Chairman's Message
By: Jerry Abraham

Pick your poison!  SCHIP, stimulus package, recession, layoffs, massive unemployment, foreclosures, whatever other issue is on the front page today.  All of these and more will ultimately affect our lives and our businesses.  Whether we distribute convenience products to retailers, vended products to company shops or the many other varieties of entities we do business with, we are in for the ride of our lives over the next many months and maybe even years.

The Michigan Distributors and Vendors Association (MDVA) has been a source of stability for challenging these types of issues over the past 40 plus years in Michigan.  The members of the MDVA have dedicated an abundance of time, energy, resources, and finances over these many years to combat the onslaught of our industries.  And now is the time to STEP UP even more. 

While the MDVA is a relatively small association, we are recognized as one of the most successful lobbying organization at the Capitol.  Our summer convention is one of our strongest avenues of building relations with our legislators.  Our Annual Day at the Capitol is renowned and anticipated across all the offices of our administration.

While we have been successful in the past, this year will be the most challenging we have seen in many, if ever.  Now is not the time to sit back and watch your future disappear.  Please join us in fighting the good fight and making our voices heard.  If you are a member of MDVA, participate more, get involved in every event and activity.  If you are not a member of MDVA, join now.  Help us make our voice heard and get our message across.  Don’t look back and say to yourself, “if only I had gotten involved.”  Do it now!