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Sharpen Your Edge!

It is my honor to serve as 2006 MHEDA President. The great efforts made by MHEDA's previous leadership have laid the groundwork for our goals in 2006. Programs like MHEDA-NET and MHEDA U are the current cornerstones of the industry-leading training, education and networking functions that have been MHEDA's hallmark for over 50 years.

We cannot be content to rest on our laurels and rely on what already is in place. I am committed to engaging a greater number of material handling professionals, both through growth in new members and by digging deeper into current member companies. Our association is not getting any younger. We must engage a new crowd—the next generation of industry leaders. There has been an infusion of young talent into our industry and association, and we must involve these employees in order to enjoy continued excellence.

MHEDA's theme for 2006 is Sharpen Your Edge. As such, we will be using the term “Edgers” to describe those individuals who are going to be our companies' next group of leaders. An “Edger” is someone under the age of 40 who is passionate about contributing to the success of the organization. Whether that person is in a management role or is simply eager to establish a presence in the industry, Edgers are crucial to the future success of our businesses and the association.

My goal as 2006 MHEDA President is to effectively approach and engage our Edgers. To do this, we must leverage the technology available to us. We must learn the traits of these individuals and be willing to address the different expectations inherent in the younger generation. It is up to you, the MHEDA membership, to ensure the success of this initiative. The importance of the Edgers' role in continuing value creation at our companies and in our association cannot be understated. It will take a cooperative effort. As the gatekeeper of your organization, you must open the gate to allow us to reach this new group of material handling professionals. It is our responsibility to encourage Edger involvement. By ensuring their success, we will, in turn, strengthen our own businesses.

It is my goal to continue to provide value to the association, to the businesses that make up the association, and to the individuals comprising the member companies. Only when we succeed in satisfying this triumvirate will our association initiatives be a success. One of the primary vehicles through which we want to engage the young Edgers is MHEDA Edge, the association's new online magazine. This publication is aimed at the Edger demographic with articles helping them learn the industry and establish a career track. This new e-zine features great opportunity for networking through www.mhedaedge.org, where people can contribute to discussion forums and blogs. Make sure your young employees are on the mailing list by adding them to the “Subscriptions” page at www.mheda edge.org/subscriptions.php. We will have an Edger track at Convention to further educate our Edgers. As the year progresses, we will continue to develop new programs to address the needs of this important segment of our membership.

I look forward to serving as your 52nd MHEDA President and I welcome your feedback. Please contact me at jmaybury@maybury.com.