December 2004      AVDA Programs l Financial Advisory

                          AVDA News l NAW News l AVDA Member News

AVDA Annual Conference Promotes Success Through Distribution

AVDA’s 2005 Annual Conference will be focused on building a successful relationship between animal health distributors and manufacturers. Some feel that consolidation at the distributor level has diminished the relationship and the power of distribution in the supply channel. Don’t be fooled. Though distributors are fewer in number than in years past, the volume of products and dollars flowing through the supply channel is greater than ever. DETAILS

The Value of a Good Working Relationship

Today’s business environment is more complex than ever before. Manufacturers and the distributors who represent them in the marketplace are being challenged by the globalization of markets, the emergence of new technologies, and competition from new and unexpected sources. Despite this increasing complexity, the basic issues remain the same: how to increase sales performance without sacrificing profitability. DETAILS

FINANCIAL ADVISORY

Reversal of Fortune: Learning to Love Price Increases

Most AVDA members have acclimated themselves to a price-sensitive world. The thought of raising prices has become almost foreign. However, for a variety of reasons, the economy is moving back into an era of price increases.  DETAILS

Closing the Profit Gap

One of the key characteristics of the top profit producers is that they have a plan on where they want to go.  That plan is based upon specific profitability benchmarks. AVDA can help supply you with the benchmarks needed to be a top profit producer through the 2005 PROFIT Report. DETAILS

AVDA NEWS

AVDA Adopts Strategic Plan

The AVDA board met for a strategic planning session in Columbus, Ohio in November at The Blackwell Hotel at The Ohio State University. The session was facilitated by Dr. H. Lee “Buck” Mathews, Professor of Marketing and Logistics at OSU. Matthews was the originator of the AVDA Par Study. He is also the academic director of the National Association of Wholesale Distributor’s (NAW) executive training program, which runs each summer at OSU. DETAILS

Jackie King Named AVDA Executive Director

The AVDA board recently named Jackie King as the group's new Executive Director. Jackie has worked with AVDA since April 2002 as the Director of Meetings and Member Services. She has been involved with all aspects of meeting planning and member services for the association, including the Strategic Planning session with the AVDA board in November. DETAILS

AVDA Distributors Outlook Survey Upbeat for Third Quarter of 2004

AVDA’s Distributor Members were recently surveyed for the third quarter ending September 30, 2004 on their outlook for the veterinary distribution industry. DETAILS

Drug Compounding Brochure Available

Representatives from the Animal Health Institute (AHI), American Veterinary Distributors Association (AVDA), and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have been working closely over the past year to develop an informational brochure on veterinary compounding.

The purpose of the brochure is to better familiarize veterinarians and others in the veterinary supply channel (distributors, sales representatives, etc.) with regulations that apply to compounding. The brochure also differentiates between FDA approved drugs and compounded drugs; explains the specific circumstances under which veterinarians are legally permitted to utilize compounded drug products; and explains what practices are not permitted according to federal guidelines. Manufacturer and distributor sales representatives will be able to use this brochure as a detail piece for veterinarians.

An order form for complimentary copies will be sent out with a copy of the brochure to each AVDA member in January. If you would like to request copies in advance, please contact Jackie King at jackie@ksgroup.org.

It's Not too Late to Sign Up for the University of Industrial Distribution

AVDA is in the second year of co-sponsorship of the University of Industrial Distribution (UID). UID 2005 is a concentrated educational program focused on the unique needs of wholesale distributors. The next program is set for March 13-16, 2005. DETAILS

Compendium of Veterinary Products is the Top Drug Reference in the Animal Health Industry

Effective January 2005, an annual subscription to the Compendium of Veterinary Products (CVP) includes a printed copy of the Compendium of Veterinary Products (CVP 8^th Edition), a CD ROM and access to the CVP website – cost $95 plus $8.50 shipping and handling.  The CVP is published by North American Compendiums (NAC).

Published annually, the CVP 8^th Edition has been reduced in size by eliminating duplicate label text. The result is a more concise reference that is much easier and more practical to handle, yet still features over 5,000 product listings. The complete individual product monographs can be printed using the CD-ROM or web subscription. Also included are biological charts, anthelmintic charts, withdrawal time charts, therapeutic indexes and other reference tables for distributors and manufacturers.

The CVP CD-ROM and web subscription (updated monthly) also allows NAC to add additional species specific indexes such as Product Use and Product Category. These drill-down indexes allow subscribers to easily compare and choose the most appropriate product. 

Members of AVDA are invited to buy at special bulk prices. Order online at www.naccvp.com

AVDA MEMBER NEWS

Vet Helped Many from Behind Scenes

Dr. Lawrence Edwin Schmidt was the kind of man who liked to help, but insisted on being in the background.  Schmidt, 84, a Holland, Michigan resident who founded Schmidt Veterinary Clinic, Vetpo Distributors and VED Co., died recently. DETAILS

Red-X to Launch DataDot Pilot Program as Cutting Edge Weapon to Improve Supply Chain Security

Red-X Medical, a distributor of pharmaceuticals for the veterinary and medical markets, has become the first pharmaceutical-related company to use the world’s leading state of the art identification system—DataDots—to help improve supply chain security in the United States. DETAILS

NAW NEWS

NAW Executive Summit Set for January

NAW's 2005 Executive Summit, January 24-26, 2005, Washington, D.C., is all about exploring, creating, and increasing value. The program features a growing roster of experts from the wholesale distribution industry, the public policy sector, and the media. All are dedicated to showing you the way to increased value for your suppliers, your customers, and your industry . . . and how your company can benefit big time. DETAILS

New NAW Books Provide Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors

A new book on pricing and margin management for wholesaler-distributors has been released by the Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF) of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW). “Price for Success: A Practical Guide for Improving Margins in Wholesale Distribution” is a resource guide on pricing for distributors interested in driving higher margins.

Facing the Forces of Change: The Road to Opportunity provides strategic insights into key issues impacting the wholesale distribution supply chain through 2008. It covers key industry demographics, four major trends impacting wholesaler-distributors, competitive threats to distributors, the latest developments in supply chain technology, conflicting salesforce concepts, evolving manufacturer relations and much more. DETAILS