Message from the President

by Gailen Vick, Reverse Logistics Association

Reverse Logistics Magazine, Aug/Sept 2007

It has been 18 months since we started publishing RL Magazine, this is our 8th edition. So much has changed during that time when it comes to awareness in the reverse logistics process.

Now search engines asked to search for reverse logistics will post the Reverse Logistics Association as #1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, even references a meaningful definition and links to RLA, our tradeshows and this magazine.

Many companies are posting career opportunities on our web site for reverse logistics professionals. There isn’t a week that goes by without receiving a phone call from some senior executive searching for good reverse logistics professionals. For those of you who have chosen reverse logistics as a profession, you made the right decision!

Over 100 companies have used RL Quote to successfully find third party service providers to whom services could be outsourced. And this is just the icing on the cake, whether it’s a catastrophic failure or simply inquiring as to who provides BGA repair in Brazil, RL Quote can find a partner for you in just a few days.

An advisory board of prestigious companies and industry leaders has been set up to help direct RLA. Industry focus committees provide direction for topics that are presented at conferences, seminars and read in this magazine. We have only touched the surface of the many industries that are challenged with the process of reverse logistics. Information Technology Solutions, Standards , Spare Parts Management, Food & Beverage, Aviation, Wireless/Telecommunications, Data Storage are just a few of the active committees today. Regional committees on China and India have been formed with recent interest in Russia. But there are so many more focus committees on the different industries that are needed, example:

• High Technology - Notebooks - Consumer Electronics - Displays - Printers
• Automotive
• Medical/Pharmaceutical
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Today venture capitalists and consulting firms that manage M&A are looking for solid research in this process of reverse logistics. So this past month RLA announced our commitment to provide meaningful research by connecting the academics with private industry.

We hope that each of our readers will take a real interest in volunteering some of your time to make our trade association effective for the industry that you are in. Come and visit us at our Conferences and Expos or drop-in at one of our Reverse Logistics Seminars and see the latest best practices!