Vision Forward: Reaching's FEDA's Vision for the Association and Future of Distribution

Thanks to the involvement of distributors and manufacturers, FEDA is delivering results-oriented programs, groundbreaking speakers and member-driven initiatives.

By Tracy Mulqueen
CEO
FEDA

Terms like “social distancing” and “lockdown” may no longer be part of our everyday vocabulary — thankfully — but even five years on, FEDA distributor and manufacturer members are still refining the new approaches to business they put in place during COVID-19, working to create the best versions of their companies for today’s unpredictable environment. The same is true for FEDA. Coming out of the pandemic, the association reoriented its strategic goals to center on what members needed most: a truly impactful annual conference, new industry technology options, effective legislative influence, and practical, distribution-focused educational resources, research and programs.

FEDA has pressed ahead on each of those four areas, although we’ve encountered our share of setbacks. When it became evident that the growing prevalence of third-party technology ownership was limiting options for our small industry, we set off on a difficult search for trusted technology providers that could create alternative solutions. After several years of frustrating stops and starts, our tenacious resolve has paid off and we now have highly qualified and reliable partners who are ready to adapt their already capable platforms to our industry. And although the volatile political climate has heightened economic uncertainty, FEDA members are beginning to experience some of the benefits associated with the passage of the association’s legislative priorities, not to mention a more business-friendly approach from regulating agencies. But FEDA’s success is also evident in how we’ve elevated our annual conference.

Through a process of programmatic trial and error, we’ve found the right formula for knowledgeable, relatable and business-focused professional speakers who understand the industry’s challenges and can align their content with our members’ needs. In 2026, we’re truly fortunate to have as our keynote speaker Verne Harnish, an associate and friend of Jim Collins — our extremely well-received keynote from this past year. Harnish, the author of Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It... and Why the Rest Don’t, will build on Collins’ flywheel concept by demonstrating how executives can use his 4D framework (drivers, demands, disciplines, and decisions) to maintain strategic focus amid disruption to propel compounding growth.

Complementing Harnish’s keynote is a special guest speaker that every C-suite officer will recognize: Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and one of the luminaries who kicked off the personal computing revolution. We’re thrilled to bring such a revolutionary business leader to the FEDA conference, especially as he will provide practical insights into how executives can bridge generational gaps, navigate rapid change and preserve their long-term legacy.

As excited as we are for our upcoming speakers, the foundation of the conference remains our members themselves. Our opening general session will now always include the State of the Industry Reports. These reports are presented by a pair of dealer and manufacturer executives and are carefully prepared with support and input from FEDA’s staff and committees. Likewise, the Dealer Focus presentations and panels will return. These discussions cover the work of FEDA’s councils and committees, with a special focus on pilot projects, research and recommendations stemming from the Future of Distribution and Emerging Dealers councils.

Finally, two years after they were introduced, the Tech Talks have grown from a seating-limited side session into a main stage event. The solutions-focused sessions will continue to be member-driven and led, packed with real-world examples of how state-of-the-art technologies deliver tangible results for distributors and manufacturers.

Please find more about the 2026 FEDA conference in this issue and stay alert for more information about the many ways FEDA is accomplishing its vision and strategic goals on behalf of the industry. There’s so much great work and so many new activities for members to be involved with and help lead. We can’t thank our members and partners enough for making it all possible.