You might have heard of this niche group called “LOT/T” – Leaders of Tomorrow… Today – that is part of AIM/R – Association of Independent Manufacturers Representatives, Inc. With the “penning” of this article, the LOT/T Column is officially launched as part of AIM/R’s partnership with Supply House Times. Look for regular content that speaks to specific challenges of emerging leaders dedicated to the Rep Function for plumbing, HVAC, and irrigation.

It is helpful to start from the very beginning. We caught up with the founders and representatives for a bit of history and a glimpse into the future for LOT/T Members. As an aside, the LOT/T we know today used to be called “LOT,” but we are getting ahead of ourselves. That is another piece of this evolutionary tale that we will address shortly.

The early years

You may be LOT/T and not know it. LOT/T or Leaders of Tomorrow... Today is a sub-group of AIM/R for future leaders, managers, or owners. LOT/T is the "Next Generation" for the Rep Function for our industry. Rather than age, it is about experience. Rep Agents who are beginning their careers or are new to the Rep Function are LOT/T Members. There is no age criteria! There are also no additional fees or dues to join LOT/T.

Bill Horsman, CPMR, former AIM/R Board Member and Vice President of Sales, Dellon Sales Company, best summarizes the mission and objectives of LOT/T:

“LOT/T is different from AIM/R. It allows younger members to be exposed to colleagues that are in similar positions in their careers. It allows them to network and explore common challenges along with being able to see opportunities that they may not have realized were available. LOT/T provides a showcase of success stories with past leaders and members and creates a pool of mentors for new members. LOT/T has been a place to catapult many great careers including my own. I can only sing its praise and look forward to the next rising stars to come from it.”

How did LOT/T get its start?

There are several individuals who were instrumental in the founding and launch of LOT/T. There were simultaneous conversations with the AIM/R Board of Directors and like-minded Reps who were passionate about the future of the industry and its leadership. To gain a complete picture of this collaboration, we contacted a few founders for insights.

Michelle Lewnes-Dadas, CPMR, AIM/R Executive Committee and President, Preferred Sales, Inc. brushed off dusty copies of AIM/R Annual Conference brochures and took us back to the beginning. As a LOT/T Founder, she shared the following history:

“When Charlie [Parham, CPMR, CEO, Pepco Sales & Marketing] and I started attending AIM/R, we were the youngest faces in the room. It was at times intimidating trying to establish our own networks with the huge presence of our fathers and their peers who had been in the industry for some time. Charlie and I were approached initially by Mike Parham [Pepco Sales & Marketing] and Mark Creyer [L&R Associates] with the idea of LOT. They told us their vision of creating a subgroup where younger members of AIM/R could get together in a smaller setting where it would not be as intimidating to network with some fellow younger attendees to enrich the conference experience for all of us.

Charlie and I took on the challenge and held our first meeting in a bar at the Gaylord Texan in 2009 (AIM/R 37th Annual Conference). About 20 people showed up. We discussed what we envisioned the LOT program to look like. We determined that we wanted our own sessions where we could share our own best practices in a smaller group setting and also offer content from our perspective to help enrich the general sessions and breakouts at conference.

[In 2010] we provided the feedback to the future conference chairs … who built our program into their conferences. We had our own session in the morning which we started with a “Rep Profile”… We gave a peek behind the curtain of our organization [Preferred Sales, Inc. and Pepco Marketing & Sales], of how we structured it, how we went to market, and the technology we used. We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and answered any question that the audience had, which was part of the allure of the group. We shared a ton of best practices in an environment that we all felt safe to do so.”

Charlie Parham, CPMR, AIM/R Past President and CEO, Pepco Sales & Marketing, was certainly there at the very beginning. As a LOT/T Founder, he also shared the history of the first “Rep Profile” at the AIM/R 38th Annual Conference (Summerlin, Nevada) in 2010. The session was entitled iRep, Technology for Today’s Rep and offered insights from the mouths of next generation leaders. Charlie shared the following memory of this session:

“Michelle [Lewnes-Dadas, CPMR, President, and I had a few days (yep, days!) to prepare a breakout session on Technology. We didn't get much direction other than "tech" and were left to our own creativity. It was packed. We were 25 or so at the time and answering questions from a room of much older people. It was empowering and validated the hypothesis of the Board at the time who knew that, not only did AIM/R need a group dedicated to the "Leaders of Tomorrow," but that those people had valuable insights for the organization at large.”

From there, the tradition of a breakout session dedicated to LOT along with meet-ups and social gatherings for LOT was cemented in AIM/R custom and has been an important part of Conference ever since.

Bill Horsman, CPMR, LOT/T Founder, shed more light on the early days of LOT/T:

“I believe the birth of LOT as it was first called was born at a small dinner led by Alan Guidish, CPMR. He hosted a dinner with myself, Charlie [Parham, CPMR], Michelle [Lewnes-Dadas, CPMR], Katie [Hubach, CPA] and a few others where he stated that we were the future of AIM/R and the up-and-coming industry leaders. He stated that he felt that we needed to create something for the next generation that touched them and made them excited for their AIM/R experiences and opportunities. Out of this the breakout sessions became a contestant part of AIM/R conferences. They lead to gathering places for younger members to network with people in the same position that they were in their career.”

How did LOT/T further evolve?

During the next decade, the “LOT/T Evolution” seemed to take-off. The AIM/R Board of Directors designated an official, non-voting seat on the Board of Directors and appointed the first, bona fide LOT/T Representative. In addition, LOT got a new name as we will learn further in this story.

Sometimes, things happen by being “volun-told!” Bill Horsman, CPMR, shared the story of how he was appointed as the very first LOT/T Representative to the Board of Directors.

I was approached by Bill Freeman, CPMR, Tim Morales, Rick Root, and Alan [Guidish, CPMR] at the hospitality suite one night during the conference. They stated that they loved what was happening with LOT. They wanted to elevate the group to make it an official stand-alone entity of the organization. They also wanted to add a non-voting Board member seat to the board to assist in implementing ideas as well as adding the insight of the LOT members. I was blown away and honored to be asked to be the first person to take on this role [LOT Representative].

After assuming this amazing honor, I worked to plan and grow the membership of LOT. One of my greatest memories was during our Boston Conference [AIM/R 40th Annual Conference – 2012] when we hosted the LOT sessions at a nearby theatre. When I looked out into the room and realized that we were standing room only because people were not only attending because they saw it on the agenda but were willing to stand and listen because they found such value in what we were presenting.

Who is the LOT/T Representative?

The LOT/T Representative is an active, non-voting appointee by AIM/R Board of Directors who serves for two consecutive years. We connected with more recent LOT/T Representatives regarding their appointments and experience.

Tobi Gibson, CPMR, AIM/R LOT/T Representative (2016 – 2018) and President, TM Sales, Inc. shared the following:

“Serving as the LOT/T Representative and on the AIM/R Board offered a very unique opportunity to grow both personally and professionally by broadening my perspective and strengthening my leadership skills. During the time on the board I also built invaluable connections which I still value today as well as feeling like I helped contribute to the growth and success of LOT/T. “

Greg McLaren, Jr., AIM/R LOT/T Representative (2018 – 2020) and Sales Representative, ProLineBK, echoed the significance of his service experience:

“Being the LOT/T Rep was one of the most rewarding and formative experiences of my career.

As the LOT/T Rep I had a front-row seat to see how experienced leaders in our industry approach challenges, make decisions, and steer organizations toward growth and success. Working alongside accomplished rep principals was both inspiring and educational, providing a masterclass in leadership, collaboration, and strategic thinking.

Equally valuable was the connection to my peers - the rising generation of professionals in our industry. Serving as a bridge between emerging leaders and established decision-makers gave me a unique perspective on where our industry is headed and how our generation can contribute to its evolution. The relationships I built during this time have continued to enrich my professional life, and I’m confident they will remain invaluable as we all progress in our careers.

After my term as LOT/T Rep, I went on to serve as a full voting director on the board. The experience I gained during my time in the LOT/T seat made the transition seamless. It had given me an understanding of board governance, the dynamics of high-level decision-making, and the importance of balancing different perspectives to achieve shared goals.

For anyone considering serving as the LOT/T Representative or engaging in similar opportunities, I would highly recommend it. It’s a chance to learn, to grow, and to help shape the future of our industry while forming lasting connections across generations of leadership.”

Jessica Kolaitis, CPMR, AIM/R LOT/T Representative (2020 – 2022) and Vice President of Operations, Tim Morales & Associates, Inc. shared the following:

“During my time as the AIM/R LOT/T Representative I learned about the inner workings of a board of directors in addition to strengthening my network. I also learned so much from everyone on the board while the LOT/T Representative about how they run their businesses and gleaned ideas to implement at the agency I work for. I have also been able to maintain and strengthen the relationships I formed during that time. It was an invaluable learning experience, and I so appreciate the board trusting me with the position.”

The most recent LOT/T Representative – Beau Jolly, CPMR, AIM/R LOT/T Representative (2022 – 2024) and Southeast Texas Manager, Tipton Company – offered the following insights regarding his term:

“The AIM/R LOT/T Representative position was one of the best professional opportunities that I have ever had.

Through this position, I was able to give back to an industry, association, and people who have done so much for my development. This position also helped me to grow my professional network. Not just grow it but grow it with top performing young professionals in the Rep community nationwide.

My predecessors did a fantastic job of building the LOT/T group. Once I stepped into the position, I realized how large LOT/T had become. To reach each member, we would need to shift our structure. Last year we introduced our LOT/T Small Groups to help enhance involvement, relationships, and year-long contact with one another.

Nate Wolfe, CPMR, is continuing these groups and I'm excited to see what twists he puts on them and where they go from here!

“Personally, this position helped me to level up in every aspect of life. It required me to step-up as a leader of people, some of which I knew and some that I didn't. I had never tried to lead people from a distance, so it was a great learning process for me.

As for professional advancement, there is nothing I have been a part of that has elevated my career to this level! Thank you so much to the AIM/R Board for believing in me and trusting me with that position!”

How was LOT/T branded?

Former LOT/T Representative (2015 – 2017), Colin Fein, CPMR, CPSC, General Manager, Associated Marketing, Inc., shared insights on the name and branding. This unique niche of AIM/R was once “LOT” – Leaders of Tomorrow – and became what is now “LOT/T” In fact, Fein modernized the name and LOT/T logo in 2015, thus steering AIM/R to the logo that you see today:

The name or acronym LOT/T was simply a metamorphosis of the original “LOT group.”  While LOT is great and highly recognizable (we had LOT groups in both High School & College) — we wanted to both; separate the new name to align more with the spirit and brand of AIM/R - but also encourage enrollment from people who were new to the business, AND who were already making immediate impacts in their business as well as the industry. 

TODAY… TOMORROW

Current LOT/T Representative (2024 – 2026), Nate Wolfe, CPMR, President of Sales and a Principal of Manufacturers Marketing, Inc. (MMI), offered insights into the LOT/T of today and what is in store. During our conversation, he addressed several elements, including the how, what, and why. On the brand, he offered the following comments:

As of today, LOT/T stands as a unique identifier to AIM/R – as I'm not aware of any other industry using the notion that both today's and tomorrow's leaders are overlapping in such a strong and distinct way that we've been able to… it seems to work!  

Why join?

NW:LOT/T builds a network of future leaders who will champion manufacturers and wholesalers, reinforcing the importance of manufacturer reps in the current market. LOT/T members share ideas and best practices relevant to leadership and management, providing strong motivation and inspiration for the next generation of leaders.

What are LOT/T Small Groups?

NW: As the LOT/T Group has grown, it has become challenging for members to comfortably share experiences or challenges and connect with the right network. By organizing into smaller groups of non-competing reps, collaboration and information-sharing are greatly improved. Larger group meetings and outings are then reserved for the conference and special industry events.

How would engagement in a Small Group benefit me?

NW: Networking with others on a similar path builds camaraderie, offers guidance, and creates a safe space for sharing ideas. Sharing experiences, challenges, and market insights with others fosters problem-solving, new ideas, and valuable perspectives. We are stronger together.

How do I join a Small Group?

NW: Contact AIM/R at info@aimr.net to be connected to a Small Group that fits you and your company. Special consideration should be given to placement, as it will be important not to group competing reps together if possible.

What LOT/T Activities are planned for the Annual Conference?

There are two opportunities tailored for LOT/T Members at the AIM/R 53^rd Annual Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona this fall: On Monday, Oct. 20^th, AIM/R will offer its signature LOT/T Fieldtrip to a local, industry business. For 2025, we intend to visit a Local Distribution Center (to be announced, soon). Then, on Thursday, Oct. 22^nd, the LOT/T Off-site Excursion, we are taking LOT/T Members to PopStroke Scottsdale. This event is affectionately referred to as the “LOT/T’s of Brews Happy Hour” which was instituted by Tobi Gibson, CPMR. In 2025, we will Eat. Putt. Drink.

Is there anything else that you want Supply House Times’ readers to know about AIM/R LOT/T?

NW: The LOT/T Group has evolved over the years and new ideas from members are always welcome!

Stay tuned for what’s in store for LOT/T. For updates, visit www.aimr.net/lot-t-members and contact AIM/R at info@aimr.net or at 630.942.6581.