In October, longtime uniform industry executive Neal Waters was appointed NAUMD President by the Board of Directors, replacing Richard Lerman who resigned to pursue other endeavors.
NAUMD News recently caught up with Neil to ask him what members – and prospective members – can expect under his tenure. That conversation appears below:
Congratulations on your new role and welcome! You’re not exactly a stranger to the industry, having worked on both the manufacturing (VF Corporation) and distributor side (ASR) of the business. How do you intend to leverage that experience to further the goals of NAUMD?
I’m excited to be here! My 25 years in the uniform industry should benefit the association in at least two ways: First, I already know the majority of the members, and they know me, so that enables me to hit the ground running. Second, having worked both sides of the business, I bring to the job a unique set of experiences and better understanding of the challenges faced by all industry professionals.
The NAUMD has been around since 1933, and often cites itself as the “voice” of the uniform industry. Globalization, industry consolidation and technology have softened that voice, with some even questioning whether it still needs to be heard. Given the current uniform landscape, is NAUMD still relevant and why?
NAUMD, like other associations in this digital age, is at risk of becoming irrelevant. I took this job knowing that, but with a commitment for that not to happen. I’ve spent the last three months educating myself about the state of the association industry, looking at successful associations and understanding how companies make the decision to participate – or not.
