MIA Surveys Distributor Performance

The purpose of the survey is to help the natural-stone industry strengthen its position by establishing financial yardsticks and provide an analysis of surveyed companies, compared to other similar-sized firms.
“The era of easy, and even automatic, profits has come to a sudden halt,” says Gary Distelhorst, MIA executive vice president. “The natural stone distribution industry has moved from trying to keep up with demand to battling on sales, pricing, expense control and every other aspect of operations.”
Profit Planning Group, an association profitability-and-compensation analysis firm, will manage the survey for the MIA. The effort follows the MIA’s fabricator survey conducted last year.
The survey of MIA-member distributors will collect the usual information on gross margins and expense control. However, results will be arranged to provide direct comparisons between the participating firm and the aggregate information.
This information is beneficial to identify the strategies employed by the most successful firms during a down market. The survey results will not be made available for sale to nonparticipating companies until 2009.
Participating companies receive a performance analysis report for the entire industry, as well as a profit improvement profile comparing the surveyed company with similar firms. Participants will also get the Profit Toolkit Online, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet designed to assist financial planning.
 The detailed industry information in the Performance Analysis Report and in each personalized Profit Improvement Profile is available to participating MIA member distributors for only $75. Nonmember stone distributors wishing to participate will be charged $200.