Zarbock, who completed his second term as president of the ASAEF board of trustees, was the first to pass the final exam and earn his certificate.

According to ASAEF officials, students of the Essentials course quickly acquire a command of the most important concepts in distribution economics. In 10 chapters, they learn about how margin differs from markup, as well as about income statements and how changes in prices, cost of good sold and elimination of errors affect the bottom line.

Each chapter is followed by self-correcting quizzes so students can manage their own learning and test their own comprehension. A glossary helps students pick up the language of distribution and speeds up their ability to communicate effectively with customers.

At the completion of the course, a final exam is taken and submitted to the ASA Education Foundation for grading. Certificates are awarded to all who receive a passing grade on their final exam.

"As president of the ASAEF board of trustees, I have supported the Essentials project since the beginning and couldn't wait to see the finished product," stated Zarbock.

The Essentials of Profitable PHCP Distribution was introduced to the industry's leaders at a "Train-the-Trainer" seminar held during the 2002 ASA annual convention in October. The foundation is planning several additional workshops in 2003.