BSA Celebrates Successful 2021 Convention

Over 150 top bearing industry leaders representing authorized distributors and participating manufacturers gathered in Naples, Florida from November 14-17, 2021, to learn, get motivated for 2022, renew old relationships, and make new ones.

More than 94% of Annual Convention attendees say they won’t miss the next Annual Convention and they will recommend BSA to a friend or colleague.

The 2022 Annual Convention is located at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California, April 30 – May 3, 2022.

2021 marked the 55th Annual Convention. The Convention opened with a presentation to acknowledge members who passed away over the past two years. Their memory and contributions to BSA and the bearing industry will not be forgotten.

Important updates from BSA and ABMA on the state of the industry were presented including on-going BSA projects such as the Product Information Exchange (P.I.E), the updated CBS Study Guide and recognition of the 2020 Excellence Award Winner.

The 2020 BSA Distributor Excellence Award was presented to BDI Canada. The winner of the 2020 Bearing Manufacturer Excellence of Innovation in Product Design Award was presented to Dodge Mechanical Power Transmission Company Inc. for the Dodge Food Safe Bearing. The second Manufacturer Excellence Award was presented to SKF USA for the SKF Cooper Split Sealed Spherical.

The theme of reconnecting long-term relationships was woven throughout Convention programming, including the presentation of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award and recognition of new elected officers.

Jim Scardina, executive vice president of Bearing Headquarters Company, and 2020/2021 BSA president, presented the BSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Doug Savage, chairman, Bearing Service Inc., (Livonia, Michigan).

The Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) elected Mitch Bouchard, General Bearing Service, Inc. as president for 2021-2022, effective immediately. In addition to Mitch Bouchard, the following industry leaders were elected to serve BSA in 2021-2022: Jim Scardina, Bearing Headquarters, Inc., as chairman of board; Todd Hamlin, DXP Enterprises, as vice president; and Jason Vasquez, Applied Industrial Technologies as treasurer. BSA also elected Jeff Cloud, IBT, Inc. and Ben Padd, Applied Industrial Technologies to serve three-year terms on the board of directors. Mark Stoneburner, Kaman Industrial Technologies, was elected to fill a one-year board of directors term.

Steve Durston, Jamaica Bearings Company, was recognized for his most recent four-year term on the BSA board of directors.

Bill Shepard, BDI, John Masek, Bearing Service, Inc., and Scott Eiss, NTN Bearing Corp. of America, were recognized as subject matter experts and for their outstanding work to update the Certified Bearing Specialists Study Guide, Pre-Tests, and Examinations.