Do We Have To Wait Another Seven To Ten Years To Make A Merger Happen?
Our piece, A Modest Proposal For Reviving The Merger Of PMA And United, was an attempt to identify a strategy for selecting a new CEO for the new combined PMA and United, since, technically at least, this was the hang up that was identified publicly as the reason the merger could not go through. We have […]
As Association Staff Feels The Strain, Would Wall Street M&A Group Provide Quick Solution To Merger?
A former chairman of United and experienced helmsman of several produce companies recently weighed in on the United/PMA merger: The approach of the two associations trying to get this done has been going on in some form for years, with the same end result. A lot of bright people, as we saw recently, worked very hard […]
Where’s The Face Of The Industry?
Is It The Face Of A PMA Or United Executive Or A Volunteer Leader?
Furthering the conversation on the United/PMA merger breakdown, a person who knows of what she speaks points out that the CEO question — Bryan or Tom — really should not be the question at all: The soul of any association is its members – those of us born into the produce industry or those who […]
United/PMA Merger Comes Down To Philosophy And Function
Our piece, United/PMA Impasse More Than Just A Decision About A CEO – It Is A Battle For The Soul Of The New Association, brought many comments including this letter: A very thoughtful article. I believe the industry wants one association, primarily because of financial reasons, and I believe one association is really just a […]
How Much Duplication Is There?
Another thoughtful letter on the PMA/United imbroglio came our way: I disagree with those who claim we have two national organizations duplicating efforts. The PMA is a large national organization that serves as a window through which everyday more foreign companies access the US produce scene. For most of the trade, mention ”the PMA” and […]
Without Change, The Question Will Not Be Who Will Survive, But Rather Can Either Survive? “A Modest Proposal” Take-2 From The Pundit
We have received a series of important letters on the topic of the collapsed PMA/United merger effort. Our July 21 edition featured four of these letters. This one we thought deserved careful attention: I appreciate your thoughts and efforts you have made to keep this process moving. It is very clear to me that neither organization’s […]
United/PMA Impasse More Than Just A Decision About A CEO — It Is A Battle For The Soul Of The New Association
Why did the choice of CEO matter so much? This is the key question to help us understand why the merger talks between PMA and United collapsed over the CEO issue. Understanding this issue may also provide a key as to whether the industry ought to proceed with a merger. On the surface, the current […]
A Modest Proposal For Reviving The Merger Of PMA And United
One thing that came through loud and clear at PMA’s Foodservice Conference is that many industry leaders believe we should have one national produce trade association. They consider the collapse of talks between the two associations to be a ridiculous kind of petty inside-baseball by the two associations, an example of leadership forgetting about the […]
Three Possible Reasons For The Collapse Of The United/PMA Merger Talks
Our piece, The United/PMA Fiasco: THE SPIN IS JUST HALF THE STORY — Lessons Learned: Open Up To Industry Input And Focus On Big Things First, brought many thoughtful letters. This one came from a former Chairman of PMA: Thank you for that comprehensive and entertaining account of this, the fourth iteration of merger talks (that I […]
Pundit’s Mailbag — Power Lies In The Pocket Book
Eric Schwartz is a frequent Pundit contributor and has shared many letters and done many interviews over the years. You can see some of the issues on which he has spoken out right here: Pundit’s Pulse Of The Industry: Dole Vegetables’ Eric Schwartz Pundit’s Mailbag — How About Subsidy Money For GTIN Conversion? Pundit’s Mailbag […]
