As I reflect upon the past year, I am amazed and very proud of all that was accomplished to position the association for future growth and to be the foremost education and information resource for the retail facility maintenance professional.
First and foremost, PRSM launched the retail industry's first certification for the facilities maintenance professional. The Retail Facility Maintenance Professional (RFMP) designation validates the experience and expertise of the professional and gives them deserved credibility for being technically knowledgeable The designation also promotes a uniform standard of expertise required to be facilities maintenance professional. I am proud to have been involved in ensuring this designation was established along with my colleagues on the Board and Certification Committee who served as visionary advocates and subject matter experts for the examination. I encourage you to take the exam to affirm your knowledge and professional standing.
PRSM 2007! National Conference in Austin, Texas, provided a solid array of educational programs with an expansive exhibition enabling our members to gain valuable information about industry issues, products, and programs as well as engaging in valuable networking experiences.
The Regional Conference in Baltimore was PRSM Association's first "toe in the water" endeavor into presenting information about energy sustainability and greening. We learned that retail facility maintenance professionals are expected to understand the options, opportunities, costs and challenges of going green. There was a whole world of "greening" topics that PRSM members were anxious to know more about and they were looking to PRSM to be a resource. It gave us a clear indication that the Association should be doing more on this hot initiative for retail and vendor. Thus, PRSM began to seriously explore how it could meet this need for the membership.
To improve PRSM's ability to provide members with information, a newly revised PRSM website was launched. The website provides easy access to other PRSM members for networking and it is a one-stop resource for all PRSM information. The groundwork and progress laid this past year is only the basic platform for what's to come in the upcoming year.
Another way the association positioned itself for the future was with the hiring of a new Executive Director in August. Patricia Dameron has extensive experience in association management and brings a wealth of expertise in strategy development, membership growth, board and committee governance, education and program development. Patricia and her team will be instrumental in taking the association to the next level.
Finally, I am also proud of the work that the Board has done this year to build a solid foundation for PRSM's future. As you will learn from the Treasurer's Report, the association is financially healthy. Strategies with defined goals have been outlined and defined along with a staff team in place to achieve the direction set by the Board. I am confident that we are on the cusp of a powerful movement within PRSM to grow and flourish.
The PRSM Board of Directors take its responsibilities seriously and are continually engaged in active conversation about how we can meet your needs and offer beneficial programs and services that enable you to be a more powerful, energized and effective retail facility maintenance professional.
We are confident we're positioned to evolve and meet any challenges that you or the industry encounter. We welcome you volunteering your time and expertise to help us achieve our next level of service. There's always room for one more dedicated member to make a difference at PRSM!
Sincerely,
Kyle Brekke 2007/2008 PRSM President Board of Directors
PRSM Mission
The Professional Retail Facilities Maintenance (PRSM) Association represents a group of individuals and their companies dedicated to advancing industry awareness of retail facilities maintenance for all industries, while promoting professional and ethical standards to service the customer with added value.
Industry Position
PRSM evolved in the mid 1990's to address retail facilities maintenance and the professionals who support it. This was an overlooked segment of retail. This unique niche in facility management that is an extremely large and important part of the economy.
PRSM is singularly focused on the retail maintenance industry. This focus includes all aspects of the retail environment: mall, freestanding, strip centers, airports, etc. This retail focus also includes all forms of retailing: department stores, grocery stores, specialty retailing, restaurants, convenience stores, theaters, home improvement, etc.
Since its development, PRSM continues to secured the association a unique position the retail industry. As retailers continue to build and expand at varying rates, the total number of stores to be maintained is greatly exceeding the total number of stores in development. PRSM's relevance and importance will continue to increase in the future as it works to provide the members with the programs and services to address the challenges and opportunities confronting today's retail facility maintenance professional.
Letter From The PRSM Executive Director
When I joined PRSM last summer, I learned that the association was positioned to grow and to offer more programs and services in the coming years. I learned that it has the commitment of the Board and committees, its financial stable, there's a faithful membership and there's a definite need in the industry for PRSM to exist.
I am privileged to have been asked to join PRSM as the Executive Director this past year and to take the reins of the Association to build on the programs and services that were developed previously. I am acutely aware of how important it is for us to grow our membership by reaching more facility maintenance professionals of all sizes (big box, specialty, and small box, national and regional chains) of retailers. Without this lifeblood flowing through the organization, PRSM won't be a relevant or vital association. We've made strides with our current education platform by focusing on the industry's (and your) hottest and most challenging topics. And, we'll continue to build other educational offerings by offering current industry resources available to you 24 hours a day.
The Certification Program, which was launched this past summer, has enormous potential to raise the visibility of the retail facility maintenance professional as a worthy career choice for those seeking a new career path. It will also increase understanding of how vital facilities maintenance professionals are to managing costs and identifying efficiencies and savings to a retail operation.
In talking with members during my first few months, it became apparent that we need to improve PRSM's communications vehicles so that members know the value of membership better, plus have good resources for information about the industry and about the Association. So, we'll continue to improve our magazine for sharing technical and management knowledge; to offer an online newsletter for consistent Association news; upgrade the website with educational tools you can use; and, sprinkle in a few email alerts for the most time- pressing information.
Our PRSM Team is here to serve you. We welcome your comments and suggestions for how we can serve you better with the tools, information and education you need to be exceptional facility maintenance professionals.
Thank you for supporting PRSM this past year and expect your expectations to be exceeded in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Patricia Dameron PRSM Executive Director
Financial Condition 2006-2007
The 2006-2007 fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2007 was another good year financially for PRSM and its members.
Revenues were $3.03 million, compared with $3.4 million for the 2005 -2006 fiscal year. The primary revenue sources were exhibit booth income from the PRSM2007! National Conference and membership dues renewals.
Total expenses were $2.2 million, which were down from $2.3 million in 2005-2006. The primary expenses were for the National Conference and general administrative support.
The net increase in assets was $792,000. PRSM's unrestricted net assets at the end of the year were $2.8 million, which was close to the organization's goal of one year's worth of revenue. It isn't anticipated that the association will have net increases at this level in the coming year, as the Board has made the decision to put more money back in to programs and services for the membership.
The Association's investment policy is conservative. Therefore, it is expected that our portfolio will weather wild fluctuations in the market.
We are well positioned for a stable financial future.
Robert Molyneux 2006/2007 PRSM Treasurer
Financial Statement
We at PRSM take our fiscal responsibility very seriously and want you to know that the dollars you spend and invest in PRSM are invested in the development of retail facility management and the retail industry. Your investment in PRSM is a direct investment into our industry with substantial funds dedicated to educational development for retail facility management.
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2007
PRSM's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and the revenue is derived from membership dues, investment income, networking/educational meetings and the national conference. All net income go back into members services operations. PRSM conducts annual financial review by a professional certified public accountant.
As of September 30, 2007
Total Assets:
$ 2,818,930
Total Liabilities:
$ 1,144,789
Total Liabilities & Net Assets:
$ 3,963,719
Membership
PRSM provides countless opportunities for personal growth and development for our members. PRSM is fully invested in the betterment of the retail facilities maintenance community, fulfilling the needs of its members and providing the forums for people to learn from each other.
Education
Education is the cornerstone of PRSM's commitment to the retail facility maintenance industry. PRSM host a mid-year meeting and a national annual conference. Both of these meetings provide attendees with top-notch educational sessions from industry and management experts.
In addition to education sessions offered at mid-year and national conference, PRSM has forums and publications available for all PRSM members.
The Retailer2Retailer (R2R) Best Practices Series is an opportunity for retailers to network, take a step away from their hectic schedules and discuss HOT topics such as HVAC maintenance/benchmarking, maintenance software, and career growth... just to name a few.
In the past year, fourteen (14) R2R events were hosted across the U.S. and Canada. Retailers collectively discussed best practices pertaining to budgets, vendor relations, and with energy prices on the rise, energy management was definitely a HOT topic! Ideas were shared for properly measuring and maintaining service quality, while still controlling expenses.
Shop Talk is a e-newsletter, a monthly publication that keeps retailers and vendors informed on the latest PRSM developments, including education, membership, industry news and other important retail maintenance information.
Professional Retail Store Maintenance is the official magazine of PRSM. It is produces 10 times a year, plus and annual buyer's guide. It is dedicated to bringing retail professionals the latest news, features, applications and product information for the facilities maintenance and operations field. Professional Retail Store Maintenance covers the facilities maintenance of all retail stores and restaurants, as well as, the maintenance of shopping centers and other retail-oriented facilities. Each issue, Professional Store Maintenance profiles a retail chain's maintenance department to let readers know how different companies are performing maintenance.
PRSM online serves as a valuable resource for the retail facilities professionals, offering important and timely information. It provides a membership database that allows members to research vendors and fellow retailers. It has facilities management resources that provides samples to guide members through the RFP process. The website features a live news feed to get the latest news surrounding the retail industry in areas such as: restaurants, retail, sales reports, grocery stores, and fashion.
The Retail Facilities Maintenance Professional (RFMP) was launched in 2007, this designation recognizes the professionalism of retail maintenance managers and promotes a uniform of standard of excellence in the industry. It helps provide career path information for retailers and identify professionals who have met quality and knowledge standards. RFMP professionals have demonstrated an aptitude in core skill sets, a commitment to the field and a desire to excel in a competitive industry. Those earning the RFMP designation will enter ranks of highly experienced, knowledgeable and capable professionals retail facilities maintenance.
