Our Sponsor in March for our Monthly Meeting

March 2018 Message from the HGCAA President – John Helweg

We had a great meeting in February. I’d like to thank Anixter North (formerly Tri-Ed) for hosting us and providing great food. Please remember, our associate members support us, so please support them. 

Our guest speaker was Aaron Thomas with DMP. He spoke with us about how to remain relevant and how to sell to Millennials. He has so much content to share that we have split his presentation into two parts. His part 2 presentation will be at our May meeting. 

I went to the TBFAA Board meeting in San Antonio this past month. I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride with Van Mayorga. It was a nice road trip and the STAA & TBFAA meetings went well. Stephen Harper is doing a great job there. 

I also dropped in on the TBFAA Level 1 training a few weeks back to introduce myself and the HGCAA. Hopefully we will see some new members join our association. 

I’ve spoken with the board about my desire to focus on recruiting this year. We have great potential and I’d like to continue growing our presents. We’re working on recruiting materials like a brochure. I’d also like to purchase a branded tablecloth and vertical banner for recruiting activities. If we can get 10 new members it will all be more than paid for. 

Our upcoming meeting is March 8th at ADI Pinemont. Please don’t forget to RSVP. Our guest speaker is Mitch Reitman. He will be speaking with us about the current state of taxes. I’m certain his insights will be illuminating. 

See y’all soon.

John C. Helweg

 

TBFAA REPORT March 2018 – Kelly Ryan, President

Recently, I was looking over a post on Facebook about a proposal from the Austin City Council that would prohibit a contractor from bidding on a city contract unless they gave a full financial disclosure as proof that they had never worked or bid on any part of “the wall”.

While people may be divided on the need for a wall between the United States and Mexico, I truly believe that the Austin City Council is overstepping their authority by prohibiting bids based on their political leanings. That being said, there was a private comment on the post that said “the City of Austin has the right to do business with whomever they want.”

While a city has the right to certain requirements in order to bid on projects, I was surprised by the comment simply because I feel that their statement is the classic definition of a “good ole boys’ club.” If a city is allowed to prohibit bids based on a political statement, where would the discrimination stop? In addition, should a city have the right to a full financial disclosure from a contractor, and would this include sub-contractors?

So how does this affect the TBFAA? Simply put, as president of the TBFAA, I don’t want our association to be labeled as a “good ole boys’ club.” There are a lot of great people in the alarm industry in Texas, and our associations need you. If you’re not actively involved in TBFAA, HGCAA, NTAA, or STAA, I encourage you to step-up! New members always bring new ideas, and as our industry faces inevitable change brought on by DIY, legislative action, licensing requirements, and corporate mergers, new ideas are essential to our efforts.

There has been mention of two bills in Oklahoma that we are watching. One will create limits on recurring contracts, and the other will eliminate security, locksmith, and fire sprinkler license. While these issues are currently being debated in Oklahoma, we have faced similar legislative action in Texas and largely through the efforts of the local associations and the TBFAA were these bills defeated.

Mark your calendar with the dates of your local alarm association meetings and attend! The presidents of the local associations (as well as the Austin and Rio Grande Valley Chapters) have been doing a fantastic job with their meetings, so don’t be left out! If you do not have the dates for the local meetings, please feel free to contact me at president@tbfaa.org and I’ll send the information to you, and while you’re at it, be sure to mark your calendar for the TBFAA 2018 Golf Tournament on October 10th and Convention & Trade Show October 11th & 12th in Austin!

Kelly Ryan
President
TBFAA