ERA PRESS RELEASE
March 1, 2024
Contact: Clare Kluck / Communications Director / ckluck@era.org
Michael Budde Receives 5th Annual Tobin Bridge Award at 2024 ERA Conference
Michael Budde Jr. accepts the Tobin Bridge Award on behalf of his father, Michael Budde Sr., at the 2024 ERA Conference.
The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) announces that Michael Budde, CEO of Budde Marketing Systems, is the recipient of the fifth annual Tobin Bridge Award. The award was presented by ERA Chairman of the Board John O’Brien, CPMR, and ERA Board President Tom Griffin, CPMR, at the 2024 ERA Conference in Austin, Texas.
The Tobin Bridge Award is presented annually to an individual who reaches across to “bridge” the various constituent components of the electronics industry — reps, manufacturers and distributors — while advancing the rep function.
“It was an extreme honor to receive the Tobin Bridge Award at this year’s ERA Conference,” said Budde. “It’s the first ERA conference I’ve missed since I started Budde Marketing 28 years ago. COVID-19 kept me grounded but I was proud to have had my son, Mike, Jr. accept on my behalf. This award is named after a true giant in our industry and I’m humbled to have received it. I will see everyone next year!”
Previous Tobin Bridge award recipients are:
Michael Knight, Endries International Inc. (2023)
Ken Bellero, Schaffner EMC (2022)
Craig Sanderson, Sager Electronics (2021)
Walter Tobin, ERA (2020)
About ERA
The 89-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.