AWMA is the place to come to when convenience distributors need information on legislative and regulatory issues; operations and logistics; management techniques, such as category management; and expanding product categories, like foodservice. AWMA offers various forums that bring together convenience distributors and their trading partners, allowing them to discuss issues of importance.

The American Wholesale Marketers Association represents convenience distributors and their trading partners, offering them benefits they can’t find anywhere else–discounts on products and services, great educational programs and industry-specific publications and research. PLUS AWMA offers about the most reasonable rates of any association around.

AWMA Membership Application (pdf) - Click Here

As a member of the American Wholesale Marketers Association, you get access to great programs, services and benefits that offset your dues investment:

• AWMA also offers the weekly e-mail newsletter AWMA Executive Update, which contains information on the association's benefits, programs and events, as well as legislation that may affect members. This weekly email is sent out to all member company individuals. If your company is a member and you’d like to sign up, please contact AWMA’s Jennifer Moulton at jenniferm@awmanet.org or at 800-482-2962, ext. 640.
• Personnel from member wholesale companies are allowed to sign up for the Tobacco Newsletter weekly e-mails. This Newsletter covers all the various topics in regards to tobacco. If your company is a wholesaler member and you’d like to sign up, please contact AWMA’s Jennifer Moulton at jenniferm@awmanet.org or at 800-482-2962, ext. 640.
• Representation on Capitol Hill. AWMA represents the convenience distribution industry on Capitol Hill. We keep on top of bills being introduced in Congress and track their movement. Through our Political Action Committee (PAC), we raise money for pro-business candidates. In addition, we have a Political Education Fund (PEF), which, unlike the PAC, can accept corporate donations and supports a range of political activities.

• AWMA lobbies for issues that affect convenience distributors, paying particularly close attention to legislation on tobacco, taxes, labor, and other small-business issues. For more information, visit our extensive Government Affairs section which contains a wealth of info on your national, state and local elected officials and allows you to communicate with them directly.
• Reduced fees to attend and exhibit in the AWMA SHOW. This annual event is one-of-a-kind—the ONLY trade show geared to convenience distributors. Exhibitors include purveyors of tobacco products, candy, beverages, snacks, foodservice, health and beauty care items, general merchandise, warehouse equipment, computer systems, and much more. In addition, the AWMA SHOW offers many educational sessions designed specifically for convenience distributors and their trading partners.
• Attendance at AWMA Summit & Business Exchange. Only AWMA members pay half the rate that non-members pay for this action-packed event, which covers the most important issues affecting convenience distributors. Past topics have included regulation of tobacco, Wall Street analysis of the tobacco industry, distributor profitability, new product categories, confectionery sales, and more. Every year, the Summit earns rave reviews from attendees, who say the conference provides them with information that they can’t get anywhere else. The Business Exchange (ABX) portion of the AWMA Summit are one-on-one meetings between AWMA distributor and manufacturer/supplier members.  In two and a half days, up to 30 individual meetings are held – top-to-top meetings that are strategic in nature.  You must be an AWMA member to participate in the ABX meetings.
• Exclusive access to AWMA’s educational programs. AWMA offers several education conferences throughout the year, available FOR MEMBERS ONLY.
• Two Ray Foley memorial scholarships are given out every year to employees of AWMA-member distributor companies, as well as to the sons and daughters of these employees. The scholarships are worth $5,000 apiece.
• An Insurance Program Tailored Specifically for Convenience Distributors. It’s been tough for convenience distributors to find affordable property and liability insurance coverage in recent years. Despite their solid track record, distributors haven’t gotten the sort of rates and coverage they deserve. In an effort to do something about it, we’ve started the AWMA Insurance Program, available in all 50 states through William R. Seide Agency LLC. To obtain more information or a quote, contact William Seide at (800) 621-0052; Fax: (800) 656-0053 or send an e-mail to wseide@wrsagency.com.
• Free or discounted industry-specific reports. Every year, AWMA members get the chance to participate in the HIPA (Hershey Industry Performance Analysis) report, which measures the profitability of convenience distributors. Participants can also see how they stack up against their peers in terms of salary, number of employees by function, number of SKUs and more. Those members that do participate in the HIPA report get a free copy of the report–no one else, except the study participants, has access to HIPA. (AWMA members who want to make sure they get the next HIPA form to fill out should e-mail Meredith Kimbrell at meredithk@awmanet.org.)
• AWMA also conducts research on a variety of other industry topics, and the resulting reports are offered to members either for free or for a discounted price. Past topics have included distributors’ use of technology, SKU and sales analysis, human resources and more. For more information on our research reports, visit the Other Publications link on our site, or e-mail Meredith Kimbrell at meredithk@awmanet.org or call her at 800-482-2962, ext. 648.
• Membership in peer-to-peer groups. These groups, each consisting of non-competing companies, are open only to employees of AWMA-member distributors. AWMA offers to arrange meetings for the peer groups at the AWMA SHOW and the AWMA Summit, and each group chooses the topics it wishes to discuss. Members of the groups often communicate on their own throughout the year and arrange their own meetings. Many members of AWMA’s peer groups say it is one of their most important reasons for belonging to the association. To receive information and an application on AWMA’s peer-to-peer groups, e-mail Meredith Kimbrell at meredithk@awmanet.org or click here to download a PDF (40k) of the peer group application, which includes a list of peer group members.
• Free subscription to Convenience Distribution ™ magazine and other publications. When you become a member of AWMA, you can sign up as many employees as you want to receive Convenience Distribution ™, the only magazine covering the issues of interest to convenience distributors. The December issue of Convenience Distribution ™ includes the annual AWMA membership directory/buying guide — a $300 value! And the weekly e-mail newsletter AWMA Executive Update keeps members informed about important legislation and association activities.
• Participation in Cigarette Tax Bond Program. AWMA’s Cigarette Tax Bond Program allows wholesalers to post bonds to purchase state and local excise tax stamps for cigarettes on credit. Without this credit, distributors would have to pay cash for the tax stamps before receiving payment from customers, presenting serious cash flow problems. Today, the tax bond program provides more than $150 million in bonds to nearly 100 distributors. The program is funded through the generous support of Lorillard Tobacco Co and Liggett Vector Brands. For more information, contact Dennis Loots, Willis of MN, Inc. at 763-302-7203, or dennis.loots@willis.com.
• Purchase mailing labels. Only members are allowed to purchase mailing labels of our membership. For more information, contact Jennifer Moulton at 800-482-2962, ext. 640, or jenniferm@awmanet.org.
• Discounts through National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW).
• Through NAW, AWMA has set up several discounted programs for its members, including the following:
  • NAW Health Insurance Program: The NAW Health Insurance Program offers fully insured and comprehensive group PPO plans that are designed exclusively for NAW direct members, and members of NAW’s member associations — representing thousands of companies nationwide. And, all members, not just distributors, are eligible to participate.
  • Property and Casualty Insurance: We are proud to offer our members quality property & casualty insurance from The Hartford, an A+ rated carrier. Covering our entire industry — One-third of The Hartford's current wholesaler- distributor customers are small businesses and an impressive one-third of premiums come from mid-size firms — a market segment some carriers have abandoned.
  • Hertz: Take advantage of special low negotiated rates, earned Free Rental Days and other premium benefits.
  • Paradigm by Solveras: NAW transaction processing partner Solveras, Inc. has developed Paradigm – Total B2B Payment Management with your business in mind. It’s the first all-in-one invoicing, check imaging, ACH and credit card solution – a paradigm shift in payment and cash management. Web-based, bank neutral with faster funding, easy to use, and delivers savings to your bottom line.
  • GE Capitol Solutions: NAW has joined with GE Capital Solutions, Commercial Distribution Finance (CDF) to create a program that will provide industry members with customized inventory financing solutions. The program is designed to provide distributors and/or manufacturers with increased predictability of cash flow and reduced credit risk while increasing your customer’s availability of funds and reducing their overall inventory costs.
  • Customized Shipping Discounts for AWMA Members!
    • Through a unique partnership, AWMA has made it easy for members to save on all types of shipping services. We’ve teamed up with the leading transportation providers in the industry, including FedEx, YRC, UPS, USF & New Penn. Whether you ship envelopes, packages, or heavy freight, these carriers have a solution.

                  

    • Save up to 29% on select FedEx® shipping services and also take advantage of additional savings on FedEx Freight® and FedEx National LTLSM services.
    • YRC: Save 64% on North American long haul freight over 150 pounds.
    • UPS: Save at least 45% on North American Air Freight and 20% on International Air Freight.
    • USF and New Penn:  Save 64% on regional, next day delivery of LTL freight throughout North America.

To take advantage of your AWMA member benefits, go to http://www.naw.org/busservices/bindex.php.

If you would like to talk to someone in the AWMA offices about membership, please call 800-482-2962 and dial ext. 642 for Bob Pignato or ext 646 for Kimberly Bolin. Or you can e-mail them, respectively, at robertp@awmanet.org or kimberlyb@awmanet.org.

To join AWMA, please print out the PDF form of AWMA’s membership application below. Fax to 703-573-5738 or mail to AWMA, 2750 Prosperity Ave., Ste. 530, Fairfax, VA 22031.

AWMA Membership Application (pdf) - Click Here