AVDA Elects New Board

AVDA proudly introduces its newly elected chairman and board of directors for 2009-2010. George Henriques of Webster Veterinary Supply will be leading AVDA as Chairman. DETAILS

2010 AVDA Annual Conference Sponsors Search

All Affiliate and Associate member companies are invited to contribute to our upcoming conference which will be held from April 18 – 20, 2010, at The Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, California. The Annual Conference has become a unique industry event where animal health manufacturers and distributors learn together and build and renew relationships. DETAILS

Regulatory Updates and Training

Cegedim Dendrite and BuzzeoPDMA will also host a free live webcast titled: "Regulatory Review of the Issues Impacting the Animal Health Industry" on Tuesday, October 6. DETAILS

Are Your Profits Quietly Being Stolen?

Employee theft has fast become a critical problem, costing companies billions of dollars and forcing many unsuspecting distributors and wholesalers into bankruptcy. To make matters worse, internal theft always escalates in a tough economy. In the last year, white and blue collar crime has spiked to record levels. DETAILS

University of Industrial Distribution Celebrates 17th Anniversary

AVDA is a proud co-sponsor of the University of Industrial Distribution (UID) celebrating 17 honored years of education in the distribution industry. The 2010 course will be held March 7 - 11 at Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana. DETAILS

7th Annual Controlled Substances Conference

Many AVDA members are aware that we have a partnership with Cegedim Dendrite and BuzzeoPDMA, which allows AVDA members access to the State Monitor Service. Cegedim Dendrite and BuzzeoPDMA will host a conference focusing on Controlled Substances November 4 - 6 in Arlington, VA. AVDA members are invited to attend and have been extended a 5% registration discount. DETAILS

AVDA State Monitor Service

In today’s regulatory environment, pharmaceutical, distribution and healthcare companies are faced with constant changes in federal and state legislation and regulations that affect everyday business. Although no common governance exists among the states, the states do maintain similarities in the way they define and regulate key areas of pharmaceutical marketing practices as well as licensing and distribution activities. To better understand the impact of these state-by-state regulations, Cegedim Dendrite’s State Monitor Service offers surveys to assist the industry in monitoring these emerging issues. DETAILS

LEGAL UPDATE

Identity Theft Programs Required by FTC's Red Flags Rule

Federal Trade Commission enforcement of its new “Red Flags Rule” (16 CFR Part 681) is scheduled to go into effect on November 1, 2009. The Red Flags Rule require creditors and financial institutions to conduct a risk assessment to determine if they have “covered accounts,” which include consumer-type accounts or other accounts for which there is a reasonable risk of identity theft. If so, the creditor must develop and implement a written Identify Theft Prevention Program to identify, detect and respond to possible risks of identity theft relevant to them. DETAILS

FINANCIAL NEWS

Misunderstanding the Expense Structure

The sales challenges associated with the recession have caused most firms to take a serious look at their operating expenses. Obviously, most of the effort has focused on cutting expenses. While that is an important task, a more fundamental issue is determining the nature of the firm’s expense structure. That is, deciding whether the organization should build a heavy fixed-expense structure or whether it should rely more on variable expenses. DETAILS

The Siren Song of Inventory Reductions

The downturn in economic activity caught many firms somewhat off guard. As a result of sales challenges, cash sufficiency has become a very serious issue. For the typical AVDA member, cash now represents only 0.7% of total assets. It is a cash position that does not leave a lot of room for error. DETAILS

MEMBER NEWS

Global Animal Health Company Invests in KC Animal Health Corridor

CEVA SANTE ANIMALE, a global leader in the animal health industry, will invest $15 million in the KC Animal Health Corridor with the construction of a new production facility for its U.S. subsidiary, CEVA BIOMUNE. Company executives announced their decision to locate the operation in the Corridor this evening at the fourth annual KC Animal Health Homecoming event. DETAILS 

ANSI Approves HIBCC Standard That Addresses RFID/Medical Device Safety Concerns

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) HIBC for Product Identification has been given final approval by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Also known as ANSI/HIBC 4.0, the new standard was developed by the Health Industry Business Communications Council (HIBCC), an accredited global standards development organization that was founded in 1983 to promote patient safety by creating industry-supported non-proprietary standards for healthcare product identification. DETAILS 

Vet Advantage Adds Weekly News

Vet Advantage added The Advantage Weekly News, to its mix of products. Its goal is to keep distributor sales reps up-to-date and educated on the animal health industry so they can better serve their customers. Adding a weekly news product to the mix will help further that cause.  DETAILS 

Report scrutinizes FDA’s Work in 2007 Pet Food Recall

More than two years after the largest pet-food recall in history, federal investigators maintain that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not do its job properly. What’s more, FDA lacks the statutory authority to impose recalls and penalize companies for recall violations — a lack of power that worked against the agency in 2007, as officials attempted to crack down on melamine-laced pet food products now linked to the deaths and illnesses of thousands of dogs and cats. DETAILS 

NAW NEWS

New from NAW: The Best Distribution Sales Book Ever!

The Best Distribution Sales Book Ever! covers the distributor sales job from soup to nuts—from prospecting to closing—and every step in between. Your most important job as a distributor salesperson is to find new opportunities and then drive them to either a sale or a “no.” Huge amounts of distributor sales are lost simply because the momentum peters out. We allow this to happen when we’re not clear about what is supposed to occur next and when we don’t put ourselves in position to move the opportunity forward. You are most valuable to your customers when you’re the catalyst for making things happen in the sales process. Don’t ever forget this value. DETAILS

Build, Fix, or Terminate: The Distributor’s Guide to More Profitable Supplier Relations

This book is about wholesaler-distributor and manufacturer working relationships and how, if properly managed, they can lead to profit and business success across the supply chain. It draws on new and unprecedented research to profile the thorniest problems and opportunities often faced by wholesale distribution firms in their dealings with their suppliers. Then it recommends how to build and sustain successes; fix emerging conflicts; and, if necessary, terminate unfortunate working relationships that just won’t function in the future—if they ever worked properly in the past. DETAILS