The Specialty Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (SEMA) named P&E Distributors as the 2009 Warehouse Distributor of the Year during it’s annual Industry Awards Banquet on November 5th, at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Tennessee-based, family-owned and operated business represents more than 250 product lines and was previously named WD of the Year in 2004.
A great deal of time and consideration goes into deciding who will receive the SEMA Wholesale Distributor of the Year award. Each potential candidate is evaluated using a very well defined list of criteria. A nominee must first be a SEMA-member to be eligible and then be judged on the following: Customer Support, Industry Service and Warehouse Operations. Accepting the 2009 award was SEMA Board of Director’s member Donnie Eatherly, P&E Distributors’ president and co-owner.
“I want to thank my entire team for their hard work and continual dedication to the company,” said Eatherly. “We are a third generation company now as my sons are now involved in the business. But, our staff is like an extension of our family. They work hard for this business and this industry every day and we appreciate their efforts. I also want to thank SEMA and the selection committee for recognizing us.”
P&E has been a family owned business in Nashville, Tennessee for more than 40-years and was started in the early 1960’s by Donnie’s father, J.D. Eatherly. Mr. Eatherly saw the need for a REAL speed shop in the middle Tennessee area so he added room in the back of his already established service center and Rayco Racing Division was born. Rayco Racing Division ultimiately changed it’s name to Tennessee Speed Sport and started it’s warehouse distribution side of the business under the name P&E Distributors, Inc. In 1995 Mr. eatherly sold the entire operation to his two sons, Steve and Donnie. Currently, the third generation is hard at work within as the business as Steve and Donnie’s sons are learning their way through the business.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) was founded in 1963 by a group of speed and specialty equipment manufacturers who saw the need for an organized effort to both promote and protect the interests of those involved in the automotive aftermarket. Through the years, SEMA has become the main representative for the $32 billion international specialty automotive industry of over 5,700 member companies. It is the authoratative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles.
For more information about P&E Distributors you can contact their headquarters at 709 Rivergate Parkway, Goodlettsville, TN 37072; phone at (615) 851-8060; or visit www.pedistributors.com. For more information about SEMA you can contact their headquarters at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765; phone at (909) 396-0289; or visit www.sema.org.
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P&E Distributors Team with 2009 SEMA WD of the Year Award
Donnie Eatherly
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