SEPTEMBER 2019
CEO’s Message to BLUE HAWK Stakeholders
Lance Rantala
As we approach the end of another decade (2010 – 2019), it reminds us how quickly time passes and the need to make the most of every moment. We can no longer stand idly by and wait for opportunities to present themselves. If BLUE HAWK and its Member-Owners want to be relevant in today’s world, we have to be proactive and work together to create new opportunities. This is why BLUE HAWK has invested so much time, energy, and money into various strategic initiatives, such as but not limited to the following Alliance Partner Programs:
BLUE HAWK Retirement: BLUE HAWK Retirement is a Multiple Employer Plan, or MEP, is a retirement plan for businesses that have a common interest but are not commonly owned or affiliated. Businesses that adopt the plan, called Adopting Employers, pool retirement assets together as one plan and realize substantial benefits when compared to operating individual plans.
Benchmark BLUE: Benchmark BLUE helps Members harness the power of data to improve efficiencies and ensure the success of their business. Benchmarking metrics help independent businesses set goals grounded in the performance by comparing to top performing peers.
BLUE data + BLUeCommerce: BLUE data leverages the buying power of the cooperative to provide eCommerce storefront data at a fraction of the cost of purchasing it individually. BLUeCommerce is your source for a complete and turnkey webstore solution. Together they are a winning combination.
BLUE HAWK University: BLUE HAWK University provides online training for our Members’ employees. It’s accessible 24/7, to more than 6,700+ sales staff at 1,450+ locations. BHU has more than 120,000+ training hours logged.
Additionally, in the spring, BLUE HAWK became a member-owner of a Federated Cooperative called IMARK Group in a similar way that BLUE HAWK Members are member-owners of BLUE HAWK. BLUE HAWK was not acquired by IMARK Group. BLUE HAWK is an equal owner of IMARK Group, a cooperative of cooperatives, along with two other co-ops: IMARK Electrical and IMARK Plumbing. Each co-op has equal voting rights and retains its autonomy with regards to membership and supplier engagements. In this way, each co-op can best serve the needs of their respective Members and Vendor Partners. You can read more about this in the IMARK Group Update in this newsletter.
To sum it up, IMARK Group has become the largest member-owned and member-controlled global distribution network in support of the HVACR, plumbing and electrical trades with cumulative revenues exceeding $28 billion.
As we close out 2019 and prepare for the 2020s, we are positively optimistic about the future of BLUE HAWK, IMARK Group and its collective stakeholders. Together, let’s make the ‘20s roaring, again.
GO WITH BLUE!
