Building membership throughout North America to protect NationaLease (National Truck Leasing System) "from the rapid consolidation currently under way in the full-service lease segment of the marketplace " has been one of the organization's major undertakings over the past year, said its chairman, Stephen Scully of Scully NationaLease, Fontana, Calif., in the opening address for NationaLease's annual meeting.
Being held in Chicago, Sept. 24-26, the theme for this, the 56th such gathering, is: "Accepting the Challenges of Change."
Other major projects include building NationaLease's infrastructure to provide for additional training of its members, designing programs to be more environmentally responsible, integrating technology into affiliates' businesses and developing task forces "to address the next level of efficient operation of affiliates' companies."
"We're working on strategic planning to understand the threats to the NationaLease system and to develop strategies to ensure long-term health and growth," Scully said. "This planning is critical if the next 10 years is going to provide the level of benefits that the last 10 years have given us."
NationaLease is "is strong and vibrant," he noted, and foresees the future as bright, with "infinite opportunities for our businesses."
The organization "was originally put together to provide reciprocal service for each other," said Scully. "Today, we're united to sell our services with one of the largest national networks in the business."