> New ERA Podcast: Cost-Effect Sales Coverage that is Hiding in Plain Sight

> ERA Quick Connections – October 2022, Vol. 1

> ERA Quick Connections – Sept. 2022, Vol. 2

September 2022, Volume 2

Showcase your company in front of 3,500 industry members! Find out more.

MONTHLY POS REPORTS

Budde Marketing, which provides monthly POS Index reports to ERA members, issued its latest summary, running from January 2020 through July 2022. The index now includes more than 125 manufacturers. View the latest index.

July 2022 dipped a little bit from a very strong June; the month of July still registered 15 percent above July 2021 and way ahead of the POS Index of January 2020. Although we are predicting a slower trend for the balance of the year, we expect POS to still be strong for all of 2022. We are seeing companies continuing to be adding inventory in anticipation of a future downturn. We continue to believe that the industry will in all probability slow down slightly throughout the balance of 2022.

For details on Budde Marketing’s services, visit BuddeMarketing.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Google will work together to develop and produce chips that researchers at universities, as well as engineers at start-ups, will be able to use without restriction or licensing fees. Read more.

> From The Sales Blog, be sure your firm is not committing one of the “Common Sales Mistakes in 2022.” Read more.

> Certain global factors are still affecting the supply chain of electronics components, yet this article aims to give three strategies to help mitigate these circumstances. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> ERA Virtual Sales Training is now two weeks away. There is still time to register! View the training sessions and speakers offered to registrants for a low registration fee. Sharpen your sales skills with us Oct. 4-6!

> ERA is proud to be counted among the many exhibitors that will attend electronica 2022, the premier international electronics industry trade show and conference that will bring together companies from more than 50 countries from Nov. 15-18 in Munich. ERA’s booth will be located at Hall B4, stand 178 – please stop by, say hello, charge your electronics and use our wi-fi! Read more.

> ERA mourns Gene Straube, a long-time ERA member and White Pin member, and founder of Straube & Associates. Read more about Gene’s life and career.

> Registration is now open for attendees and sponsorships for the 2023 ERA Conference – Moving On, Moving Beyond. The annual do-not-miss event brings together manufacturers’ representatives, distributors and manufacturers in a collaborative, energetic and educational environment.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Click here to browse the searchable ERA Industry Calendar and ERA Chapter Events listings!

> ERA Will Attend electronica 2022 in Munich

ERA’s booth will be located at Hall B4, stand 178, on Nov. 15-18. Photo courtesy of electronica.

ERA is proud to be counted among the many exhibitors that will attend electronica 2022, the premier international electronics industry tradeshow and conference that will bring together companies from more than 50 countries. This year’s electronica, with the theme of “Driving sustainable progress” will take place November 15-18 in Munich.

The massive tradeshow will boast 18 exhibit halls, with exhibitors ranging from start-ups to global corporations, as well as various conferences and forums, and will cover the entire electronics spectrum from components to systems, applications and services.

“This is the first time that electronica has taken place since 2018 so there is definitely a buzz and excitement surrounding this year’s show,” said Walter Tobin, CEO of ERA. “It is always an eye opener to see the thousands of manufacturers, distributors, reps and customers that make their way through the many exhibit halls.”

ERA has been attending electronica for more than 20 years. ERA’s goals when attending electronica are:

• To advocate for ERA’s North American members who are looking for representation and/or channel solutions in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) territories
• To explain the North American rep model to the manufacturers in EMEA who are interested in rep coverage in North America and/or channel partners in North America

“The manufacturers’ rep model in EMEA is dramatically different in EMEA from North America,” said Tobin. “Our booth is usually jammed with folks who are thirsty for information on how business is done differently in both EMEA and North America. I’ll also be looking forward to meeting with several North American reps who will be in attendance, as well as a few global channel members.”

ERA’s booth will be located in Hall B4 stand 178. Please visit the ERA booth to say hello, charge your electronics and use ERA’s private wi-fi to remain in touch with your customers. ERA expects that booth visitors will learn a lot about how the rep business functions in EMEA and North America.

See you in Munich!

About electronica

Read more about electronica 2022 and register at electronica.de.

About ERA
The 87-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.

> ERA Quick Connections – Sept. 2022, Vol. 1

September 2022, Volume 1

MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS

Manufacturing data reports from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are released at the beginning of every month and can be accessed at ISM. The latest report says economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in August, with the overall economy achieving a 27^th consecutive month of growth.

The computer and electronic products sector was among 10 manufacturing industries reporting growth in August.

The electrical equipment, appliances and components sector was among seven manufacturing industries reporting contraction in August compared to July.

INDUSTRY NEWS

> U.S. manufacturing activity held steady in August, with new orders and employment both increasing compared to July. The price index also declined, easing price pressures and indicating that inflation may have hit its peak. Yet, ISM panelists expressed concern with a softening economy and increasing materials and labor costs. Read more.

> Where do key industry stakeholders think the CHIPS Act money should go? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently reached out to industry members to ask, and then published a report that compiled the answers. Read more.

> Micron announced it will invest $15 billion through the end of the decade to construct a new memory manufacturing fab in Boise, Idaho, a project that will create an estimated 2,000 direct jobs and an additional 15,000 ancillary jobs. Read more.

ERA NEWS

> ERA Virtual Sales Training will take place in a little less than a month! The sessions, schedule and speakers have been announced. A sampling of the training topics: digital marketing, effective communication skills, pre-call planning, warm calling with confidence, value-based selling and tips and tricks on setting appointments. Can you afford NOT to attend? Read more information and register now. The program will take place Oct. 4-6, 2022.

> Showcase your company in front of 3,500 industry members! The deadline to request advertising space in the Fall issue of The Representor is Friday, September 9. Read about ad rates and sizes. Email Clare Kluck, ERA Communications Director, to reserve an ad space. ERA also offers digital advertising opportunities in this Quick Connections e-newsletter and on the ERA homepage. Read more.

> ERA is proud to announce its Empire Chapter raised $35,000 to donate to a local domestic violence shelter at its annual August golf tournament dedicated to the memory of Julie Baker. Baker was an ERA member and electronics industry member who was tragically taken by an act of domestic violence in 2020. Read more.

ELECTRONICA

Good reasons to attend electronica 2022

electronica is the most important international meeting place for the electronics industry. The world’s leading trade fair covers the entire electronics spectrum from components to systems, applications and services. The extensive conference and supporting program highlights automotive, embedded, semiconductors and wireless – and networks startups with the industry.

Convincing arguments for you to attend electronica

• The entire electronics industry gathers at a single location. Exhibitors from nearly every sub-sector of the electronics industry from at least 50 countries around the world with a comprehensive range of exhibits, all at a single location: Such a high concentration of innovations at this level is only available at electronica.
• This is where the base for an “all-electric society” grows. Electronics already determine most of our lives, and their influence on our everyday lives will increase even more in the future. Only at electronica you can experience how applications from the fields of industrial electronics, telecommunications, energy and electromobility, as well as the credit and insurance industries, are preparing the way for the “all-electric society.”
• Electronics enable sustainability. The electronica 2022 highlight topics such as e-mobility, smart energy, power electronics, IIoT and artificial intelligence will showcase solutions and products for the sustainable and responsible use of resources.
• Expand your expertise! Theme-oriented forums and prestigious conferences in cooperation with our media partners give you a look at future prospects.
• We showcase, network and support talent. We help talents stay oriented, network career engineers and professionals with leading employers and generate a great deal of attention for start-ups.

www.electronica.de

> ERA’s Empire Chapter Raises $35,000 for Local Domestic Violence Shelter at its Annual Golf Tournament

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is proud to announce that the Empire ERA Chapter raised $35,000 at its Aug 1., 2022, Julie Baker Memorial Golf Tournament to donate to the Willow Domestic Violence Center in Rochester, N.Y.

Julie Baker, an engineer who worked in electronic component sales for GMA, was tragically taken by an act of domestic violence in 2020. Baker was a Board member of the Empire ERA chapter and helped plan the annual Empire ERA golf tournaments. She left behind three daughters, Claire, Jill and Paige. She loved to garden and enjoyed live music.

“We are overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of support this tournament received to allow us to make this large donation to an important cause,” said Laura Senn-Sanborn, president of the Empire ERA chapter. “Thank you to all the attendees for playing, contributing, having fun, shedding a few tears, and sharing many laughs and memories with us.”

From left to right: Paige Baker, Nicolle Morelle from Willow, Jill Baker, Laura Senn-Sanborn, Jim Gleason, and Claire Baker.

 

“This tournament, renamed and rededicated in Julie’s honor, further supports her legacy with this substantial contribution,” said Patrick Coyne, vice president of membership and communications of Empire ERA chapter.

Willow Domestic Violence Center has provided services for the Greater Rochester community for over 40 years. Willow’s mission is to prevent domestic violence and ensure every survivor has access to the services and supports needed along the journey to a safe and empowered life. Their vision is a community free from domestic violence, where healthy relationships thrive.

In a video on the official Julie Baker Memorial Tournament Instagram page, Baker’s daughter Claire says: “While we never could’ve imagined losing our mom to an act of domestic violence, Willow inspires us to take action. Our future plans include establishing a foundation to honor both of our parents, Julie and Dick Baker. Today our mom’s legacy lives on and we can’t thank you enough for your support.”

More pictures and videos of the golf tournament can be found on Instagram at @juliebaker_memorialgolf.

About the Willow Domestic Violence Center

Willow Domestic Violence Center offers a range of emergency and non-emergency support services, including a 24/7 domestic violence hotline, emergency shelter for women and children, safety planning, court accompaniment, short-term counseling and support, and support groups. All of its services are free and confidential. Find out more: https://willowcenterny.org/.

About Empire ERA

The Empire Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association is dedicated to promoting and protecting the manufacturers’ representative function within the Upstate New York electronics marketplace. The Chapter is a resource for its members. It provides support for establishing and maintaining the representative function through continuing education, networking events and promoting the rep function. Find out more: http://empireera.org/.

> 2023 ERA Conference: Attendee & Sponsorship Registration OPEN

We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 ERA Conference!

Attendee registration and sponsorship registration is now open.

View registration information and register online.

View sponsorship opportunities and register to be a sponsor.

This highly regarded educational and networking event offers the only opportunity for electronics industry reps, manufacturers and distributors to learn together from many experts in an environment dedicated to sharing practical, proven best practices in field sales and marketing.

The 2023 Conference Committee, comprised of a talented cross-section of industry manufacturers’ representatives, distributors and manufacturers, have already enthusiastically started planning another dynamic and interactive educational program full of useful tools and takeaways and inspiring messages.

This do-not-miss event provides an unparalleled opportunity to bring together manufacturers’ representatives, distributors and manufacturers in a collaborative and energetic environment, and offers everyone a truly unique opportunity to learn, connect and grow.

With record setting attendance of over 525 people at the 2022 Conference, we expect more growth in attendance in 2023. We hope you’ll take advantage of this great opportunity and join us to see what the ERA Conference is all about!

> Registration for ERA Virtual Sales Training is Now Open!

ERA’s second annual Virtual Sales Training is taking place Oct. 4-6, 2022, and registration is now open!

This year’s dynamic program will feature all-new content and speakers.

This virtual training event will provide the opportunity for representatives, manufacturers and distributors to sharpen their sales skills. Nine robust 75-minute educational sales training modules, presented by professional sales trainers and industry sales executives, will cover an array of topics.

Take advantage of this great educational opportunity!

All nine sessions will be presented live and archived on-demand viewing.

Register Today!

> ERA Announces 2023 Annual Conference Theme

ERA’s 2023 Annual Conference Committee is proud to present the theme of “Moving On, Moving Beyond” for the educational and networking conference scheduled for Feb. 26-28, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

The planning committee is excited to choose a theme that reflects the resiliency of the electronics industry and, simultaneously, the eagerness to move forward past the “new normal” into the future of the business.

“The conference will give us tools to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” said Lori Bruno, vice president and distribution sales manager, Luscombe Engineering of San Francisco, and 2023 ERA Conference Chair. “The conference is very important as it takes into account the core values of ERA and how we continually strive to educate our reps, manufacturers and distributors. This year we have 55 volunteers, who come from all three segments of our industry, serving on the various committees. They will work to provide key takeaways for everyone; the volunteers will make our next conference one to remember.”

“The theme for next year’s conference, ‘Moving On, Moving Beyond,’ is meant to challenge each of us to consider how we can grow as individuals and organizations – not simply by doing traditional things in new ways, but by truly looking forward to determine ‘What’s next?’ said Adam Anderson, vice president, Norris & Associates, Inc., and 2023 ERA Conference Vice Chair. “The answer to that question may be a bit different for each of us, but the goal of the planning committee is to provide an inspiring look at the future of our industry, along with practical strategies and tactics that can be used to grow our businesses in new ways.”

More information about the 2023 Annual Conference, including registration information and sponsorship opportunities, will be forthcoming.

> ERA Welcomes Janine Spediacci as its New Events Coordinator

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) announces that Janine Spediacci has joined its team as the Events Coordinator, effective June 2022.

In this role, Janine will provide administrative support and oversight for various ERA events and meeting activities, including the Annual Conference, Virtual Sales Training, COLT, EDS and electronica, among others. She will be responsible for assisting the Director of Events with planning and management of these events and will perform a wide range of duties, including meeting scheduling, monitoring attendee registrations and sponsorships, assisting with marketing and communications preparation, assisting with speaker research and more.

“I’m excited to assist ERA in its efforts to produce high-quality, valuable events for its members,” said Janine. “I look forward to using my long-time passion for event planning to make a positive impact on the ERA team and its members from day one.”

Janine discovered her passion for the hospitality industry while interning at Walt Disney World during her college career at San Francisco State University. She has spent her career exploring all avenues of the industry from hotel front office, sales and marketing and finally catering and events where she enjoys the intimate details of planning and organizing all types of events, big and small.

In her free time, Janine enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and beach days with her dog, Coco.

“We are delighted to welcome Janine to the ERA team,” said ERA CEO Walter Tobin. “ERA is proud to be growing as an organization and, as such, needing to keep pace with providing our members with on-topic, can’t-miss events, such as the Annual Conference, Virtual Sales Training, COLT and EDS, as well as podcasts and Water Cooler sessions. Janine’s past experience and enthusiasm will benefit the ERA team greatly.”

Janine can be reached at janine@era.org.

> ERA Announces 2023 Conference Committee

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is pleased to announce the appointment of the chair, vice chair and members of the 2023 Conference Committee responsible for planning the 2023 ERA Conference, scheduled Feb. 26 – Feb. 28 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

Lori Bruno, vice president and sales distribution manager at Luscombe Engineering of San Francisco, was appointed conference committee chair and Adam Anderson, CPMR, vice president at Norris & Associates, Inc., will serve as the committee vice chair. Both Bruno and Anderson are returning committee members.

“I am appreciative of this opportunity to serve as the 2023 ERA Conference Chair. In this role, my goal is to, once again, provide our rep, manufacturer and distributor attendees with another outstanding interactive and educational conference experience,” said Bruno. “I am privileged to have Adam Anderson serving as the vice chair. Adam’s dedication to and knowledge of our industry will ensure our success. To be working with the core committee members, all of whom are industry leaders and bring great ideas and perspectives to the conference planning process, is thrilling. We look forward to rising to the challenge and getting to work.”

In addition to Bruno and Anderson, other returning members of the 2023 Conference Committee are John Guetens of E-T-A Circuit Breakers; Joe Braun of EK Micro; Amy Rooney of RFMW, Ltd.; and Ellen Coan, CPMR, CC Electro Sales, Inc.

New members of the core committee are Maryellen Stack of Sager Electronics; Jeff May of Logix Sales & Marketing; Tom Wichert of TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc.; Gary Smith, CPMR, of G.L. Smith Associates; and Dave Winner, CPMR, of SACS, Inc.

May and Wichert will serve as co-chairs of the Keynote Committee; Braun and Rooney will serve as co-chairs of the General Sessions Committee; Guetens and Stack will serve as co-chairs of the Breakout Sessions Committee; Smith and Winner will serve as co-chairs of the Sponsorship Committee; and Coan, who is ERA’s Senior VP of Education, will serve as the acting Executive Committee liaison to the 2023 ERA Conference Committee.

ERA staff members on the committee are ERA CEO Walter E. Tobin, Events Director Erin Collins, and Communications Director Clare Kluck.

“ERA’s 54^th Annual Conference promises to be another must-attend educational experience with a combination of general sessions and our unique breakout sessions,” said ERA CEO Walter Tobin. “This format allows our attendees to customize their own conference and decide which sessions they prefer to attend based on their own individual needs. We will look forward to another stellar event under the careful leadership of Lori Bruno as conference chair and Adam Anderson as vice chair. They will be supported by our 55 conference committee volunteers who will guide us in the planning process and put together useful content for this not-to-be-missed event. Come join us in Austin and prepare to be amazed!”

> ERA Announces the Recipients of the 2022 Mark Motsinger White Pin Internships

ERA is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 Mark Motsinger White Pin Internships.

Nelysa Rosario, a student at Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, N.C., will intern at Aurora Technical Group/Southeast and Gustavo Ruiz, a student at California State University, Fullerton, Calif., will intern at English Technical Sales.

ERA is excited to launch these internships as a way to help the rep community attract, hire and retain college graduates into the rep model to keep the electronics industry fresh and relevant. Rising college juniors or seniors can gain the opportunity to work for a manufacturers’ representative firm over the summer months to gain a better understanding and hands-on experience of the electronic components industry.

“We are delighted to receive Nelysa’s acceptance into the ERA White Pin Internship Program with the Aurora Technical Group,” said Aparna Sproelich, vice president and chief operating officer of Aurora Technical Group Southeast. “Nelysa has exactly the right enthusiasm and attitude, and she loves to learn. We are hoping to further develop and support our industry and we look forward to working with Nelysa this summer.”

“The ability to acquire this position has fulfilled my greatest dreams and ambitions,” said Rosario. “I am so grateful to be given this opportunity to work at what seems like such a great goal-driven company and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me at this company. I know that there will be so much for me to dive into, explore and learn. I am so eager to learn what this company has to teach me and I can’t wait to start participating in accomplishing the goals that the Aurora Group has for the future.”

“We were able to reach out to local universities, in this case California State University-Fullerton, and we found top talent from their engineering school,” said Cameron English, president and chief executive officer of English Technical Sales. “Our new intern, Gustavo Ruiz, will fill a marketing communications/business development role, deploying software and programs to reach customer engineers with pacing technology offerings from our suppliers. This ability to engage young talent is a key factor in the future health of our industry, and specifically us as representatives. I want to thank ERA for this program and for the support to bring on top engineering talent.”

“I am honored to have been selected by the ERA White Pin organization as a candidate for this internship,” said Gustavo Ruiz. “As a student from CSUF, I have been involved in academic studies for engineering. This position as an intern with English Technical Sales will allow me to apply my education to real-time engineering development on high-tech projects.”

“We are hopeful that these awards can be a kick-off to additional internships and companies participating in 2023,” said Kingsland Coombs, senior vice president at large for the ERA Executive Committee and director of the White Pin group.

Ellen Coan, senior vice president of education for the ERA Executive Committee stated: “Continuing education has always been the goal of the ERA White Pin Group. These internships are a clear and tangible example of this key role in helping rep companies find and hire interns as possible full-time employees after graduation.”

ERA is naming these internships the Mark Motsinger White Pin Internships to honor the many years of dedicated service that Mark Motsinger gave to ERA as the general manager of the ERA White Pin Initiative.

Walter Tobin, chief executive officer of ERA, stated: “Mark has guided the White Pin Organization with his professionalism while holding all of its members accountable to continuing the educational charter of White Pin. By naming these internships in his honor, ERA and White Pin continue to give Mark the recognition that he so well deserves.”

> ERA Debuts New HoverMap

ERA is pleased and proud to announce the new ERA HoverMap. (www.erahovermap.org) This new product replaces the old Rep Locator tool on era.org that had been used to find manufacturers’ representatives in each ERA Chapter.

The ERA HoverMap outlines marketing territories consistent with local ERA chapters in order to provide reference territory descriptions as well as facilitate defined boundaries for DTAM calculation purposes.

“ERA is keeping with its mission of enhancing the manufacturers’ rep function with the development of the ERA HoverMap,” said Kingsland Coombs, senior vice president-at-large of the ERA Executive Committee. “By providing a ‘one-stop shop’ for this vital information, our member manufacturers and member sales representatives can now use this tool to access crucial market intelligence that will allow them to assess their own performance and market share.”

“I’m excited to have developed this online tool in order to help industry members gain access to this crucial data and help reps gain exposure more efficiently and effectively,” said Alan Ahern, president, Crowley Associates. “I’m confident that the ROI that ERA members will see from this new tool will be significant.”

Some new features of the ERA HoverMap include:

• Generally accepted definitions of the sales territories and the corresponding ERA Chapters that operate in these territories. It is important to note that ERA Chapter names and the territories within which they operate have not changed.
• When you click on a sales territory, users will see a drop-down box containing:

– USPS zip codes – These are zip codes that are generally accepted as zip codes for that sales territory. ERA performed extensive research in each sales territory to procure these zip codes; however, ERA is making no definitive statements regarding these zip codes and is simply offering guidelines. Final decisions about territories will be left up to each rep and their own contracts with their manufacturers.

– DTAM information – Budde Marketing DTAM data is based on live and demonstrated sales of product by over 1,200 distributors (local to national) reporting for nearly 130 varied manufacturers, representing the passive electromechanical industry. This data should not be interpreted or used to measure any person or company representing a specific territory, but rather to provide a broad perspective on industry territorial

– ERA Chapter Name Hyperlink – Clicking on the ERA Chapter name will take the user to the alphabetical listing of the rep members in that chapter. Clicking on the rep company’s name will take the user to the company’s website.

The ERA HoverMap will be available to all ERA members and will require member log-in credentials.

Disclaimer: ERA would like to note that the marketing territories shown on the Hover Map are general and approximate; they are guidelines only and should not be considered absolute. In all instances, contractual territory boundary definitions between manufacturers and representatives are subject to discussion and negotiation between the parties and may vary from the outlines provided.