ATSSA members make the difference

In recent years, ATSSA has been holding member company presentations, where association members speak about their company’s products, practices, and involvement with the association staff.

In November, ATSSA hosted the President of Guidemark and LimnTech Scientific, Inc. Doug Dolinar. Guidemark has been a member company of ATSSA for more than 20 years. Hill & Smith Marketing & Regional Sales Manager Cecil Brown also presented information about his company, which has been a member since it was formed in 1989.

“ATSSA is where you learn about new processes, new technologies, and new ideas—especially relative to safety,” Dolinar said. “It's important to connect with likeminded owners and to learn what's going on out there.”

Brown said Hill & Smith values a number of things that ATSSA does. Early on in the history of the company, he said ATSSA membership served as a means for the company staff to connect with potential customers by participating in events like ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

“The ATSSA Expo is the biggest event in our industry every year and we take advantage of that to talk about our product [and] also to network and meet people who have a common goal of improving traffic safety,” Brown said.
In addition to the Expo, Brown spoke about information and the educational opportunities made available to members including, web seminars, publications, and emails. He sees the chapter meetings as one of the most beneficial aspects of being an ATSSA member.

“At chapter meetings, we can meet, talk about the issues, and we can share information and ideas,” Brown said. “That's really where ATSSA sets itself apart.”

Dolinar said ATSSA’s emphasis on safety is in sync with the issue being dealt with in the larger transportation industry.

“Over the years, there's been more of an emphasis on safety. We're appreciative of more emphasis on protecting our workers but there's a lot left to be done,” Dolinar said. “The fact that the DOTs are establishing better traffic control requirements to protect the workers, not just motorists, continues to improve roadway safety.”

Brown said the focus on safety has greatly increased over the years, especially with improved products and technologies.

“Considering smart work zones, we’re able to send messages to drivers to alert them of stopped traffic ahead -- that was something that didn't exist that long ago,” Brown said. “As we become a world that is unfortunately filled with distracted driving, trying to continue to be at the forefront of providing products and technologies that relay those messages but also have noninteractive messages so if smart messages aren’t comprehended or received, you still provide the full picture.”

ATSSA Vice President of Member Services Donna Clark said the association is involved in every aspect of roadway infrastructure safety and it is important to take unified stances on major issues and key initiatives within the industry in order to increase safety on our nation’s roadways.

“ATSSA allows its member companies to present one voice for the roadway infrastructure safety industry. Today it is essential to stand together as we work to reach Toward Zero Deaths on our roads,” Clark said. “If you are in the industry, it is a vital time to connect with your counterparts and be educated on new technology, relevant issues, and different countermeasures that are being implemented to decrease traffic fatalities and injuries. There are countless benefits to being a member of our association and we encourage everyone in the industry to work with us to make our roads safer, especially with the emergence of Connected and Automated Vehicles.”

Additionally, Clark said holding member presentations are extremely valuable to staff members.

“We started holding member company presentations because we felt it was important for our staff members to fully grasp the daily operations of our members and the roles that they take on in the roadway safety industry,” Clark said. “ATSSA has seen great success with these presentations, as they have allowed staff to better understand how association members increase roadway safety.”

For more information on membership, visit the ATSSA Member Center.