ANIMAL HEALTH DISTRIBUTOR ONLINE
February 2003

WELCOME, to the second edition of Animal Health Distributor Online, AVDA's new electronic newsletter. E-mailed to members quarterly, the Animal Health Distributor Online contains the latest news on industry and association activities, articles of interest to veterinary distributors and manufacturers, and links to other sources of news and information.

The Animal Health Distributor Online replaces the quarterly, printed AVDA newsletter. By moving to an electronic format, we will be able to bring you news that is more current, and you will have the option of accessing only those articles that are of particular interest to you. All articles will be archived and can be read at anytime.

Let us know what you think of The Animal Health Distributor Online. Send your comments or article ideas to Fred Stringfellow, Executive Director, at fred@ksgroup.org.

Table of Contents

Feature Articles

Distributor Industry Outlook Survey Year-End Results — Distributors Find Sales and Profits up for 2002
AVDA's Distributor Members were recently surveyed for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2002 on their outlook for the veterinary distribution industry. Twenty-nine percent of our distributor members responded to the survey. When asked by what percentage sales and profits were up or down for their company for 2002 versus 2001, all of the respondents said that sales were up by 12%. Fifty-seven percent said profits were up an average of 36%. To read the rest of the survey results, click here.

Profit Improvement Report — Are You Leaving $1,950,000 On the Table? - AVDA members face an on-going challenge in trying to get everybody in the firm involved in improving profitability. Simply put, neither specific goals nor the means to achieve those goals is clearly understood. This article will address those challenges by looking at two issues. Click here for the report.

Profit Survey Deadline is Fast Approaching — Remember to complete your profit survey questionnaire and return it to Profit Planning Group by March 31, 2003. For more details, click here.
To download the survey, click here.

AVDA Association News

AVDA 2003 Annual Conference in San Antonio Promotes the Value of Distribution
Don't forget to register for the 2003 Annual Conference being held in San Antonio, Texas from April 27-30. This year's meeting promises to be one of the most successful ever, with a variety of speakers, discussing issues of value to animal health distributors and manufacturers. Early Bird Conference and Hotel Reservation Deadline is March 26. For details, click here.

AVDA 2003 Annual Conference Schedule of Events - click here
AVDA 2003 Annual Conference Promotional Piece - click here
AVDA 2003 Annual Conference Registration Form - click here

AVDA Experiences Surge in Membership — Welcomes Four New Members
For the rest of the story, click here.

AVDA Contact Database Update — Please remember to update your CFO and IS/IT contacts with AVDA headquarters. Fax the attached form back to AVDA Headquarters at 443-640-1031. To view the form, click here.

NAW News

Tax Advisory — New Health Plan Option to Control Costs – Favorable IRS Guidance on the Health Reimbursement Arrangement – click here for article.

AVDA Board Meets at NAW Meeting — The AVDA Board met on January 27, in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the Executive Summit of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW). Dr. Stephen Sundlof, Director of Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration, presented to AVDA's Board of Directors on a variety of issues. Following the board meeting, several members of the board were able to meet with President Bush at the White House as a part of the Executive Summit. For more details, click here.