Company owners and managers often tell me their people are their most important asset. But when we get into conversations about what type of training they provide employees, their words often sound hollow. Far too few companies send employees to the University of Industrial Distribution, enroll them in educational opportunities provided by distributor associations, encourage them to participate in online training, or even purchase books to help them increase their knowledge about distribution, sales or business in general.

That’s why I get excited when I come across a management team that’s serious about training. One such company is featured in this issue. On page 15 in the printed version of Progressive Distributor, we’re pleased to present the winner of our 8th annual Progressive Distributor Sales Training Excellence Award. (Click here for the online article.) The BC Bearing Group headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, developed the Wendy McDonald School of Industrial Distribution in 2004, named after BC Bearing’s chairman and CEO. The program trains employees of its two divisions, BC Bearing Engineers in Canada, and US Bearings and Drives in the United States. Company president Dermot Strong is an advocate of education. He believes in empowering employees by giving them the knowledge they need to do their jobs more effectively. It’s the only way he can be sure that his employees are the most competent in the industry, as BC Bearing’s value proposition attests. Although it’s difficult to measure how an investment in education can affect a company’s profit and loss statement, he’s confident that money spent on educating employees pays major dividends.

“We’re excited about investing in training for our staff. Putting salespeople in the field and telling them ‘Go sell’ is a terrifying notion. This gives them confidence, techniques, and credibility in front of customers who are expecting our staff to be fully knowledgeable about what it is they do,” Strong says.

Listening to Strong describe his company’s training program, it’s clear that he is passionate about education. The industry could use more executives like him. Strong’s attitude is a refreshing change from distributors who talk a good game, but don’t put their money where their mouth is.

This editorial appeared in the January/February 2007 issue of Progressive Distributor magazine. Copyright 2007.