Valve
MAGAZINE
www.ValveMagazine.com
VMA—
The Voice of the Flow Control Industry
EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD
Richard D. Oaks
AUMA AC TUATORS, INC.
Mike Hendrick
CONVAL, INC.
Doug Clendenin
CRANE FLOW SOLUTIONS
John Wells
EMERSON PROCESS
MANAGEMENT
Ed Holtgraver
QTRCO, INC.
Christopher Warnett
ROTORK CONTROLS, INC.
Dan Velan
VELAN VALVE
VALVE MAGAZINE (ISSN No. 1057-
2813) is the official magazine of the
Valve Manufacturers Association of
America (VMA) and is published quarterly by VMA, located at 1050 17th
Street NW, Suite 280, Washington, DC
20036-5521; 202.331.8105; Fax:
202.296.0378.
Advertising queries: 540.374.9100.
Periodicals postage paid at Washington,
D. C., and at additional mailing offices.
POS TMASTER: Send address changes
to VALVE MAGAZINE, P. O. Box 1673
Williamsport, PA 17703-1673.
Subscriptions are free to qualified
readers in the United States and Canada;
$40 per year to unqualified readers in the
United States and Canada; $60 per year
for all subscribers outside the United
States and Canada. Statements of fact
and opinion made are the responsibility
of the authors alone and do not necessarily imply endorsement or agreement on
the part of the officers or membership
of VMA. Materials may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of VMA.
Irecently had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the Aramco Serv- ices Company’s Technical Exchange Meeting, which took place May 6 at
Aramco’s Houston headquarters. The session was titled: Advances in Valve
Technology and Applications.
My goal was to inform the 120 attendees about the value of belonging to
a trade association in general, and more specifically, the value of belonging to
the Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA). After the presentation, many attendees told me they didn’t realize so much was done by so few.
Trade associations are formed when you have at least three companies
manufacturing a similar product and a need for a venue for achieving goals as
an industry. Today, over 3,000 associations (including both trade and professional) are in Washington, DC alone, and New York and Chicago account for
an additional 2,000 each. There are even trade associations throughout the
U.S. and Canada created for trade association professionals.
Our readers may belong to one or many trade associations. One reality for
everyone, however, is that those members who are active in their respective
organizations receive the most value from their membership. At VMA, we are
privileged to have an outstanding membership and volunteer base.
In my presentation, I highlighted some of the benefits to being a member
of VMA. They include:
; Networking —the ability to share ideas and solutions with colleagues at
other valve, actuator and control companies. VMA members may go
head-to-head in competing for business during the day, but when they
get together at a VMA function, they are open to discussions on business
activities and problems.
; Educational Meetings and Seminars—programs that cater to the different
professionals within the member companies. Those who benefit range
from CEOs to CFOs to marketing to engineering to manufacturing professionals.
; Statistics—economic reports on the valve industry as well as end-user
industries that purchase valves.
; Communications—the magazine you are reading as well as electronic
newsletters, websites and a catalog that is distributed internationally.
; Training—educational programs and publications for those new to the
industry, those needing a refresher course and those we would like to
introduce to the industry for professional consideration.
© Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Even if VMA is not the right association for you, I assure you, there is an
organization that can fulfill your needs, and I would encourage you to join.
However, I would also caution you that once you join: to get you must give. The
best return on investment is achieved if you're active. VM
Bill Sandler
President
Valve Manufacturers Association of America
