BPGI and TriMega wish to jointly advise the industry that effective January 1, 2012, TriMega will resign their membership in BPGI. The resignation is the result of differences in strategic direction by the two organizations and TriMega’s view that they are no longer in a position to jointly negotiate contracts effectively under the BPGI model.

“We are obviously disappointed that TriMega will be leaving us. As a founding member of BPGI they have been a valued partner for 15 years and have made a significant contribution towards the global success of our organization,” stated Jim Preston, CEO of BPGI. “We appreciate their support and wish them well as they proceed independently. BPGI remains a strong and vibrant organization representing its remaining 20 members and their 3,500 dealers on three continents. We will continue to work hard to bring outstanding value to our dealers and vendors as we always have, ” he remarked.

“We appreciate what BPGI and Jim Preston have done for TriMega members and the entire independent dealer community since its inception,” said Charlie Cleary, President of TriMega. “The growth and success of the TriMega organization and its membership is attributable to the efforts of Jim, the members of BPGI, and the commitment to growing global purchasing power. With a rapidly changing industry, new strategic alliances and a continued TriMega focus on manufacturer-direct relationships, we believe this resignation is the best move for our members,” Cleary continued “We feel extremely confident that this decision will ensure TriMega members the best possible positioning as they compete against the national players in their markets. As always, we wish Jim Preston, the remaining BPGI buying group members, and the independent dealer community continued success in 2012 and beyond, he concluded.

TriMega will operate in their regular role as a member of BPGI until the close of 2011.