BSA Winter Meeting Program on BSA Education Opportunities

Glen Ellyn, IL--When the Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) hosts its 2007 Winter Meeting January 21-23 at the JW Marriott Houston, in Houston, Texas, its education programs, including the Certified Bearing Specialist (CBS) program, will take center stage. A special luncheon presentation planned for January 22nd will feature a presentation from a trio of BSA members with considerable experience in developing and implementing BSA industry-specific training programs. They include Peter Fitzpatrick, Bearings Specialty Company; Mark Stoneburner, Applied Industrial Technologies; and Howard Gainey, Bearings & Drives, Inc. BSA has extended a special invitation to the education and training contacts at all of its authorized distributor member and participating manufacturer companies to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the association¡¯s various industry-specific educational options. Earlier this year the association launched its new BSA education brand, designed to tie together the many educational materials developed by BSA and used throughout the bearing industry. In addition to CBS, these educational materials include the In-House Training Guide, another well-established tool for individual or small group guided study on bearing basics, the newly updated Lubrication Guide, and the growing list of Bearing Briefs, 18 single-topic examinations of specific issues in bearing selection, installation and maintenance. Bearing Briefs are available for free download from the BSA website, www.bsahome.org. Additional information about the CBS program, In-House Training Guide, and Lubrication Guide is also available at www.bsahome.org. In addition to these bearing-specific training materials, BSA also launched an industry-specific online Counter/Inside Sales Training Program. Developed in consultation with sales expert Joe Ellers, the program was piloted late in the summer and released to BSA distributor members and participating manufacturers in early fall. In just two months, participation has already exceeded 12-month expectations. The Winter Meeting also includes a complete schedule of BSA Committee Meetings. BSA Winter and Fall Meetings offer a compact schedule in a smaller, more intimate format than the association¡¯s Annual Convention. The bottom line for many attendees is richer networking and greater opportunity to help shape the direction of the association and the industry in the coming years. As a bonus, attendees spend less time away from business when they attend these meetings.