Held at the Hilton Phoenix Cliffs Resort in Arizona, the Security Hardware Distributors Association (SHDA) Industry Advancement Summit once again delivered an action-packed week for manufacturers, distributors and others in attendance. From the many networking activities to the one-on-one meetings that spanned three days, the summit made for the perfect setting to bring the industry together with the beautiful Arizona landscape as the backdrop.
“We've listened to the feedback of our members over the previous meetings and Phoenix has always been a popular location,” says SHDA Outgoing President Lance Johnsen, CEO, president, Hans Johnsen company. “We want to make sure we go back to very popular locations that are good for the members on the West Coast and the central part of the country.”
What makes the SHDA summit stand out among other industry conferences is its unique structure, which allows for more than 50 possible meetings to be set up over the course of three days. While that may seem like a lot, attendees continually comment on how they appreciate that they can meet with so many partners and customers all in one place, while the 25- to 30-minute meetings provide dedicated time in an intimate setting, as opposed to a bustling trade show floor, for example.
“It's always good to get in front of everybody and see people face to face,” says SHDA Incoming President Charlie Weaver, president, Accredited Lock Supply. “I know I've learned so much over the years becoming friendly with Lance and the other owners in the industry. I'm a little spoiled in New York, as I get to see a lot of these people at least quarterly, but this is the one time of the year I get to see everybody like that in one place, and for others the summit is the one time each year they can see each other.”
He continues, “I look forward to seeing all the other owners, the other participants, more than anything. I think what is different about SHDA is that, even though we compete in the same channel, we all are willing to help each other, answer questions and talk, whether it be about actual hardware or talking possible new business because of a recommendation from another owner I’ve met.”
In addition to the meetings and networking activities, SHDA brought back keynote speaker Steve McClatchy for the much-anticipated Ben Silver seminar, Leading Relationships, where he looked at how attendees can radically increase engagement, reduce turnover, eliminate conflict, and build high performance business relationships. “If you are in business today, you are in the business of relationships,” says McClatchy. “The skills of communicating effectively, working with diverse multi-generational teams, setting clear expectations, giving feedback, navigating differing opinions, resolving conflict, working remotely, and holding others accountable can be the most important skills you will ever develop.”
Association Updates and Direction
At this year’s summit, in addition to Johnsen handing over the reins to Weaver, who will take over as president for the next two years, the following new SHDA Board Members were voted in:
· Charles Weaver, Accredited Lock Supply
· Mark Johnston, IDN Canada
· William Weaver, Accredited Lock Supply
· Michael Pagano, Stone and Berg Co.
· Tim Twinam, Southern Lock
It was also announced that next year’s SHDA Advancement Summit will be held April 27-30, in North Carolina at the Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord Golf Resort and Spa.
When asked about the transition to a new president, Johnsen says the process is a smooth one, noting, “We've all been sitting on the board now for years together and so the board is all in sync really with where we are at with what we're doing as a group and so the transition is very simple and easy. Charlie has a ton of experience working on the board and working with members and is very dedicated with his time.”
Weaver agrees that the transition has been easy. “Past presidents are just as involved, if not more, because of their history and their knowledge on everything,” he explains. “I know our last three presidents sit on every meeting; they're involved, and they are decision makers, so it's a group effort. Nothing is put on one person at all between the board and the committees, and it's a team effort. We kind of all help each other out and make decisions together.”
Johnsen adds, “The board works very well together, and every everyone gets along very well, so we all agree with where we're headed and how the organization is operating, and we all listen to each other. It's a very easy process.”
Weaver points out that it is amazing to see how many members are second or third generation business owners and continue to dedicate their time to make SHDA and the industry better.
“Most of our fathers have been through this process,” he says. “There's no personal agenda. We all do this for the good of our industry and our partners. I don't think anybody really benefits more than someone else individually at SHDA; I think we all give our time, money and effort for the good of the industry, not our companies. It's really for industry to keep it on track and make sure that all our voices are heard. There's power in numbers.”
At this year’s meeting, Johnsen and Weaver announced that the association is financially in great shape with stable and continued strong membership.
“We would like more distributor members and that’s been challenging over the years with a consolidation within the industry, but we are happy with the number of associate members, and we also continue to add new ones,” says Johnsen. “But we are very focused on making sure that we don’t grow to the point where the value's not there anymore.”
Outlook on the Industry
As the industry continues to evolve, both Weaver and Johnsen are excited for the future, as locksmiths continue to adopt new technologies and products.
“I would say over the last 10-12 years our industry has changed tremendously and it's challenging to stay current,” says Weaver, who has a background as a locksmith. “There's really nothing that I can say is done the same now that it was 20 years ago. The industry itself is growing. I've seen it grow here in my territory every year, as I've been here 28 years, and I see every year it grows. The locksmiths have learned, now more than ever, to open their minds a little bit to learning new things, to moving forward a little bit with technology.”
He continues, “Just look at low voltage. You go back 20 years ago, a locksmith wanted nothing to do with low voltage. But they all do low voltage now, so I think the industry has changed. But as an industry I don’t think we’ve done a great job of moving forward, so I think we're going to see a lot more change.”
Weaver is also seeing the locksmithing community partner more with systems integrators, which is helping many locksmiths expand their business and increase the number and types of projects they are getting.
“I think that's the biggest thing — that they've learned to partner instead of maybe not doing something or turning their head and walking away from it,” he says. “They’ve learned to team up with other companies, with integrators, with whatever they need to do to get the job done and keep their customers happy.”
Johnsen agrees that the industry is in “good shape overall,” while astutely pointing out that it is also at a critical time as the older generation of locksmiths retire and sell their businesses and the younger generation continues to find its way. “There's a lot of aging going on in the industry — the changing of generations that's happening more and more right now — and that is something that'll continue to be addressed,” he points out.
Both agree that meeting with other owners at SHDA helps to push the industry forward and transfers some of that knowledge from the older generations to the new.
“We all try to help each other, and you will learn things from other people and that’s the biggest takeaway,” says Weaver. “I've been going to it for 20 years and I can be honest and say I've made so many decisions in my company off recommendations of other business owners, it's unbelievable. So, just having an open mind and listening is the best thing you can do at SHDA I always say, especially if you are new.”
Johnsen agrees, noting that the SHDA summit continues to bring people back each year to solve problems together.
“It's amazing because the summit is something that people still look forward to,” he says. “And it's been going on for more than 50 years, but it still has a freshness to it, and we all look forward to all aspects of it. Seeing everyone again together in the same place, seeing the associate members having the meetings, they are very long days but it’s very rewarding as a whole and we all bring back so much from this event personally and professionally.”
Paul Ragusa | Senior Editor
Paul Ragusa is senior editor for Locksmith Ledger. He has worked as an editor in the security industry for nearly 10 years. He can be reached at [email protected].
