NAFD board members from left to right: Gary Gardner, Dawn Food Products; George Rodier, Puratos; Frank Stynes, Ventura Foods Inc.; Gerard Burns, Bono Burns Distribution Inc.; Phillip Zilka (secretary/treasurer), Zilka & Co. Bakery Supplies; Erin Ruhl (1st vice president), George R. Ruhl & Son Inc.; Alan Parker, Food Source International; Robert Olender, Dawn Food Products; Mark Munroe, Valley Bakers Cooperative Association; Ted Heim Jr. (president), Inter-County Bakers Inc.; Scott Panton, Perkins Co.; Dominic Valente (2nd vice president), Valente Yeast Co. Inc.; Tim Dove, NAFD executive secretary; David Scruggs Sr. (chairman), H.F. Scruggs Co. Inc.; Ernest Brehm Jr., Otto Brehm Inc.; Steve Tardella, Tardella Foods Inc.

The National Association of Flour Distributors recently held its 91st annual convention in Islamorada, Fla.

This year’s event featured several speakers, including Patrick Renovoise, SalesBrain, who spoke on the three parts of the brain and how salespeople can appeal to customers’ basic instincts to boost sales. First, figure out what “pains” are in the brain of your customer, what claims make you unique and what your customers will  gain if they buy from you. “There is a buy button in the brain of customers,” Renovoise said.

Dr. Jeff Dietrich, Institute of Trend Research, discussed trends in the global economy, and Scott Custard, Moving Parts, addressed the changing flour market. The business meeting concluded with committee reports.