It's no secret that human-resource development in the wholesale-distribution industry lags behind other businesses. With little emphasis on employee development, it's no wonder potential employees don't consider distributors to be employers of choice. The failure to develop people and meet workers' needs might explain the perennial challenge of finding and retaining top-quality employees.

The Distribution Research and Education Foundation (DREF), run by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), Washington, D.C., has released a new book to help improve training and development entitled “Smart Investments: Developing Top Performers in Wholesale Distribution.”

“Smart Investments” presents five strategies successful distributors use to find and retain top-quality employees:

• Integrate training activity with business strategies.

• Form partnerships with training personnel.

• Develop a strategic training plan.

• Engage everyone in training activity and hold them accountable.

• Utilize creative solutions to overcome obstacles.

To order “Smart Investments,” visit www.naw.org/smart/ or call NAW at (202) 872-0885.

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