Saturday afternoon, Shannon and I went to Knoxville for the annual Water Professionals Conference (WPC) 2016. This was hosted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA)- KY/TN Section (this is the group for water) and the TN/KY Water Environment Association (WEA) a division of the Water Environment Federation (WEF, which is the group for wastewater). Saturday night, we dined with a friend of Shannon’s and then all walked around the city together. There were lots of people out enjoying the Knoxville scene – but the number one activity was Pokemon. Shannon and I both got into the craze and learned quite a bit about the city and its landmarks (pokestops).
Shannon’s meeting on Sunday was a success. She was elected to be Co-Chair of Laboratory Procedures for TN/KY – the two states we most fully serve. I’m sure she will have more to say, but I believe one of their goals is to better unify the interpretation of federal regulations, training, and best practices in the lab. Shannon’s election by this large group of professionals shows the caliber of employee she is, and I am very proud of her. She also got to make a fashion statement by attaching a colorful ribbon to her name badge… we were all jealous.
We set up our booth for Sunday afternoon. Traffic was light, but there was also a social in the exhibit hall with appetizers and drinks. Shannon was kind enough to give me her drink tokens. We talked to Murfreesboro and Smyrna operators about what’s happening with them, and we told them what’s going on at LabtronX. It was refreshing to meet so many passionate people in the industry. They are innovators and problem solvers, and they truly want to make a difference in the industry. That’s being engaged!
Over the next two days, we had a lot of conversations. We signed up at least 25 people to our newsletter. We informed people of services they were not aware LabtronX offered, like flowmeter and BFPTK calibrations. We actually had at least two people wanting to use LabtronX for the first time – surprising, considering our market saturation in this area. Shannon was able to introduce me to many people, all of whom proceeded to tell me “I had a good one” (pointing to Shannon).
One of the most significant conversations I had was when I walked by the Hach booth. Avi, our Hach rep, was not around, and I introduced myself to two others. The sales rep for western KY was new to Hach and didn’t know me or our company. The other guy said, “LabtronX… yeah I know you. You’re our biggest competition.” He turned to the first rep and said, “This is Avi’s biggest account. When they make a sale in our territory, we don’t get paid.” I led with my gut reaction, “You are your biggest competition, not me. Your system of pay and your lack of communication is your problem. If you want to know who we are reselling to, you could ask. This, that you’re talking about, isn’t a LabtronX problem, it’s a Hach problem.” Then I talked to them on a more personal basis about our passion and our desire to help customers – and how us selling Hach equipment and supplies was just a means to those ends. I asked how they could fault me for that. Their response was much more sympathetic, and they suggested that we should all talk. I said, “That’s what I have been saying for years, and Hach has visited us a total of three times in all those years.”
That was a pretty extreme conversation. But I have decided that looking out for our local sales rep’s interests has got us nowhere. I would rather have an open, honest dialogue with the company as a whole. Everyone’s opinion of Hach is nearly the same love-hate relationship. They provide the tools we need to get the job done, but they don’t actually care about the people they serve. This is the company that Clifford and Kitty Hach built with love and passion, taken over by greed from the bottom up.
In the evenings, we spent time with people over drinks and dinner. Some of my highlights were the moments I had with David, Brett, George, Greg, Jeff, and John.
David is an environmental manager for TN Dept of environment and conservation (TN Regulator), and I would now consider him a good friend.
Brett was a farmer who was looking for work and got hired at the local wastewater plant. He since has worked for the state in many capacities, and now is a utilities operations consultant at the University of Tennessee. He is passionate about the water industry and will most likely be helping Shannon with her chair.
George is an engineer with a crazy passion for water flow. He has conducted big studies on I/I (Infiltration and Inflow) and believes in the importance of correct flow measurement. He was preaching to the choir most of the night.
Greg works at Lebanon WTP (currently in our top 5 customers of 2016) and is a LabtronX fan. He spent some time with us, sharing his passion for his plant and what they are doing there.
Jeff is from Tullahoma WWTP, and he spent enough time with us that we heard the strange and awesome tale of his second love and the child he never thought he would have. Again, a good man with a passion for life and water.
John and I had a few beers… yes, John from Hendersonville WTP. Talk about a fan for LabtronX! When we stopped talking about each other, the state guy sitting across from us just said, “Wow.”
Overall, it was a great trip and well worth the time. Often we are discouraged because of the seeming lack of interest in the work we do. It was great to be around thousands of people who are as passionate about water and accuracy as we are. Seeing our customers in this setting, hearing them mention our employees by name, telling me excitedly what a great job each of you do – it’s extremely encouraging. We are on the right track; we just need to hold the line.
