Founded as the National Association of Typewriter Dealers (NATD) in 1926, technological innovations drove multiple name changes until it finally became the Business Technology Association (BTA) in 1994.
Brent Hoskins, Executive Director, BTA, said that although the name of the association has changed over the years, the underlying agenda put forward by the founding members has not.
Brent Hoskins
“They had a vision that by establishing a means for dealers to work together, they could collectively strengthen the independent dealer channel,” he said. “It was clear to them that there is strength in numbers. Ninety years later, that vision endures. The dealer channel has always remained the core focus of the association.”
Hoskins noted that while the industry’s technology has evolved and dealers have moved to a services-centric approach, there is one aspect of BTA membership that appears to have experienced little change.
“Not surprisingly, many of BTA’s member dealerships remain multi-generational, family-owned companies,” he said. “Today, it is not uncommon to hear of the third generation carrying the torch, so to speak, leading a family’s dealership through the next phase of its evolution.”
To commemorate the remarkable longevity of this association, BTA at 90: A Celebration, was held Friday, June 10, at the historic Kansas City Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.
The event featured awards, accolades and a look back at the association’s history. Fifteen past national presidents traveled to Kansas City to attend. There was also a performance by legendary political satirist, Mark Russell, as a nod to the presidential election year.
One special moment for Hoskins was when current BTA President Dave Quint pointed out that they were in the very hall where BTA’s founding members would have stood when they arrived in Kansas City by train in 1926 to form the association.
“How cool is that?” he remarked. “It is amazing to think that BTA’s current president was standing and speaking to current association members in the same grand hall where the association’s first president, George Walker, once stood.”
For Hoskins, who was deservedly presented with the BTA Legacy Award during the 90th anniversary event, it has been an unforgettable journey. When he joined BTA in 1986, then known as NOMDA, he had been a reporter for a suburban Kansas City newspaper. He made the move to NOMDA to write for the association’s monthly magazine, then known as the NOMDA Spokesman.
“Today, I have the privilege of looking back at nearly 30 years with the association,” he said. “I am very pleased to have spent essentially all of my career in this industry. I am sure dealers would agree that there is never a dull moment. The constant change of the industry in terms of technology and focus, as well as the changing expectations of end users, keeps the office technology industry both interesting and rewarding.”
With so many transformative changes currently taking place within the document imaging industry, people could be forgiven for posing the question: What is the future of BTA? But according to Hoskins, 90 years of success should be an indicator of what to expect in the future. He stated that there is no doubt BTA will continue to evolve and facilitate a strong union of independent, like-minded dealers who welcome the opportunity to help one another.
“One only needs to consider the common purpose of the industry’s technology through the years to realize that BTA will continue to thrive,” he explained. “Today, for example, the manual typewriter is a relic from the past, looked at as an oddity, for example, by millennials — if they have even ever seen one. However, today’s industry still has a connection to even the very first typewriter, which was used to produce documents and manage information and workflow. Isn’t that what we’re doing today?”
Added Hoskins: “The key has been to follow documents and information; the technology will forever change. Documents and information will be around in some form forever. And BTA will be there for dealers to be a source of guidance and support as they pursue the related opportunities.”
Is BTA looking forward to the centennial anniversary? It appears that Hoskins has already entered the planning stages.
“It seems to me that the Kansas City Union Station would be great as the venue for that celebration event as well, given the historic train station’s tie to our founding members in 1926,” he mused. “I’m sure we’ll come up with some ways to make the celebration of our 100th anniversary even more memorable than the celebration of our 90th. After all, while celebrating 90 years has been an incredible experience, imagine how we will feel celebrating 100 years of dealers helping dealers.”
