S.P. Richards' Advantage Business Conference

Record attendance and expositional growing made ABC 2005 a present to view to remember

The S.P. Richards' Advantage Business talk (ABC) held July 20-24 in Orlando drew record attendance for the seventh consecutive year. above 3,300 total conference attendees, of which above 2,200 were dealers, flooded the streets-at least during the City Walk party-and participated in what SP described as an extremely prosperous conference.

"ABC 2005 was outstanding," said Jim O'Brien, senior vice president of Marketing for SP Richards and NOPA board member. "It was well-received through our dealers and we are extremely pleased with the result People are expressing a genuine 'thanks' for making the commitment that we do to the independent dealers."

The conversation featured 56 dealer educational seminars, forums and roundtables upon topics shaping and defining today's business market. And for vendors, the exhibit hall proffered a great ROI with advantageous traffic and a well-organized floor plan.

The big novels of the conference, however, was set in the "back-room" conversations that took place. The make a humming sound among dealers and vendors alike was increasing sales and an energized customer base that is looking at 2006 with optimism. The turn toward "better times" is best illustrated by means of looking at the year-to-date financial numbers of SP Richards' various divisions. Nearly each division experienced growth in the first half of 2005 with extraordinary growing in certain areas.

"We perceive good about a number of our crops categories, but for the fourth straight year we have seen phenomenal growing on the furniture side of the business," continued O'Brien. "With an alliance with 20-20 Technologies announced earlier this year and an increased focus upon the category, the furniture division is poised to continue growing for the foreseeable future"

The other tremendous expansion area for the company has been its Cleaning & Breakroom Division, which witnessed 29 percent extension so far this year (see related story, p 26) All the indicators are pointing to continued development in this category, according to Chris Whiting, director of the Cleaning & Breakroom Division. The ABC marked the introduction of SP Richards' of recent origin breakroom product brand, Genuine Joe

Both the Furniture and the Cleaning & Breakroom divisions have dedicated space in the not long ago launched SPR University, an online training platform available for Advantage Dealers. The website, which overlays a range of subject matter, proffers dealers a low-cost, highly-effective tool to help train employee upon such growth categories. SPR University was also launched at ABC 2005

"We have any number of reasons to continue being somewhat bullish and we have feeling good about many areas of our business," said O'Brien.

The focus now turn rounds to preparing for ABC 2006 which will be held July 16-20 2006 at the MCM Grand in Las Vegas, NV

"We couldn't have feeling better about the number of dealers that attended ABC this year and the ever-increasing support of our vendors," conclud O'Brien. "We ne to continue making our exhibit a win-win for everyone. I know the vendors perceive that way, the customers have feeling that way, and S.P Richards certainly does."

Copyright Imaging Network Co Sep/Oct 2005

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