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At Solid Surface 2003 Brad Reamer of Wilcor Solid Surface, Inc. was named president of ISSFA. We recently talked with Reamer about his vision and goals for the six-year-old fabricator association.

SSM: You are the fourth president of ISSFA. What will be the differences and similarities between your administration and those which have gone before?

Reamer: I am following three exceptional leaders in Jon Lancto, John Forst, and Michael Wilson-South. ISSFA is a vibrant association due, in large part, to their efforts. During my tenure I would like to make a concerted effort to truly empower the fabricator member. ISSFA can be the lever by which the fabricator moves the industry in the direction toward maximum profitable opportunities. By offering educational tools that allow the fabricator to better understand his business and how global forces may affect him, he becomes empowered to make correct decisions in his relationships with vendors, employees, and customers.

I would like to see a required training program for our members that can be marketed to the public as a way to prove that the ISSFA fabricator is the better choice. The only way to truly differentiate the ISSFA fabricator is to have an express means of measurement by which the marketplace can assign value.

The next step is a concerted branding campaign with the goal of making the ISSFA logo a brand that is desired for it's quality and character. It is no small plan, and not one that I expect to completely achieve in my short tenure. My goal is to set the path deeply in our vision and create vested interest in our membership.

SSM: What is the immediate impact of selling the trade show to Cygnus?

Reamer: There are so many benefits to this arrangement it is difficult to say what will be most immediate. Cygnus has much greater resources than ISSFA, and therefore has the ability to produce a larger and more far reaching show. They will be able to interest not only the fabricator and associate member, but because of their broad publication base, also bring in those that specify and ultimately purchase our products.

From an internal perspective, our staff now has the time and energy to focus on more of a ground level effort. They will have the time to produce quality regional meetings around the United States, create an even better ISSFA Update publication and web site, and be more available for the everyday needs of our membership. Bottom line, this sale makes a better ISSFA.

SSM: What will be different about next year's show, both in terms of the trade show itself, and other traditional events, such as conferences, special seminars and social activities?

Reamer: I expect the trade show to improve on many levels just as it has every year. For 2004, there will be a larger venue with more participants than ever before. The conferences will be strong as ever, bringing in new ideas and the classic offerings. There will still be that familiar feeling of camaraderie the show is famous for. Most importantly, it will be an ISSFA event. Even though we have sold the ownership, the soul still belongs to the ISSFA member. That will not change.