The United Producers, Formulators and Distributors Association’s (UPFDA’s) spring conference took place at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., April 23-24, 2024.
Check out some highlights from the event below, and look for complete coverage in Pest Management Professional‘s (PMP’s) June issue:
The event kicked off with a keynote from Dan Lier. After winning two consecutive college basketball championships playing for the Trinity Tigers (Division III, San Antonio, Texas), the 6’8″ Lier worked for the Tony Robbins organization as a sales manager, before launching his keynote speaker business 25 years ago.
“I became fascinated with finding out what separates champions from others,” Lier said. “I discovered ‘Mindset Matters.’ Act as if you are the leader you ought to be, and eventually you will become just that.”
Next, a trio of experts discussed the concept of barrier packaging, which in basic terms is a broad category of plastic materials that protects products by limiting exposure to moisture, oxygen and light. Rob Jennings, vice president of sales and marketing for Container Manufacturing, reviewed how barrier containers affect the pest control industry, especially how they could impact sustainable packaging solutions. Prakash Iyer, Inhance Technologies’ chief technology officer, and Jad Darsey, the company’s barrier and surfaces business lead, then discussed fluorination and its effect on barrier packaging, particularly from a regulatory point of view.
Megan Moloney, director of meetings and exhibits for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), presented an association update during the UPFDA meeting.
Andrej Branc, Americas business manager for PelGar USA, presented a rodenticides update. He outlined the risk mitigation measures the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing, some of the key drivers, and how the regulatory changes could impact pest management professionals (PMPs).
Marty Whitford, PMP publisher and vice president of content for its parent company, North Coast Media, moderated the manufacturers panel focused on “Turning Obstacles into Opportunities.” Pictured from left are Whitford; James Osuch, vice president of sales for Rockwell Labs; Ryan Klein, vice president of sales for AMGUARD; and Joe Grippi, key account manager for UPL NA Environmental Solutions. Among the topics covered were navigating and seizing growth in pest management; protecting business amid the current consolidation boom; offsetting inflation through price hikes and tighter cost controls; and competing with lowballers in the market.
Michael Kelly, PCT’s national sales manager, far left, moderated a distributors panel comprised of Tom Forshaw IV, center, president of Forshaw Inc., and Tom Algeo, director of sales for Target Specialty Products. The distributors discussed trends and growth obstacles and opportunities.
The topic for David Crow, president of D.C. Legislative and Regulatory Services and author of The Pale-Faced Lie, was “Election 2024: The Craziest One in our Lifetimes.”
“Not since the Civil War have we as a nation been this divided,” Crow told attendees. “The election outcome will be determined by fewer than 200,000 votes in four to five states. I will not venture a guess on the winner but will say that we likely will remain divided, either way, after the presidential election.”
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