About MMII

History:

The history of the Marketing and Management Institute dates to 1977 when Dr. Brian G. Long and Dr. Ross R. Reck decided to begin conducting "C.P.M. review" seminars for the Southwestern Michigan Association of Purchasing Management. In 1977, seminars were not something that were commonly available for many purchasing professionals. The concept of a seminar designed for those people who aspired to become Certified Purchasing Managers was even newer. These seminars were successful, and were soon offered to other local associations around the country in cities such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Detroit, and Salt Lake City.

In 1978, additional seminar topics were offered as the demand for other seminars grew. Initially, Drs. Reck and Long adapted the name of "Purchasing Educators Institute" to reflect the purchasing nature of the seminars. "Purchasing Fundamentals" and "Purchasing Negotiations" were among these early offerings. In-house presentations became part of the regular work of the firm.

1978 also saw the introduction of "Purchasing Pointers," a biweekly newsletter aimed at improving purchasing performance. This publication, published by the Economics Press of Fairfield, New Jersey, was followed in 1980 by a similar publication entitled "Common Sense Negotiations." Both publications were circulated for many years. However, both have run their course and are no longer in print.

In 1984, Drs. Long and Reck began work on the book, The Win-Win Negotiator. The book was commissioned and initially published in 1985 by Blanchard Training and Development Company, the firm who brought us the very successful One Minute Manager under the coauthorship of Dr. Kenneth Blanchard. At that same time, it was decided to change the name of the firm to the present name of "Marketing and Management Institute, Inc." to reflect a more general title for publication purposes. The book was republished in 1988 by Pocket Books, a division of Simon and Schuester. Other versions in Japanese, Portuguese, German, and Spanish were to follow.

Dr. Reck left the firm in 1986 to pursue other interests. Dr. Long began offering a new version of the "Purchasing Negotiations" seminar in the fall of that year which advocated the contemporary "Win-Win" approach to negotiations. Initially, the "Win-Win" approach was a tough sell. It did not reflect the obnoxious "tough as nails" image that traditional purchasers thought was essential for success. However, the times were changing. New concepts like systems contracts, JIT, partnering, strategic alliances, supplier certification, and other contemporary ways of doing business called for a new method of negotiation and a new set of skills for the purchasing professional. By the late 1980's, the "Win-Win" concept had developed a loyal following which has continued to grow. Thousands of people have now attended the current "Purchasing Negotiations" seminar, including purchasers for well over 480 of the "Fortune 500."

Today, Marketing and Management Institute offers seminars in many major cities of the United States. In addition to "Purchasing Negotiations," other topics include "Purchasing Fundamentals," and "Introduction to Price Forecasting and Cost Analysis." In the fall of 1997, M.M.I. introduced a new seminar entitled "Purchasing on the Internet," a contemporary view of the latest tool for purchasing professionals.

M.M.I. also conducts numerous in-house seminars for firms such as Standard Oil, Occidental Petroleum, Motorola, U. S. West, Siemens, Eaton, Cardiac Pacemaker, Northwest Airlines, Howmet, Bectel, Union Texas Petroleum, Lamb Technicon, Cummins Engine, and many others.

In 2007, Dr. Long decided to begin winding down the business in anticipation of eventual retirement. Public seminars were discontinued. Shortly thereafter, after many years of service, it was decided to disband the corporation altogether.