ELKHART, IN -- Joel Ayres, national marketing director, Leer, Division Truck Accessories Group (TAG), Inc. was recently honored by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) with the 2006 Person of the Year Award. Ayres was presented with the award at the SEMA Show's Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas.

Created in 1969, the Person of the Year Award honors individuals for their distinguished service to the trade association and the specialty equipment industry. Ayres, who serves on the SEMA Board of Directors and is the Board’s liaison to the Light Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA) Select Committee, has been in the truck accessory business since 1972.

"To be recognized by my peers means more to me than anything,” said Ayres. “There's not a job title or any amount of money in the world that compares. I am humbly honored."

Ayres is no stranger to the automotive industry. In the late ’60s, his father founded Ayr-Way, one of the first fiberglass cap companies and Joel went to work for the company after majoring in business at the University of Northern Iowa. He later worked for Guidon Truck Covers as general manager until 1991 when he went to work for Leer and TAG. Ayres also chairs the Leer Marketing Council, which has been providing product direction for future growth.

Ayres was named to the LTAA Hall of Fame in 2005, joining his dad as the only father/son inductees to be so honored. Ayres is an acknowledged leader both in LTAA and SEMA and has worked tirelessly to improve the truck cap and accessory industry. He currently chairs LTAA’s new Charity Committee and recently received the annual Chairman’s Award for outstanding contributions to LTAA and the aftermarket industry. Ayers also chairs the committee to establish a permanent SEMA Hall of Fame and History exhibit.

In addition, Ayres works with Child Help ( http://www.childhelpusa.org ) whose mission is to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of abused and neglected children, and Victory Junction Gang Camp, ( http://www.victoryjunction.org ) an organization that enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. His passion for children’s charities extends in an ever widening circle. Ayres founded Big Brothers of Northeastern Indiana and was first Chairman of the board at age 21 (as well as being a big brother). He volunteered to teach at New Comers High School in San Francisco helping new immigrant children from all over the world get acclimated to the Public school system and was the driving force behind an intramural basketball tournament, mixing teams with children from different countries to learn how to cooperate with each other. He volunteered for two years at Sacramento Sutter Hospital Child Care unit and now serves on the Heartgallery of Sacramento Board of Directors. Heartgallery assists older foster children in getting adopted and finding permanent families.