Hard to believe it’s been 50 years since a handful of enlightened juvenile industry CEOs recognized the value of competitors working together to serve their common interests. Thank goodness they did! As a former JPMA board member and officer, I’ve experienced the organization from the inside and out. And while, like other volunteer organizations, the inner workings sometimes feel more like Congress than a well-oiled machine, and while at times it has been misunderstood and underappreciated, I shiver to think what the industry would be like today if there were no JPMA. We all owe JPMA a debt of gratitude.

Like all organizations that survive the test of time, JPMA has continually evolved over its history to serve the ever-changing needs of its membership. Much of the credit for this goes to the many industry leaders who were willing to volunteer their time, often at the expense of attending to their own company responsibilities, to further the interests of the industry as a whole. Ironically, as is the burden of people willing to make tough decisions, they sometimes had to suffer criticism from some of the members they were working so hard to serve. Yet their selfless dedication to creating a better industry for all enabled them to persevere. Thanks also ought to go to the management and staff of Association Headquarters for knowing how to accomplish the daunting task of keeping a volunteer trade association alive, well, and productive. It’s not easy.

My own company benefited in countless ways. The JPMA-originated trade shows allowed us to position ourselves as a significant player in the industry. JPMA’s regulatory advocacy always injected some rationality into the regulatory process whenever emotion was driving things out of control. For example, life would have been a lot tougher if we did not have Rick Locker at our side during the phthalate crisis of the late 90’s. The certification program gave us a voice in standard setting and advance information that could guide our product development. JPMA did a great job of representing the interests of manufacturers like us with our retail customers on the tough issues we could not address on our own. And, my personal interactions with other board members and industry leaders at board meetings and other JPMA events greatly enhanced my understanding of what was happening in the industry allowing me to anticipate future trends and do a better job of running my company. The fact was JPMA was always there for us when we needed it.

But, the ultimate JPMA benefit in my opinion is the people you meet through the association in the industry and at AH who become your friends, your contacts, your confidants, your golf partners, and maybe someday even your employees as happened with me. We are all blessed with an industry made up of great, caring people. I suppose it should be no surprise. People who dedicate their lives to making the lives of parents and babies happier and safer happen to be good people. I had the pleasure of getting to know many of them through JPMA.     

What some JPMA members never realize, unfortunately, is that you will only get out of it what you put into it. If you just sit around and wait for someone to help you, you’ll be disappointed. Be an active member. Participate in the benefit programs. Sign up for a committee. Become a board member. Go to association events. Let your voice be heard. And, of course, don’t forget to take advantage of the JPMA CEO Mentor Program (a shameless plug)!

As much as ever before, the health of the juvenile industry requires an active, responsive, supportive trade association focused on, as stated in JPMA’s mission, advancing "the interests, growth, and well-being . . . of manufacturers, importers, and distributors". It will take the continued dedication of you, the industry’s leaders, to sustain this mission going forward. But if you do, JPMA will always be there for you too when you need it.