TCATA honors Freeman, Atwater
Robbie Freeman of Phenix Supply Co. in
Tampa, FL, received the J. Morry Friedlander Award at the
recent annual conference of the Textile Care
Allied Trades Association (TCATA)
in Phoenix, AZ.
The award, which has been given only five
times, recognizes individuals who have contributed
significantly to TCATA over many years.
In presenting the award, TCATA president
Bill Odorizzi recapped Freeman contributions, which include
service as general conference chair, chairman of the conference
business program, vice president of the distributor group, and
president.
“The main characteristic that comes
to mind when I think about Robbie Freeman is passion,”
Odorizzi said. “With his energy, enthusiasm and passion,
I cannot think of anyone who has contributed more to TCATA over
the last 20 years and, therefore, more deserving of the J.
Morry Friedlander Award.”
This award honors Friedlander, whose
contributions to the association for more than 40 years were
invaluable to the organization.
Alex Atwater of A-1 Products, Birmingham,
AL, was the recipient of the 2005 L. Frank Wright Young Timer
of the Year Award. The award recognizes his contributions to
TCATA both on a social and business level.
Atwater serves on the membership
committee and has served on the TCATA board since 2000,
currently as secretary-treasurer. He also chaired the committee
that planned the distributor seminar that TCATA is
co-sponsoring with the Coin Laundry Association at Clean
’05.
He has been an enthusiastic advocate for
the allied trades’ support of and involvement in TCATA.
Atwater was elected president-elect of
the association at the conference. His two-year term as
president will begin in May 2006. He and his wife, Meredith,
have two children.
Other officers elected at the conference
were Steve Katz of Kay Industries, secretary-treasurer-elect;
Janet Hickman of Dow Chemical Co., vice president of the Supply
Manufacturers Group; Rick Kelly of Pellerin-Milnor Corp., vice
president of the Machinery Manufacturers’ Group; and
Lawton Jones of Phenix Supply Co., vice president of the
Distributors’ Group.
For the second year in a row, attendance
at TCATA’s annual conference was up from previous years.
The conference featured an expanded business program which
covered a variety of topics, including how to plan business
succession, developing a successful sales incentive program,
and how to read faces.
TCATA is the international association
representing manufacturers, distributors, trade magazines and
service organizations in the textile care
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