PPB June 2020

unintended consequences of the pandemic, for example, a business trip to shake hands and break bread, might become a fond memory. Even if trade shows return, there will be a paucity of attendance as many travelers will be fearful. I would guesstimate we are in a two-to- three-year sales funk. What shape of recovery do you think this will be—U, V, W, some combination or other— and why? I think the recovery will be slow and painful. I think those who can communicate well, develop good marketing campaigns and who are diligent enough to carefully vet suppliers, will be able to recover more quickly. What actions are you taking now to restart your business? Fortunately, we have an amazing team at Barker Specialty Company, all working together to keep our business moving along. We are able to share ideas and provide solutions for the many problems faced by our clients. We certainly are increasing our marketing efforts. In general terms, what are your revenue expectations for year-end? While I always try to be positive, the only positive spin I can put on this crisis is that it has showed us how many among us are compassionate and caring individuals, and I love seeing the recognition given to so many of the service workers in our country. However, for revenue expectations, I see the industry down 12 to 15 percent—a brutal and steep decline. Suzette Albrecht President Proforma Albrecht & Company Milford, Ohio How have your sales and business been affected by the pandemic? Like most companies, our traditional business was negativity impacted. Prior to the national mandatory closures of businesses, we were headed for another record year up over 18 percent. Fortunately, our sales team responded with the help of our marketing team by working harder to open new clients. We have also worked with our supplier partners to open up new product categories. When do you foresee your sales returning to pre-lockdown levels? We feel we are in a great position to rebound quickly now that the states are loosening the shutdown. We’ve already seen a very positive uptick in both sales and activities that lead to sales. We think the economy will pick back up by the fourth quarter of this year. What shape of recovery do you think this will be—U, V, W, some combination or other—and why? We believe the recovery will be steady over time as more and more states loosen the restrictions, allow companies to reopen and get everyone back to work. What actions are you taking now to restart your business? We were very fortunate that we never had to shut down our business thanks in a large part to Proforma, which helped us educate and motivate our sales team to remain relevant during this pandemic. We were able to move our core team members to work remotely from home. We invested in our employees making sure their families had full income and benefits. Our people are more motivated now than ever to help our sales team succeed. In general terms, what are your revenue expectations for year-end? We are working hard and getting creative to maintain our sales and we are looking forward to a strong fourth quarter. MID-SIZED DISTRIBUTORS Chris Huebner President Mac Mannes Co. Bethesda, Maryland How have your sales and business been affected by the pandemic? Sales have been off since COVID-19 began in mid-March. We’ve done some PPE, but not enough to make up the difference. The entire Mac Mannes FEATURE | A Snapshot Of Distributor Activity 54 | JUNE 2020 |