comprised of companies that distribute and manufacture the components that keep your world running smoothly.
Established in 1960 as the Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Distributors Association, PTDA membership is composed primarily of distributors and manufacturers of power transmission/motion control product. In 1963, the organization’s name changed to the Power Transmission Distributors Association. Below is a decade-by-decade glance at some milestones in PTDA’s history.
In 1969, the Association released its first Power Transmission Handbook which has become the industry resource for power transmission/motion control basic information as well as a self-study program to assist in the development of product knowledge and application skills
During the ’70s, the Association developed its first product training film and its first Long-Range Planning Committee which helped PTDA chart its future direction
The ’80s marked the creation of the Manufacturer Council (initially called the Allied Council) to ensure that manufacturers’ voice was heard in the Association and the industry
During the ’90s, PTDA created the first Cross-Compensation Survey and launched a training video series to complement the Power Transmission Handbook. In 1999, PTDA introduced the Product and Price Information Format (PPIF), which simplifies electronic transmission of product and price data from suppliers to distributors by replacing customized pricing formats with a standardized one.
In 2004, the PTDA Annual Convention became the PTDA Industry Summit.
PTDA unveiled a new strategic plan to guide the Association’s growth from 2012-2016 and from 2017-2020. In 2012 and again in 2017, PTDA aligned its volunteer committee structure with the new strategic plan.
For more PTDA history highlights, see links below. PTDA Highlights: 2000-2012 PTDA Highlights: 1990s PTDA Highlights: 1980s PTDA Highlights: 1970s PTDA Highlights: 1960s