Page 48 - Jan 2013

48 | Business World Magazine | January 2013
an executive committee each year with input
from members and staff. In knowing what
goes on in lighting homes throughout North
America, the ALA is the authority on the is-
sue, McGowan says. “They’re the ones who
know and know because of the vertical inte-
gration process.”
The ALA provides benefits that help their
members focus on a number of significant
areas to promote their interests, including
increasing their market share, develop ef-
fective public relations programs to increase
consumers’ awareness of lighting, and sell
more products through the showroom chan-
nel of distribution. They also benefit from
low-cost, convenient sales and design train-
ing opportunities, and encourage the con-
tinuing development and proper use of safe,
energy-efficient products.
“There is still room for small manufac-
turers who have good ideas, and it is part of
the job of the ALA to make sure those good
ideas reach the marketplace,” he says. “We’re
not just in business for the big retailers or big
manufacturers, we’re really trying to repre-
sent and make sure that all of those people
are at the table.”
Members also reap the benefits from the
ALA’s close relationship with different lev-
els of government through their government
affairs program that handles international,
federal and state/provincial governmental