AIM/R caught up with Brian Burke, Principal, Burke Agency, Inc. in Michigan. Burke Agency is a long-standing member of AIM/R. Many of you know that Brian is an AIM/R Past President (2014 – 2015) and affectionately referred to as the “AIM/R Historian.” That is another story for another time. Read on for his Rep Agency’s “story.”

Q: When did you join AIM/R and what or who motivated you to do so?

My father George Burke joined AIM/R in 1985 and attended his first conference in Boston. He had heard that AIM/R was only for large warehousing reps, a function Burke Agency did not offer at that time. However, he was welcomed enthusiastically by the reps that attended, and he was hooked - Dad loved the conference. I then accompanied him to the next conference in Nashville and became a passionate member of the group as well. At that time, most of the conference sessions were put on by other reps, and it was amazing to hear firsthand how these successful leaders ran their companies. Everyone openly shared their approach to the rep business.

My path to eventually joining the AIM/R Board of Directors and becoming the President of AIM/R was a bit unusual. In the 1980’s, Michigan had our own local rep agency trade association. We had about twenty-five members and we met monthly for lunch. One of the reps would oversee bringing in a speaker for each meeting. We of course had the usual fare - legal, financial, insurance, or HR speakers. The most popular and interesting sessions were when we invited a distributor to be our guest speaker. We simply asked them how reps could do a better job for their company – and then listened. They loved it!

Some members of our Michigan rep trade association were also members of AIM/R like Burke Agency, maybe a third of the agencies. We eventually voted to join AIM/R as a group and we became the only AIM/R State Chapter. In return, AIM/R gave our “Michigan Chapter of AIM/R” a permanent seat on the AIM/R Board of Directors. This is how I eventually joined the national AIM/R board, as our Michigan representative.

I went on to serve on the board for many years, including twice as the annual conference chair, and as the President of AIM/R in 2014. In later years, I also proudly served on the board of the ASA Education Foundation and the 2 on behalf of AIM/R. Although it was a big commitment, AIM/R has been a very rewarding experience, both personally and professionally.

Q: What sets your agency apart?

Our agency is built on a foundation of teamwork, trust, and integrity. First, our agency is one team. We support each other and all have the same goal – superior customer service for our business partners, and market share growth for our products. Our manufacturer clients and trade customers know that they have a true business partner in Burke Agency, one that has their best interests in mind. When they ask us to resolve a problem, they know it will be taken care of ASAP, and with integrity. I sometimes tell our team, with tongue firmly in cheek, that our job is to manage chaos. The naturally competing interests of manufacturers, distributors, and contractors can often create a little bit of chaos(!) The most successful reps know how to manage this conflict - and in doing so, create an opportunity.

Q: As a rep, how does your company define success?If we provide exceptional service and truly become a partner to our manufacturer clients and trade customers, success will follow.

Q: What components of AIM/R have you valued and utilized?

During our 40 years as a member of AIM/R, the annual conference stands out as the most rewarding aspect of the trade association. What we have learned in the conference sessions and, more importantly, in the hallway networking with our rep peers, has literally infiltrated and fortified every aspect of our organization. We also have taken advantage of the 3-year Certified Professional Manufacturers’ Representative (CPMR) rep certification program, which is sponsored by AIM/R. CPMR is an executive education program for independent reps, with a special focus on strategic planning. We have four graduates from the CPMR program at Burke Agency, and one additional person enrolled today.

Q: Is there anything you have taken away from recent AIM/R conferences &  implemented within Burke Agency?

For the last 10 years, my partner John Burke and I have been transitioning our agency to a new generation of leaders. AIM/R provided the road map. At the AIM/R conference, and at CPMR, we learned what our manufacturers wanted in a rep leadership transition, the various legal and financial strategies we might consider and, most importantly, how our rep peers were navigating this critical process. “Here’s what worked, and here’s what didn’t…”  What more could you want?

Q: What are you the proudest of today?

Burke Agency is celebrating our 50th anniversary! George Burke and son Bob Burke started the agency at the kitchen table in 1975, and their first big line was Olsonite Seats. Olsonite was purchased by Bemis Manufacturing many years later, and we still proudly represent this company. Also, in December 1975, Delta Faucet took a big risk and hired our new agency to be their rep in Michigan. In January 2025, we were awarded the prestigious Delta Faucet “Rep of the Year” award! In fact, in 2025 Burke Agency was awarded three “Rep of the Year” awards from Delta Faucet Company, InSinkErator, and OmegaFlex TracPipe.

In addition to these two 50-year relationships, we have several 40+ year partnerships. This includes Bradford White Water Heaters, BrassCraft Manufacturing, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry, and Woodford Manufacturing. (By the way, my dad retired in 1989 and is still going strong at 101 years old!)

Q: How do you see our industry and the rep’s place in it over the next 5 years, and what does Burke Agency look like?

Like our manufacturers and customers, independent reps will become larger and offer a greater suite of services to the industry. We have evolved from small firms or “road warriors” living out of the car, to multi-disciplinary, full-service organizations that offer an array of internal and external services. For example, today many agencies now offer installation and warranty services to their manufacturers and contractors, a new revenue stream for independent reps. I believe this “installed services” trend will continue to grow.

And of course, everyone agrees that artificial intelligence will have a dramatic impact on our industry – but at this juncture, there is little consensus on how. Independent reps like Burke Agency serve as a nexus between various industry organizations. Because of this, I believe reps are best positioned to lead the way with the implementation of AI in our space. Local rep organizations exist close to the markets they serve, see the market evolving earlier than most, and react quickly. A.I. means change. And reps, by definition, embrace change.

Jennifer Rodriguez, CPMR is the  EVP of Marsh & Moore, Inc.; AIM/R Board of Directors; and SVP Industry & PR.