Columbus, Ohio — HARDI recently announced its speaker lineup for the fourth and final Focus Conference of 2015, Operations & Logistics, which takes place this September.

HARDI members can expect to gain valuable industry insights from the six presenters, who all boast extensive expertise in their subject matter.

“We created the Focus Conference series to specifically address four critical factors to the strategic success of distributors and their suppliers,” HARDI CEO Talbot Gee  said. “Since launching this format, we’ve seen more than 100 percent growth in distributor company attendance, which tells us we’re on the right track. The largest, most sophisticated companies in wholesale distribution have recognized and capitalized on the science of distributor operations and logistics, and our leadership sees this area as one of the greatest opportunities for all HARDI distributors to improve their bottom lines, customer service, and scalability. That is exactly what we intend to achieve at this year’s Operations & Logistics Conference.”

The conference speakers include:

Barry Brandman

Barry Brandman, CEO of Danbee Investigations, is one of the country’s leading experts on organizational security. He has been a consultant for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is credited with developing innovative solutions that have literally saved companies millions of dollars by eliminating loss and reducing risk to security threats. He is the author of The Executive’s Guide to Business Security, has appeared on network television and has been interviewed by national publications such as USA Today, Forbes and The Journal of Commerce.

Bob Heaney

Bob Heaney is a wholesale, retail and e-commerce expert and a principal analyst at Aberdeen Group. He has more than 25 years leadership experience serving in research, analysis and advisory roles in Supply Chain Engineering.

Frank Hurtte

Frank Hurtte is a 30-year industry veteran whose published works are respected throughout wholesale distribution and who serves as a senior advisor to distributors and their manufacturing partners. He has seen nearly every side of the industry from sales to managing a start-up location, to running multiple branches and successfully integrating a merger.

Joe Brady

Joe Brady is senior partner and principal with Supply Chain Edge and a 25-year sales and marketing veteran in the supply chain solutions marketplace. Brady has served numerous customers across many verticals including Bayer, PPG, Moen, Carrier Corporation, Rheem Manufacturing, Wal-Mart, Eckerd Drug, Kimball International, Sara Lee, Revlon and Johnson & Johnson. Additionally, he has extensive experience in delivering solutions to the private equity community and their portfolio companies.

Jon Melchi

Jon Melchi is respected throughout the HVACR industry for his expertise in government issues affecting HARDI members. He frequently lends his expertise to industry publications and regularly contributes to Distribution Center Magazine. Melchi is the leading man when it comes to voicing the best interests of HVACR wholesale distribution among elected officials and regulators.

Mark Richards

Mark Richards boasts a 30-year career in supply chain, holding various operations and administrative roles at third-party logistics companies. In addition, Richards has held leadership roles among industry groups such as the Warehousing Education & Research Council (WERC) and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), ultimately serving as its chairman of the board of directors.

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