Mark Your Calendar’s for
The EMDA Spring Management Workshop is an opportunity for business leaders to step out of their day-to-day responsibilities to devote time to learning and connecting.
“The EMDA Spring Workshop should be a “can’t miss” event for every distributor or rep in the organization. While the Fall Meeting is great to network and meet with manufacturers, the Spring Workshop allows distributors and reps to meet in a smaller, more relaxed setting to share ideas and tricks of the trade. I know we are all busy and it’s tough to get away, but there is so much we can all gain by getting together for this quick two-day meeting to learn from each other and share solutions we’ve found to headwinds our industry is facing. We take home more valuable information for our business from this workshop than any other event or show we attend.” — Josh, Ben & Gail Overholser, SISCO
Get educated, get inspired, get actionable ideas, and build relationships with industry peers. If you invest your time in this workshop, you can expect to REFRESH your perspective, RENEW your commitment, and REFOCUS your teams.
The Destination: Situated just off the coast of Georgia on a beautiful barrier island, the Victorian Jekyll Island Club is nestled among live oak trees festooned with Spanish moss and the new oceanfront boutique Jekyll Ocean Club offers guests best of both worlds. The island, protected from extensive development by the state of Georgia, has miles of beaches and maritime forests waiting to be explored. Visitors often see wild deer, a variety of water fowl, alligators, and a variety of small game on this treasure of an island. Check out all the amazing things to do!
EMDA 2021 Spring Registration Form
Schedule of Events
Thursday, April 8, 2021
EMDA Board Meeting – The EMDA Board generally meets in-person twice a year to review progress and make strategic decisions.
Welcome Reception – After more than one year, it’s time to get together in Jekyll Island.
Friday, April 9, 2021
Members will gather for breakfast before these three sessions:
Where is my Container? – Greg Van Brunt of the Georgia Ports Authority will discuss the “life” of the container ship in/out of port, what lead to container traffic stress and how this impacts the flow of the overall supply chain. We’re all seeing container shortage/ship space shortage/port space availability issues going on today – is this a COVID thing or a larger issue? Will this ever return to “normal”? Have you seen the videos of an auto carrier ship in the Brunswick channel and how they are cutting it up . . . what a challenge! Hear a bit about why it happened and how long this process is going to take to resolve.
What is FLETC? – The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, through strategic partnerships, prepares the federal law enforcement community to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. Who is FLETC? How has this training changed over the last 20+ years? How does this affect national/homeland security? Paul Sullivan of the FLETC will explain it all.
Service Supplier Spotlight: Worldwide Express – Our mission has always been to provide small to midsize companies with the scale and savings afforded to larger enterprise businesses. And for three decades, we’ve delivered. Learn how we provide EMDA members with more advantages and build lasting relationships in the process. Join Berkleigh Wright and Mike Pahura to learn about EMDA’s new Third Party Logistics program.
In addition to our alliance with UPS, the WWEX network of carrier partners includes 65+ leading regional and national LTL carriers and more than 40,000 truckload carriers. Selected for their commitment to on-time reliability, low claims, competitive rates and technological capabilities, these top-tier carriers move more than 25,000,000 combined shipments (small package, LTL and truckload) for Worldwide Express customers annually.
The Afternoon is free to enjoy the Jekyll Island area before coming back together for Reception and Dinner.
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Members gather for breakfast before this second morning of session:
Member on Display: Teagle Machinery – EMDA Board member, Andy Robson, talks about Teagle Machinery – manufacturers of agricultural machinery including bale processing and feeding equipment, manure spreaders, swath conditioners, and concrete mixers. Teagle Machinery was established in 1943 by William Thomas (Tom) Teagle on the family farm close to Truro in Cornwall. Some years earlier, with creative flair and a passion for engineering, Tom began manufacturing horse drawn tip carts for local farmers. As Teagle celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2018 Tom would have been proud of a reputation that has been fostered by the company over many years for producing no-nonsense equipment with outstanding service backup.
Roundtable Discussion – Help the Board explore services like reinstating the Operating Ratios Program and creating a Market Intelligence program.
Service Supplier Spotlight: LIG Association Health Plans – Tim McNichols introduces LIG Solutions, part of the Lighthouse Insurance Group, LLC. Founded in 2009, their mission is to provide a true solution for Individuals/Families, Small Groups, and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) programs to navigate today’s complex health insurance market. They act as “Trusted Partner” to help EMDA members find health insurance coverage that best serves your individual needs and is the most cost-effective coverage available with their exclusive programs.
Roundtable Discussion – What issues do you face today? Let’s figure out how to tackle them. Share your perspective about what is challenging and changing for your company and the industry. What things have you tried to address the issues and what were the results? Take this opportunity to engage with your fellow members and help solve the challenges the industry faces.