Headquarter’s Report
Tracks
Headquarter’s Report By Kendra Ansley, NATM Executive Director
The year has started off strong for the light- and medium-duty trailer manufacturing industry and optimism abounds for a return to something nearing normal in 2021. Without the annual Convention & Trade Show, members came together online instead for the annual membership meeting. More coverage on the event can be found on page 20. While we certainly all would have rather been together in Nashville, NATM staff and member volunteers used the extra time to advance a number of projects and programs. This includes the launch of the NATM Resource Library and the soon to come online store, bringing members the information they need when they need it and allowing for online product orders. Staff also used this time to focus on a soon to be released outline and template package for members to create or improve their own in-house quality management system. In addition, staff and industry experts have come together to create a new virtual NATM Academy to be released in the next 12 months. More on these projects and the NATM Strategic Plan can be found on page 24. In February, NATM hired and onboarded two new members of the staff, Abby Wiebler and Catie Rutkowski, to help with some of the growing administrative work of the Association. Abby and Catie have already shown themselves to be quick learners and excellent additions to the team. They support decal sales, product orders, processing member applications, prospect research, committee work, and the online store. You can learn more about Abby and Catie on page page 30, and members can look forward to meeting both of these new team members at the 2022 Convention in Tampa, Fla.! While there was no Convention, NATM still honored members who significantly impacted the Association and the industry by presenting the annual awards during this year’s virtual Membership Meeting. Celebrating young professionals like Ty Scott and Nathan Uphus, as well as the contributions of Pam Daugherty, Richard Lavanture, and Joel Bauer is just a small token of appreciation for all they have collectively done. NATM would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the many volunteers who come together to help advance the industry and improve member benefits as well as generous sponsors who help support the delivery of programming and benefits. Meanwhile, the Compliance Verification Program (CVP) remains either a hybrid or remote process. This format allows member
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May/June 2021
consultations to be more cost effective and efficient as consultants are hard at work to be entirely caught up with consultations after a slow down in 2020. With consultants spending less time on the road, they have invested more time into improving both the program and their own knowledge. NATM consultants have been meeting with industry experts to expand their knowledge on VIN software, lighting, and more to continue to provide valuable technical support to members on topics tangentially related to the CVP. Members new and old are getting more value from the program than ever before. To learn what a typical consultant’s day is like, flip topage 56. As we enter into an important advocacy year, the Association’s priorities include accessing funding for the expansion of Trailer Safety Week and actively engaging with Congressional Members about the upcoming Highway Reauthorization package which will have a profound impact on the industry. In order to address potential changes related to underride, and specifically side underride, as well as investment in infrastructure amongst other topics, the Association is looking for members to set up virtual plant tours and meetings with their representatives to help educate decision makers, including the 60 new Members of Congress, about the value and needs of the industry. Find out more about how to set up a tour and how NATM can help onpage 14. The year ahead is full of promise and opportunity. NATM Committees, the Board, and staff are hard at work to bring members more of what they need to grow and prosper. If you have any feedback for the Association or would like to get more involved, please reach out at (785) 272-4433 or at NATMHQ@natm.com.
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