When Ken Nagel first started with IMARK, he served as the national account sales manager. Although that role came to a conclusion about three years later when members decided to get out of the national account business, then President Steve Cunnigham asked Nagel to stay and oversee the group’s Member Service Provider (MSP) program and work with Jerry Knight in the member recruitment area.
“I was very happy to agree to take on these new responsibilities and be involved in growing our membership and improving members’ profitability,” Nagel said, adding that as director of member services these job functions remained his responsibility along with assisting the Vice President of Supplier Relations when necessary. His position later evolved into conducting member visits, reports and analysis as well.
The accomplishment he is most proud of is growing IMARK’s MSP program to include approximately 50 organizations. “Well over 250 members participate in the program annually and between rebates and cost savings they generate about the same volume of earnings as an $85 million supplier would,” Nagel said.
The group’s MSPs have a proven track record of providing excellent and cost-effective services to IMARK members in the following areas:
- Financial services
- Logistics management transportation and warehouse support
- Management tools
- Office supplies and uniforms
- Sales and marketing support
- Technology and e-commerce solutions
IMARK member companies earn rebates and/or discounts when they purchase services from the group’s MSPs.
“IMARK has tried to look for companies that could assist our members on the operational side,” Nagel said. “That’s what the MSP program is all about—credit card processing, office supplies, uniforms, sales and marketing support. We also have MSPs like Key Bank and Commerce Bank that members process their payables through. These two companies generate over $1 million in rebates alone.”
He encouraged more members to take advantage of working with the MSPs, saying IMARK partners with some of the best companies in their fields. “By using MSPs members also save the time and effort of having to find these companies on their own and negotiate their own deals,” Nagel said. “They provide cost savings and rebate savings on top of what they are already receiving from IMARK.”
Now that Nagel is set to retire, he looks fondly upon his time building relationships with members around the country and seeing how differently and successfully they operate within the electrical industry. “It’s a relationship business and when you spend that much time building and enjoying relationships and they come to an end—that’s the hard part,” he said.
Nagel shared that he and his wife plan to travel. “I also have a 10-month-old German shepherd puppy that will take up my time,” he said. “Thank you to IMARK and its members for providing me with a career opportunity and allowing me to serve them for this many years.”