-Clark Professional* washroom products that help keep a clean and hygienic environment.

Find out how at www.kcprofessional.com/ColdandFluHQ1 Comparative Hygiene Study on three di�erent hand drying methods: paper towel, warm air dryer, jet air dryer – UNIVERSITY of WESTMINSTER (November 2008)2 Consumer Insights Mall Study, 2012 – users’ preference in hand drying systems3 Eurofins – Inlab Study, Feb 2012 – assessment of the microbiological contamination of three types of hand drier equipment in public washroom®/* Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. or its a�liates. Marques déposées de Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. ou de ses filiales. © KCWW. C533 P15-5286-03-00E 8/15

High speed and warm air dryers can blow bacteria throughout the restroom.

This Cold and Flu Season: Protect Your People

74%of people believe it’simportant to havetowels available toopen door handles2

Practice Safe Drying: Use Paper Towels

†By germs, we are referring to bacteria.

77%1

Drying with a paper towel actually decreases germs† on fingertips by up to

Warm air dryers increase germ

count on fingertips by up to 194%1

194%

Not Touchless:Users touchsurface an

average of 13X2

13X

Coliform bacteria foundon 52% of jetair dryers3

52%

Mind Blowing Statistics

Air Dryers: High-Tech, Not Hygienic

42%

Jet air dryers increase germ

count on fingertips by up to 42%1

1 fall 2015

What a year it’s been! In the face of continuous change and upheaval in the marketplace, we believe the group is

listening to our stakeholders’ needs, and reacting on what the experts say in order to do what’s necessary to keep our Members and Suppliers at the forefront of the industry for years to come.

Those that know me understand that the AFFLINK organization will not sit idly by. We will continue to lead change on your behalf, generating growth and providing differentiation – like going outside our traditional channels to bring on the Pinnacle Group that immediately put us in the Office Products business and increased our Membership base by more than 12 percent this year.

On the radar for our upcoming National Planning Meetings, you’ll also be introduced to many new and exciting innovations that came out of our most recent Advisory Board meeting to help our Members and Suppliers remain relevant. Unveiling the new

Emerging Executive Mentor program, closing the loop on the ELEVATE process, and launching a simpler way to understand our Member Brands offerings, I hope that you’ll make plans to attend and participate in these meetings that will help shape this organization for the future.

As we close out 2015 with a bang, I also want to encourage each of you to review your Member Dashboards – make that last minute push to earn a New Latitudes trip, maximize your growth programs and satisfy your GAIN goals so that you are getting the most from your AFFLINK Membership.

Finally, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. We have much to be thankful for, and recognizing that will certainly bring us all great joy this season. I look forward to seeing you all in warmer climates at the NPM in January.

what’s insideNew Suppliers/Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Sales & Operations: Form Follows Function . . . . . . . . 3

Cover Story: The Ripple Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

HR News & Information: Overtime Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Supplier Profile: Hartman/R.V. Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Technology Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

ELEVATETM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Emerging Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Product Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Supplier Profile: Alliance Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Member Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

New Latitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

2016 Meetings & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Community Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover

from the corner office…

We will continue to lead change on your behalf,

generating growth and providing

differentiation…

Dennis Riffer President

Sincerely,

Dennis

connecting the dots2

new suppliersmembers

New SuppliersAlliance Plastics

Bissell Commercial Sales

Candela Corporation

Diversey Care

Flexi-Felt

Hartman Industrial

R. V. Evans

New MembersColeman Tape

Janitor’s Closet

Lewiston Paper Co.

Pinnacle Affiliates

New Service ProvidersRight On Interactive

Sentinel Safety Group

Sterling B2B

associate updates

New AssociatesJulie Ayers

Virginia Bailey

Mark Bozich

Sara Beth Chambers

David Dell

Randall Foss

Michael Hunter

Kristin Martinez

Janet North

Amy Scott

Jesslyn Traylor

Colton Warburton

Jesie White

3 fall 2015

sales & operations

L ouis Sullivan, one of the greatest architects ever, is credited with the statement “Form Follows Function”.

Form Follows Function is a guiding principle of modernist architecture and industrial design in the 20th century. The principle is that the shape of a building or object is based upon its intended function or purpose.

At AFFLINK our external field sales team and internal operations have been reorganized to follow Mr. Sullivan’s principle.

From a distribution standpoint, our FUNCTION is support and profitable growth of our distributor members and supplier partners; our FORM is three MDM's (Member Development Managers) covering specific geographies. It is these territories through which all distributor information shall flow, and your assigned MDM is your primary field contact for all things AFFLINK.

Internally, distributors and the MDM team are supported by a host of personnel that all report up through our Operations Manager. The internal support team is assigned per their FUNCTION and the FORM is our organization chart.

Your external vertical teams (HealthCare, Industrial, Commercial, FS/Hospitality) follow the same Form Follows Function principle and each BDM (Business Development Manager) is assigned specific geographies and distributor responsibilities.

All businesses evolve; positions and people change, therefore we implemented an overlapping strategy when modeling coverage. In this manner one role change, departure, or extended absence has little impact on any single geography or market segment.

Further evolution: The internal operations team is now aligned with our external team, reporting up through the organization, through the Vice President position onto the President/CEO.

We believe that this structure creates a streamlined communication model that will offer the most benefit to our distributor members by allowing multiple touch points both internally and externally based upon the needs of our distributor constituents.

Our primary FUNCTION is to grow our distributor members, and our FORM is designed to serve that function.Mark G. Bozich, Vice President Business Development

Form Follows Function


[email protected]

5 fall 2015

in the news

360 Office Solutions • AAA Business Supplies & Solutions • Admiral Express • A-Z Office Resources

Bubricks Complete Office • Cardinal Office Products • Complete Office of California, Inc.

Complete Office, WA • Eakes Office Plus • Eaton Office Supply • Friends • Gateway Printing and Office Supply, Inc.

General O.S. (Acadiana OP) • Greenville Office Supply • Guernsey Office Products • Hummel's Office Plus

Innovative Office Solutions • Integrity Business Solutions • Office Basics, Inc. • Office360° • Officewise

Palace Business Solutions • PayLESS Office • Preferred Business Solutions • Sierra Office Systems and Products

Southwest School & Office Supply • Village Office Supply • Warehouse Direct

A FFLINK has announced a joint partnership with Pinnacle Affiliates, a 28-Member dealer group representing the largest independent office products distributors in the US.

“The Pinnacle organization has no rival when it comes to office supply groups in the industry today…they are simply the best,” says AFFLINK President and CEO Dennis Riffer. “Having these like-minded companies join the organization strengthens our efforts in surrounding the end-user with a comprehensive bundle of supply chain solutions. I know many of these Distributors personally, and having them a part of the AFFLINK family will certainly elevate the game of our entire group!” All Pinnacle Members will be joining the AFFLINK organization with full Membership privileges—including access to Preferred Supplier programs, National Account contracts, and a host of marketing and technology services designed to position the independent at the forefront of our industry.

"Pinnacle dealers are already making significant progress in JanSan. Our AFFLINK partnership gives Pinnacle dealers another competitive advantage to expand even faster in this category," says Kevin Johnson, CEO of Warehouse Direct, and founding Member of Pinnacle. “On a personal note, over the last several years Warehouse Direct's membership in AFFLINK has helped us grow to become one of the largest independent JanSan supply and equipment distributors in our market. Now all Pinnacle dealers will gain the same additional access to products and equipment, and possibly more importantly to excellent training, marketing assistance, GPO access and ELEVATE™ — a remarkably advanced customer focused supply chain analysis tool that helps differentiate us in the marketplace.”Johnson will also serve on the AFFLINK Advisory Board, representing the Office Products channel and the organization’s vested interest in driving revenue and providing differentiation to its Members and Suppliers.

AFFLINK Joins Forces With Office Products Giant Pinnacle AffiliatesAlliance Strengthens Members’ Efforts to Compete in Today’s Changing Marketplace


HR Need to Know

Proposed Overtime Rule Could Mean Dramatic Changes For Your Business

On June 30, 2015 the Department of Labor, at the direction of President Obama, announced a proposed rule

change that could have a significant effect on your job classifications and compensation practices. Current wage and hour laws set forth provisions for certain classes of employees to be paid overtime pay (regular hourly rate x 1.5) for all hours worked beyond 40 hours per week. The law also provides for certain employees to be “exempt” from this requirement. Thus we have the classifications of Exempt and Non-Exempt employees. These are often (though often incorrectly) referred to as salaried and hourly employees. Exempt employees are usually managers, supervisors, or professionals who meet job criteria set forth by the Department of Labor regulations. In addition to the job duties requirements, for an employee to be classified as Exempt, they have to be earning a salary of at least $455 per week ($23,660 annually).

Under the proposed new rule outlined by the Department of Labor, this salary requirement will increase to $970 per week, or $50,440 per year. This salary requirement is where things start to get sticky for small businesses. What this new rule means, in layman’s terms, is that any employee, regardless of their position or job duties, who earns less than $50,440 per year will now have to be paid overtime for any hours they work in excess of 40 per week. The bureaucrats who drafted this rule change tout the simplicity and fairness of the change. And

on the surface, it may seem to be so. However, the devil is always in the details. Take for example your warehouse supervisor, who makes less than the $50,440 threshold, who gets a phone call or e-mail after they leave work to tell them of a change in an order that has to go out early the next day. If they read or respond to that call/e-mail, the time spent doing so will be considered as time worked and subject to the overtime requirements if it puts them over 40 hours for that week. Just as big a concern as the pay is the question of how you monitor such activity.

Another real concern that was not addressed during the rulemaking process is the effect the change from Exempt to Non-Exempt will have on the morale and mindset of the employees. For right or wrong, there has always been an impression that an Exempt (or Salaried or Management) position carries more status than a Non-Exempt (or Hourly) job. Whether or not “status” is the right term, there will most certainly be some changes for those moved to the Non-Exempt classification that are commonly perceived as negatives. These people will now have to maintain time sheets of some sort. There will almost certainly be a loss of flexibility in work hours due to the fact that management has to now account for every hour worked, as well as time taken off. For many employees, these changes feel like a demotion.

These rule changes, which are expected to go into effect sometime in early 2016,

7 fall 2015

will serve to make compliance even more difficult than it already is. Statistics show that approximately 90% of all employment related class action lawsuits today are related to wage and hour issues. Even more disturbing are Department of Labor estimates that 70% of employers are currently violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in some way. The Obama administration has committed themselves and significant resources to stepping up compliance and enforcement efforts. The result of these efforts can mean serious financial consequences for those violators. These include:

• Amounts of unpaid overtime that can go back as much as three years

• Fines, interest, and even possible criminal sanctions

• Attorney fees which can exceed the damages incurred.

SO WHAT MUST WE DO NOW?

While the new rules are still in the proposal stages, we expect them to be implemented with few, if any changes. So now is the time to begin reviewing all your jobs to determine if they are properly classified as Exempt or Non-Exempt based on factors other than the salary requirement. Using the Department of Labor guidelines, you should assess the duties of each job to determine if they meet the test to be considered Exempt. Once the

new rules are finalized and enacted, you will be ready to make final adjustments based on the salary rules. Of course, these changes will make it prudent for you to take a look at how you manage your employees’ work duties and hours of work. If you have areas where newly reclassified non-exempt employees regularly work more than 40 hours per week, you might consider staffing changes or re-distribution of workloads. You will also want to consider whether your non-exempt employees are allowed to have remote access to company systems, files, e-mail, etc. Remember, work performed by non-exempt employees while away from the office or warehouse must be tracked and compensated.

These changes will make the already difficult task of managing your business even more challenging. If you feel you would like assistance in reviewing your current situation and making the necessary adjustments to remain in compliance, the AFFLINK Human Resource department can help. Feel free to contact Jack Trimm, Director of Human Resources for a free consultation.

HR Need to Know

Jack Trimm, Director of Human [email protected], ext. 4108 205.344.4108


supplier profile

Two longstanding AFFLINK Members have come together to provide Industrial & Construction Fastening

solutions to fellow AFFLINK Distributors throughout the nation. Months in the making, R.V. Evans Company and Hartman Industrial have joined the Preferred Supplier family and are ready to begin fulfilling your fastening orders and provide support based on your fastening needs.

R.V. Evans Company and Hartman Independent are strongly positioned to assist you in:

• Easily ordering a variety of industrial and construction related fastening items including collated nails and staples, nailing and stapling tools, screw systems, and much more!

• Earning DPA $’s for your fastening purchases and growing sales by including the extended Fastening Products and Solutions catalog on your own Shopfront site

• Immediately accessing fastening related product and application information and technical service centers for replacement parts and tool repair

R.V. Evans’ Fastening Shopfront officially went live on September 15th, meaning you may begin placing your orders online now! Through R.V. Evans’ Fastening Shopfront powered by AFFLINK, Members have access to valuable fastening related product information including product pictures, detailed item descriptions, and related items available at a quick click of a mouse or swipe of a finger. You are also able to access your AFFLINK Member pricing along with inventory availability for each of the 500+ fastening items available on R.V. Evans’ Fastening Shopfront.

Members will order from either R.V. Evans Company or Hartman Independent based on geographical location. Please review the map on the following page to determine which region your company falls within.

• To order through Hartman Independent, Distributors will need contact Hartman Industrial directly via phone, fax, or email. Hartman Shopfront is coming soon!

• To order through R.V. Evans Company, request your Shopfront login or contact them via phone, fax, or email. To receive your Member login credentials to access R.V. Evans’ Fastening Shopfront, please contact Eve Clark, [email protected] or 800-252-5894 x201. Don’t find what you are looking for on the Fastening Shopfront? R.V. Evans Company is always happy to provide a custom quote and add those items to the Fastening Shopfront for your future access!

9 fall 2015

supplier profile

• Additional contact information for each company can be found below.

R.V. Evans Company has been helping organizations both large and small build better products for 77 years. Delivering first looks at revolutionary concepts from carton closing staplers in the 50's; pneumatic nailers in the 60's; stretch, shrink film and strapping products in the 70's, cordless technologies, protective packaging and bagging solutions in the 80's to high performance fasteners and product coding systems in the 90's, the R.V. Evans Company has led the way in innovative solutions.

The third generation family owned company continues to be relied upon as a leading resource for industrial manufacturing and wholesale distribution companies and those in the construction and industrial fastening trades. Their span of service has expanded its reach and presently encompasses an eleven state market area served and supported by sales, service and distribution centers located strategically throughout the Midwest.

Hartman Independent Company, based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, has serviced

and supplied both industry and construction for over sixty years, with everything from nails, nailguns and power tools to strapping and packaging materials. The company carries a full line of tools and fasteners from a wide range of manufacturers, many of which are on display at their brand new retail showroom located at their headquarters facility just twenty five minutes

south of downtown Pittsburgh. Operations are organized into three divisions, which reflect the different types of customers and the types of products needed by each group: Construction, Industrial, and Wholesale.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Ed Moss, VP Sales & Marketing 217.521.2658

[email protected]

www .rvevans .comR.V

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Andrew Hartman, Vice President 724.816.6460

[email protected]

www .hartmannails .comHA

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technology update

11 fall 2015

technology update


• Manage your chargeback cases online anytime, anywhere • Eliminate the business costs of faxing or mailing, by simply responding to and uploading your chargeback documents directly into the SDM Merchant Portal

• Environmentally friendly, cases are managed electronically

• Monitor status of the chargeback case, you can respond to your chargeback case faster and in real-time

• Web-based reporting capability (in .pdf or .xlsx)

• View all your available cases or search for a particular case

SDM (Smart Dispute Manager) Merchant Portal

© 2015 Global Payments Inc.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All other trademarks, product names, and logos identified or mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. G-01-1306-062015

SDM Merchant Portal is Global Payments’ chargeback management solution that offers you a faster, more convenient way to manage chargebacks and retrieval requests online. With SDM Merchant Portal, you can manage chargeback cases with point and click ease with features such as accepting or rejecting liability for cases while monitoring the overall progress and status of your cases. Additionally, you can reduce mail and print costs by uploading retrieval request supporting documentation directly online while reporting features supply you with the necessary current and historical case views to manage them quickly and easily.

• 24/7 secure access to chargeback cases

• Reporting capabilities

• Shorter time to initiate rebuttal process

• Up to 13 months of historical data

• Intuitive interface

RESPOND FASTER TO CHARGEBACKS AND RETRIEVAL REQUESTS SECURELY VIA ONLINE SOLUTION.

SERVICE. DRIVEN. COMMERCE

BENEFITS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or higher with compatibility mode (TBC)

• Adobe Acrobat Reader

13 fall 2015

Only four months since the initial launch date at Summit 2015, ELEVATE™ has

implemented system updates already! AFFLINK launched phase two of their proprietary and revolutionary supply chain consultation software midway through last quarter.

As you know, ELEVATE is a no-cost, customer-centric knowledge portal that helps businesses monitor and manage their supply chain spend in under 30 minutes. The updates kept this mission intact.

Phase 2 of ELEVATE includes carefully considered upgrades that include superior video quality, additional products and features, improved user experience and functionality, an email-able Impact Report, and marketing customization for their distributors.

Even before these upgrades, the ELEVATE process has been honored with accolades. For instance, it was recently selected as one of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s “Top

100 Supply Chain Projects for 2015” by saving a single client more than $630,000 in just nine months.

“These new updates are designed to further enhance the user experience,” says Dennis Riffer, AFFLINK President and CEO. “Clients will have access to thousands of innovative products and the latest industry data to help them find the best solution for their business goals.”

In essence, Riffer adds that the updated ELEVATE process is an “all-encompassing source that facilitates the buying process, allowing our clients to do the work from their own desks rather than spending countless hours gathering data from multiple sources.”

AFFLINK and the ELEVATE team are excited to build upon the successes that the tool has achieved so far and look forward to continued progress and updating the system to drive increased user functionality.

ELEVATE Training has witnessed monumental success for the 2014-2015 curriculum year. Stepping away from regional-

based trainings spanning two days, we elected to host full-day sessions at our Members’ locations.

This move not only allowed for full sales and marketing teams to take part, but also enabled those in attendance to take on a greater understanding of AFFLINK’s value proposition, how we go to market utilizing ELEVATE as well as immerse themselves in industry education and hands-on tool training.

Going into our final quarter of 2015, we have hosted 50 sessions across a myriad of Members with one more to close out the year. As we begin to construct the curriculum for 2016, we want to hear from you! What are some suggestions that you may have in order for us to make the upcoming sessions even better than before?

Contact Michael Wilson today at [email protected] or 205.344.4185.

AFFLINK Launches Upgrades to ELEVATE™

2014-2015 ELEVATE™ Training Sessions Most Successful to Date


15 fall 2015

AFFLINK recently exhibited at two national supply

chain focused conferences in order to launch their free supply chain management software to c-level decision-makers in the marketplace. Both the SCOPE and The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ EXCHANGE conferences and tradeshows were hosted in San Diego, CA. AFFLINK representatives from the Commercial and Industrial segments were in attendance along with members of the Marketing and Technology teams.

SCOPE and CSCMP are touted as premier events for supply chain professionals and both events served as excellent platforms for AFFLINK to showcase their latest innovation. AFFLINK representatives were able to walk attendees through the intuitive process from

start to finish—giving ELEVATE rave reviews for ease of use and a short completion time.

“The software was designed with the customer in mind and helps users establish their business priorities, uncover

thousands of dollars in operational efficiencies, and identify solutions that align with their corporate goals and objectives,” explains Michael Wilson, Vice President of Marketing for AFFLINK.

According to Leah Waldrop, AFFLINK’s ELEVATE Training and Marketing Manager, attendees at both shows were equally impressed with the customized solutions and the flexibility the software offers. Most impressive is how such a simple tool can serve as a total road map to optimized strategic sourcing...all for free.

Generating leads has never been easier now that ELEVATE is customized for

our invested Members. ELEVATE Members have been given the ability to create their own custom URL—a web link they can include on all of their marketing materials, taking prospective customers directly to their custom ELEVATE site.

ELEVATE Members own the leads that come through their custom sites, giving them immediate visibility into the user’s information and the products they may have viewed or clipped. This is extremely valuable to our Members and allows them to analyze their ELEVATE data all on their company’s dashboard.

The Member dashboard not only highlights the user data and lead information, but it is also the home to the numerous marketing resources that AFFLINK has developed on their behalf. Resources include a brief commercial, a training video, brochures, press release templates, email templates, logos, talking points, and much more.

If you are an ELEVATE Member and need assistance utilizing the marketing resources or accessing your dashboard, please contact Michael Wilson at [email protected] today!

Want to know how you can become an ELEVATE Member? Contact your assigned Member Development Manager to learn more and start the process.

AFFLINK’s Free ELEVATE™ Software Shines at 2015 SCOPE and CSCMP EXCHANGE Conferences

AFFLINK Provides Customization for ELEVATE™ Members


Family Comes First.

While his interests include reading, hockey, backpacking, and anything else outdoors, for Andrew, family comes first. With four children, life in the Hartman household is anything but dull. At 8:00 a.m. every weekday morning, kids pile into the car so Andrew can take them to school. Goodbyes contain “I love you” combined with a kiss. From there, it’s off to work.

An “Outdoor” Family.

There’s lots of land around the Hartman house – some cultivated, most wild. When the weather works out, he’s outdoors with his family – pruning, mowing, chopping, and mulching. It’s not unusual for work time to morph into playtime which can range from anything from hockey in the driveway to “making a fool” of himself on a trampoline.

Who likes homework? Not anyone we know.During the school year and after play time, it’s homework time. Andrew uses it as an opportunity for bonding with his children. They all share the same love of reading so it provides some common ground for discussions.

Church Life – The Capstone To The Hartman Family.

It’s their church life that keeps Andrew and his family grounded and secure. Both Andrew and his wife are ordained deacons which means they, alongside other deacons, keep the church building clean and help meet the needs of those who are sick, among other duties. Andrew is also a volunteer teacher at the high school teaching current events. He’s on the school advisory board, overseeing Social Studies and Current Events. “As much as we have activities that nourish the body and the soul, we can’t forsake the spirit. Both my wife and I strive to live a balanced life and we want to pass that, as well as our faith, to our children. I love what I do from 9 to 5, but at the end of the day, it’s about my family and my Lord, and I want to be pleasing to both.”

Andrew L. Hartman — Hartman Independent Company

Meet Our Chair: Andrew Hartman

17 fall 2015

When I left home for The University of Alabama, I had a vision of earning a

degree in Construction Engineering where I could build skyscrapers in the USA’s biggest cities. It took one too many late nights of studying Calculus III and Physics during my freshman year to realize the enormous opportunity I had to work in a family business. Until then, I had purposely avoided the “stigma” of being the SOB (son of a boss), or being perceived as a 2nd generation child who didn't earn his own way to success. I had finally gained the maturity and wisdom to realize this business opportunity was not a platform to merely stand and work on; no, it was an open trampoline to expedite my success as a businessman and expand upon the legacy my family had started. After going back to The U of A and receiving my MBA in 2013, I began what I view as a dream career journey.

At 28 years old, I pinch myself every day driving to work because I feel blessed to be in our position. I do not feel lucky because

there’s any certainty that I’ll be rich one day. I feel lucky to work with people that I love…my father, my uncle, my sister, and folks that have worked with our family for 20, 25, and in some cases, 30 years. I've met people that I wouldn't have otherwise met. I've been to places I wouldn't have otherwise visited. And I've earned a role in the business where I can impact the lives of others on a daily basis. Day in and day out, we give it our best shot to grow the family enterprise. Since I obtained a solid education and worked hard in my preparation — outside of competition, market forces, and normal economic challenges — I control my own destiny. What more can you ask for? Having said that, I would encourage the 2nd, 3rd, and nth generation business managers not to merely work inside this platform of opportunity, but to jump on that trampoline! Live by the mentality that “I will either win or

learn, but I will never lose.” Let’s go!

Steven K. Mote Jr. — American Osment

Meet Our Co-Chair: Steven Mote, Jr.


The Emerging Executives Steering Committee will serve to prepare intergenerational leaders to take ownership of their organizations and to guide AFFLINK in the needs of young business leaders in our industry.

“With the enthusiasm and investment of AFFLINK for our E2 committee I feel like I am more connected with the organization. This is the roadmap for forming my own connections and growing together with my peers. I enjoy knowing that my voice can be heard and that I can use it to work toward steering AFFLINK’s direction in the future.”

- Matt Passanise, Royal Papers

“I believe AFFLINK has gained a huge resource by forming the Emerging Executives Committee and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

- Jason Gaskin,Lann Chemical

Learn more about recruitment. Email us [email protected]

19 fall 2015

SpillTech Spills happen. Whether they’re big or small, part of routine maintenance or an unexpected emergency. In any case, we know your customers don’t want to deal with spills

or leaks. But when cleanup is inevitably required, they’ll want a brand they can trust – that brand is SpillTech, the smart spill solution. For over four decades, SpillTech has been a

leading provider of affordable, high-quality polypropylene sorbent products for industrial maintenance and spill cleanup to distributors worldwide.

SpillTech’s products can be trusted to take care of any spill or leak – whether it’s oil, water, coolants or other liquids – with maximum efficiency. There’s virtually no cleanup SpillTech products can’t handle. SpillTech has the only truly nationwide distribution and logistic network in the

industry. Our customers know that our multiple warehouses mean faster delivery. Spills happen. And when they do, SpillTech will be

there to provide the smart spill solution.

The Tandem+ hardwound roll towel and bath tissue dispensing systems were created to help facilities improve hygiene and lower operating costs. Sleek, stylish, and designed for performance, Tandem+ dispensers meet the challenges of the modern facility and the public demand for sustainability. Cascades branded paper products were designed for exclusive use with Tandem+ dispensers.

Tandem+ system benefits: 1. Will lower cost-per-use, decrease labor costs and eliminate stub roll waste. 2. Offer ease-of-use, reliability and durability. 3. Help to deliver a healthy and clean-looking environment. 4. High capacity dispensers improve cost-per-use, dispenser loading and upkeep for a more productive workplace. 5. Wide selection of quality paper including Cascades’ award-winning antibacterial paper towels that improve hand hygiene and the innovative Cascades Moka JRT that is the most environmentally responsible choice on the market. 6. Unique customizable OnDisplayTM advertising window allows promotion of hand hygiene and your business.

Optima® Fully Reclosable Paper Hot Cup Lids – The solution for people with active lifestyles—Lift - Lock - Reclose! Optima® offers coffee drinkers a new level of convenience by providing users with a completely sealed beverage. When ready to drink, just pull the tab open and lock it back out of the way. Most notable is the ability to securely reclose the lid until ready to

resume drinking, again and again. 1. Fully Reclosable On-The-Go Solution - The Drink Well Plug™ creates a leak-resistant seal to reduce spills and splashes during transport. 2. 1 lid fits 5 cups: 10-24 oz cups have common lid fit to reduce storage requirements and increases operational efficiencies.

3. Beverage Protector - The Drink Well Plug™ serves as a protective shield to prevent contamination, alleviating sanitation concerns. 4. Image Enhancer - Upscale your coffee program with the Dart Optima Reclosable Lid paired with a Solo® paper hot cup!

Sunburst Chemicals introduces Sentinel with Master Blaster Dispenser – a SOLID multi-purpose, no-rinse sanitizer that is highly effective at combating bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus, E-coli and listeria monocytogenes. When used with Sunburst’s Master Blaster Dispenser, Sentinel can be used as a hose spray-down sanitizer. As a result, Sentinel is ideal for use in food handling areas in restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, nursing homes, schools, hotels/motels, food processing plants and office buildings.

Sentinel is freeze/thaw stable, reduces storage needs and shipping costs and minimizes the potential for employee contact due to spills or splashing concentrated liquid. Sentinel is dispensed by being dissolved in water at the time of use; when used at 1 oz. of solid sanitizer per 20 gallons of warm water one 3 lb. capsule of Sentinel makes up to 960 gallons of sanitizing solution. Sentinel is also effective in hard water conditions up to 400 ppm as CaCO3.

product innovations


supplier profile

Alliance Plastics (AP) is a business that prides itself on separating from the pack. To truly differentiate, President

Rob Grubbs, knows one must be selective in the company they keep. For this reason, Grubbs has selected AFFLINK as AP’s only Member/Distributor group affiliation. With a compelling story to tell, Grubbs believes in the power of collaboration. “We have been a part of groups in the past and found no efforts to actively promote our company or assist in gaining national account business – until we began working with AFFLINK” explains Grubbs. He found teamwork set AFFLINK apart in its approach to sharing the Alliance Plastics message.

With a mission based on service, quality and technology, Alliance Plastics’ perspective on selling puts their Distributor partners in a unique position to win. Delivering small quantities of a diverse product mix at volume pricing, Distributors are suddenly in a much more efficient and competitive position. Local players are now able to compete against the “big boys” with the likes of patent pending products - DX cornerboard, a new technology in profit enhancing edge protectors, and a line of innovative reinforced stretch films. “We listen to our customers” says Grubbs, who is consistently

working on new technology based on customer feedback, “we provide a competitive advantage to our customers based on price and technology.”

As Alliance Plastics’ portfolio of cutting edge products expands, loyalty to the customer remains a constant. With a background in Distribution, Grubbs understands the impact a Supplier competing for your business holds. AP stands firm in the promise to never sell direct. It is a deep rooted belief of the organization - from top to bottom - that competing with customers is not an option. The AP team invests significant time and effort in creating trusted products and believes in focusing on Distribution to sell those items. Your success is the success of Alliance Plastics. It’s their namesake; Alliance Plastics is named after the alliance between the manufacturer and distributor.

A Fresh Perspective Carries Big Impact on Customer Satisfaction

a dozen

with a real

cold glass

of milk

Little-known facts about Ron Grubbs…

21 fall 2015

supplier profile

With a commitment to quality and service to their customers, plans to expand the AP footprint were inevitable. Measures taken to open a new manufacturing facility will all come to fruition in early 2016. The new plant, located in Dallas, TX, will make for a total of three manufacturing locations in South Carolina, Nevada and now Texas. To help manage this growth Alliance Plastics employs a readily accessible team comprised of individuals who can be reached by a click of the mouse via the AP website – where you can also find out all the quirky details you want to know within the “meet our team” bios online – or a phone call, which the President himself assures will be answered or returned by AP’s office staff who pride themselves on their high standards of customer service.

If you’re looking to connect with Alliance Plastics, the methods are seemingly endless. From an interactive website, offering Alliance Academy - a full scale educational platform - to a recently released app for Google and Apple users, AP makes it a cinch to reach out and access a treasure chest of resources. Check out the new website at www .allianceplastics .net, strike up a conversation on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, or simply pick up the phone to speak to Ron himself if you wish. Ease of accessibility is one aspect AP has worked hard to ensure all customers experience.

HOW DO I SAVETHE PLANET AND SAVE MONEY?

DO IT, BE A HERO TODAY!

SECURE

SteelFlex

Pre-Stretch

Wrap a pallet with less energy and great worker safety

Ship your product with less films and greater load retention all white reducing film usage by up to 40%

Be a HERO todayfor the envirommentall while SAVING MONEY!

2805 COMMERCE DR. ROCK HILL. SC 29730TOLL-FREE: 1-888-643-1432 PHONE: 1-803-372-6000 FAX: [email protected] WWW.ALLIANCEPLASTICS.NET

A VETERAN OWNED COMPANY

STEP

Less film is sent to the land fill preserving our precious natural resources

STEP

STEP

STEP

CONTACT INFORMATION:

DAVE WASSERMAN, Vice President of Sales & Marketing 770.940.0853 • [email protected]


AFFLINK Member Brands

is extremely excited to

announce the rollout

of the much anticipated, Member

Brands Shopfront. Our goal in

adding this new resource is

to create an online ordering

system that not only speeds

up the ordering process but

eliminates errors and increases

efficiencies. In addition to the

provision of an online order

entry system, Shopfront

now affords every Member

the opportunity to quickly

and easily access our online

catalog – comprised of all

items available through the

extensive Member Brands

program offering. This tool

is free of charge and will

soon be ready for your

utilization. The official

launch of this program

will be November 1, 2015,

but it’s currently being tested by the

Membership. On January 1, 2016, Shopfront,

EDI & EC-Dox will be the preferred method of

ordering AFFLINK Member Brands. For those

who wish to continue ordering manually, there

will be a $25 processing fee starting in 2016.

AFFLINK looks forward to this new chapter

in the Member Brands history and the added

successes that it will bring for both parties.

Member Brands Shopfront, Open for Business

+

23 fall 2015

A Complete Product Line Helping You Consolidate All Your

NON-PREFERRED PURCHASES

Will

You

Cho

ose?

Whi

ch C

ateg

orie

s

Call Your Member Brands Customer Service Rep Today! [email protected]


25 fall 2015

The Gold Coast of Ireland

As we wind down the eleventh consecutive year of the New Latitudes program,

make sure you’re not leaving any points on the table! Take a look at where you stand today and see if you can make a last minute push to get you over your NL goal. Our trip to the Gold Coast of Ireland is one you won’t want to miss!

Making two stops on the Emerald Isle in both Dublin and Killarney, we’ll be taking in the haunting beauty of the unspoiled landscape, dramatic awe of the pristine coastline, and the magic of thousands of years’ worth of history and culture. Create your own ‘luck’ this year and join us in Ireland for an experience you’ll never forget!

Looking for New Ways to Grow Your Points Faster?♦ Check your points ONLINE

♦ Follow us on FACEBOOK where we’re giving away points on “Trivia Fridays”♦ Be on the lookout for BONUS BUCKS from our participating Suppliers♦ Contact your Business Development Specialist to understand how to

convert non-preferred purchases that will EARN you TONS of NL points♦ Purchase items from Suppliers offering DOUBLE-POINTS months

Earn 2X POINTS on These Suppliers Throughout The Balance of The Year!

May 9– 16, 2016


JuneSAVE THE DATE! June 26-29, 2016 AFFLINK Summit in Toronto, Canada

JanuarySAVE THE DATE! AFFLINK 2016 National Planning MeetingJanuary 18-21, 2016 • The Camby Hotel • Phoenix, AZJoin us in January as we kick off the new year with the 2016 National Planning Meeting! Like last year, we have combined this meeting into ONE for both Facilities Maintenance and Packaging Members. The National Planning Meeting for 2016 will incorporate General Session topics that will be facilitated to the entire group along with breakout sessions specific to Facilities Maintenance or Packaging/ Industrial. AFFLINK has many exciting ventures in the works for its Members and cannot wait to share them with you in Arizona.

Suggested Arrival: January 18th before the AFFLINK Cocktail Reception at 6:00pm.Suggested Departure: January 21st after 11:00am

awardsaccolades

2016 meetingsevents

Congratulations to…

Erie Cotton celebrating 70 years of manufacturing wiping rags .

2015 was Piedmont National’s 65th year in business and they are in the process of a $2 million renovation of their corporate headquarters .

FlexPAC celebrates 30th year in business during 2015 .

Conrad Enterprises, Inc. celebrates 50 years in Hawaii, 1965 – 2015 .

anniversaries

27 fall 2015


community involvement

AFFLINK Raises More Than $1,000 in Support of Childhood CancerThe AFFLINK team answers the call to support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The associates at AFFLINK took September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

to heart this year, donating $1,015.00 to the Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. Each employee was encouraged to give $10 to the cause, and thanks to their generosity we were able to exceed our company goal!

As a show of appreciation for their efforts, the AFFLINK Leadership Team served a pancake breakfast to the staff, thanking them for their gracious support of this worthy cause!

Community Outreach Committee Adopts Myrtlewood Elementary

Our leadership team recently developed the “AFFLINK Community Outreach

Committee”, where a handful of team members have volunteered to lead these efforts. The focus of this team is to better identify opportunities in the local community to get involved and enrich lives through philanthropic actions. As we spend our time focusing on our local communities, we are eager to continue to grow our humanitarian efforts.

As one of our first actions, AFFLINK is proud to announce the adoption of Myrtlewood Elementary School through the Adopt-A-School Program. Myrtlewood Elementary is located in Fosters, Alabama and is home to Holly Tanner, counselor at the school and the spouse of one of our very own employees, Rob Tanner.

Over the next several months, our team at AFFLINK will help the children, as well as, the staff members at Myrtlewood Elementary. To name a few additional future plans, we expect to read to children, attend career day and help

paint the front sidewalk of the school.

Want to learn how you can raise money for the cause?

Visit www.acco.org.

SUPPORT • ADVOCATE • CURE

Connect With Us on Social Media

AFFLINK provides a variety of content on different social media channels. You don’t want to miss out on pertinent information regarding our fast-paced industry.

On AFFLINK’s Facebook page you’ll find articles to keep you up to date on news and trends in our industry. We also provide updates on AFFLINK events and supplier promotions to keep you in the know. Most importantly, earn NLXI points every Friday by participating in our trivia promotions!

Our Twitter feed offers a platform to share ideas on topics in our industry. Stop by and join in the conversation!

We’re LinkedIn! Follow us to see the best news and information on the business topics that affect your company.

AFFLINK’s YouTube Channel provides keynote and training clips from our conventions as well as previews of the New Latitudes program rewards trip!

1400 AFFLINK Place Tuscaloosa, AL 35406

800.222.5521www.afflink.com

CTD Fall 2015-FINAL

Documents