Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1523387
54 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 helped them find a solution—not by pretending I always know the answer, but by being able to direct customers to resources that can address their challenges. By doing this, I have found it's a lot easier to build a trusting relationship. How is SMTA being leveraged by ROCKA as an organization? As a manufacturer and distributor of con- sumable goods, we invest a lot of time, money, and resources in our technical staff. At ROCKA Solutions, we pride ourselves on being able to promote to our customers that we have a technical staff in-house that is well trained on all the newest advancements. Technology is constantly evolving, and new challenges are brought up every day. So, to properly ensure that our team is trained on the most recent changes as well as on product as far back as the 1980s, we use white papers and education from the SMTA website to keep our team up to date. How have you utilized your local chapter? I get excited talking about it, so thanks for asking. e local chapter is where you can have the most impact. I compare it to a presidential election. Every four years, we have an election, and that can bring about changes all the way to your local community. at's how I regard our local SMTA. If you really want to make an impact with some of the biggest and best minds in your local community, get involved with the local chapter. Local involvement is where I've seen my personal experience grow the most. is is where I believe I learned the most about the industry as a whole. You learn that the challenges your local community is facing are likely being faced by a wider audience as well. Good point, and SMTA plays a unique role there. Other organizations help with training and certification, but SMTA wants to be local and in the community. It's like wanting to know about the teacher-to- student ratio when your child goes to school. SMTA has more than 20,000 members globally, and you can get lost if you try to tackle this from a global perspective. But if you start in your local community, the impact is much greater. You learn and retain information much faster by having those unique local relationships. You were using the knowledge base of SMTA to chart your own course and create your own self-study based on what you needed to learn. Did you take advantage of any training courses from any of the industry organizations? Most of the training courses were through the SMTA. I frequently attend virtual webinars.