Warren Cato hopes to be a catalyst of change in the industry. After nearly a year of talking with other small to mid-sized independent sales organizations in the industry, the chief executive of Marietta, Ga.-based ISO Cabe and Cato Inc. says many ISOs have concerns about the future that need to be addressed.
"The time has come where the voices of those who actually operate ATMs unify and be heard by those who can actually have a negative impact on our industry," Cato said. "We must become proactive and stop just reacting to issues that impact the common goals of ISO and ATM operators."
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| (Photograph by Tracy Kitten) Jason Kuhn of WRG Services Inc., left, and Jim Cabe of Cabe and Cato, address the ISO group at NAAIO's Feb. 21 reception. |
Cato and a handful of other ISOs representatives, including Mike Stevenson, the chief executive of Willoughby, Ohio-based WRG Services Inc., have spearheaded an initiative to give ISOs a unified voice. Through a new ISO-driven organization called the National Association of ATM ISOs & Operators (NAAIO), Cato and Stevenson say they can address ISO-centric concerns, such as shrinking profit margins, U.S. market saturation, tiered surcharging, operator agreement rules and regulatory compliance, to name a few.
"WRG Services Inc. supports NAAIO because it offers an opportunity and a forum for ATM ISOs and operators to band together and have their collective voice heard on important industry issues that are unique to the group," Stevenson said.
During the ATM Industry Association's Conference East in Orlando last week, NAAIO introduced its ideas to the industry at large. Between 150 and 175 industry representatives attended a Feb. 21 reception NAAIO held at the Caribe Royale Resort, the site of ATMIA's conference.
No one from ATMIA was present at the meeting, but representatives from both organizations say they are exploring synergies and opportunities for collaboration.
"This group is focused on the U.S.-based independent ATM operator," said Tom Mortimer, executive vice president of Bloomington, Ill.-based ISO Kahuna Business Group and the newly elected president of NAAIO. "We're not a competitor of ATMIA, we just want to have a voice for the ISO industry. ATMIA is a global organization; we are not."
Tom Mortimer met with ATMIA's executive board during the conference to discuss NAAIO's goals for the upcoming year.
After that meeting, Mike Lee, ATMIA's chief executive, said ATMIA hopes to maintain a dialogue with NAAIO as the two organizations move forward.
"We want to keep the door open for communication with NAAIO and establish a system of liaise," he said. "It's important to promote and protect the ISO cause."
Lee added that the strong foundation ATMIA has built over the last 10 years can only benefit ISOs as they work to identify ways to strengthen their collective voice in the industry.
"We believe the ISO operates within a triangular relationship between sponsoring banks, ISOs and networks, and that we are the only independent body who can facilitate ongoing communication between these three groups. We already have committees doing that," he said.
 "We're not a competitor of ATMIA, we just want to have a voice for the ISO industry. ATMIA is a global organization; we are not."- Tom Mortimer, Kahuna Business Group |
"We definitely think we could work with ATMIA," he said.
NAAIO named its board of directors and elected officers during the reception. The board includes Steven Burns, Warren Cato of Cabe and Cato , Lawrence Exe of Business Resource Group, Hak Meier, Tom Mortimer of Kahuna Business Group, Michael Pruett of FedCorp, Christopher Schnieper, Mike Stevenson of WRG, Darryl Ware and Arthur Wright. Elected officers include Mortimer, president; Pruett, vice president; Exe, secretary; and Cato, treasurer.
For more information about NAAIO, visit the organization's Web site.
