Membership that Matters - AFFLINK Launches Stakeholder Equity Program

If you’ve ever had the chance to visit the AFFLINK headquarters in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, you probably noticed their vision statement proudly displayed on a large acrylic sign as soon as you step off the elevator. In that statement, you’ll see it highlights just exactly where the organization wants to be – “…essential to the long-term success of its stakeholders.” And with the new Stakeholder Equity program launched in 2017, the leading sales and marketing organization in the industry has done just that.

Rewarding their Members for loyalty and growth, Stakeholder Equity is a rebate-matching program completely funded by AFFLINK. The concept is simple: Members grow with the Suppliers that are part of the group, and a percentage of those rebates earned annually will be matched by AFFLINK and paid to the Member once they achieve certain pre-determined “milestones.”

“There is no up-front investment, no confusing levels of membership, and no obligation to the Member,” says AFFLINK President Dennis Riffer. “Stakeholder Equity is simply a program that our Advisory Board came up with to take this organization beyond what other groups are doing in the industry to drive long-term value and Member equity that improves the longevity of the Membership as a whole.”

Categorized into three vesting periods, AFFLINK Members will accrue funds based on their rebates that vest after five, eight and 12 years at a rate of 10%, 12% and 15%, respectively, provided they achieve established growth criteria in eligible Supplier purchases.

“It’s their money,” Riffer continues. “Over and above what rebates they may receive from our Suppliers, we are setting aside additional revenue that, once the Member meets a milestone, they can either choose to cash out or roll it over to accrue at an even higher percentage rate.”

To put it into perspective, a Member who spends $10MM annually with AFFLINK preferred suppliers and receives a 2% rebate payout would be looking at a nest-egg of nearly $500,000 after 12 years to reinvest, retire with, or hand down to the next generation business owner!

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