Leadership and lobbying

When the AHMA was founded in 1901 its primary purpose was “....to further the interests of the manufacturer and promote cordial relations with distributors.” At the beginning of the twentieth century markets for hardware products were mostly local or regional. One hundred years later the market is globalised and the AHMA is charged with conducting one of the world’s most important trade events – International Hardware Week, which is held in conjunction with the National Hardware Show and the Building Products Exposition.
“We have come a long way in 100 years,” says William P. Farrell, President and CEO of the Association since 1980. “If you look back on the history of the AHMA, it’s clear that the Association’s strength mirrors that of the hardware and home improvement industry. The industry and the Association have grown up together.”
As manufacturers became increasingly specialised and competition sprang up all over the country, the need for a trade association became apparent towards the beginning of the twentieth century. While manufacturing industry was getting the economy moving, it was also attracting the attention of the government, which responded to the entrepreneurial developments with regulations. From the very earliest years of its existence the Association has maintained a presence in Washington to help manufacturers combat the limitations imposed on them by the government. And the organisation’s influence has grown with the increase in membership. Where 67 members signed on in 1901, the AHMA numbers nearly 1,100 today. Some are relatively small family-owned operations which have found a niche in the market, others are large, publicly traded concerns operating throughout the world.
William P. Farrell (r.) succeeded in recruiting a top-class guest speaker: former President George Bush.
Through the years the AHMA has worked with distributors and retailers with the aim of increasing sales. This includes the development of initiatives to simplify manufacturing specifications and standardise formats for purchase orders, invoices and suchlike.
However, export markets also get their fair share of attention: for the last 30 years exporting has been an integral part of the business. The AHMA has developed an international marketing programme designed to help member companies grow and explore new markets. The Association organises group stands for U.S. manufacturers in countries such as Germany, France, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, Brazil and the United…