The Eaton Distributor Meeting was a big success again this year. The event was held at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida September 16th - 19th and was attended by over 1,200 distributors from all over the globe.

Eaton showcased their recent acquisitions of companies like SEL and Jeil Hydraulics, new products, and discussed trends and growing markets in the hydraulic industry.

Sandy Cutler, CEO of Eaton Corporation, stressed the value of the partnership between Eaton and its distributors.

Cutler emphasized that company philosophy in his welcome address stating, “We have a strong brand and a great reputation as this great company and we’re always willing to learn, because at the end of the day, I know that there’s plenty of opportunity for improvement and continuous growth. Hopefully you walk away learning some new things…and even more confident that you are with the right company.”

Distributors, including many Tribute customers, found value in attending the show for the educational seminars and opportunities for networking with their peers.

The one thing many distributors found beneficial was the participation in the Distributor Roundtables. They found talking with their peers about their businesses and what was going on in the marketplace helpful.

Global distributors from places such as Mexico and India praised Eaton for the support they received. Many distributors found that Eaton not only focused on helping them sell product, but in educating them on different markets and the future of the business. As one said, “It’s not just about selling a piece of hose any longer, but a system, and a system specific to an industry.”

“It’s a good name in the business and as distributors it allows us to go and use that name to get more business,” said another distributor.

Tim Reynolds, president of Tribute, Inc., a provider of ERP software for industrial distributors, was included in the closing video and talked about the advantages of attending Eaton’s annual distributor meeting.

“We get to meet our customers at the same time they’re meeting with one of their major vendors, so the quality of the conversation is better. For us, it’s an opportunity to attend a great show and a chance to talk to our customers as well.”

Tribute partner, WarehouseTWO, powers Eaton's Inventory Sharing Network and was also in attendance, giving a presentation on Successful Inventory Sharing.

Eaton utilizes Tribute software for the counter operation at their pilot project: the Eaton Van Wert Aeroquip Store. Click here to see how Tribute software benefits Eaton distributors. Click to see Eaton’s Distributor Meeting Closing Video. You’ll see Tim’s video at the 4:00 minute mark. Click here to see if you find yourself in the 2012 EDM Image Gallery.