Aftermarket Pioneer Neal Williams Sr. Honored as Northwood University Outstanding Business Leader

Recognized as one of the leading figures in the automotive aftermarket industry, Neal Williams joined his family's business, the N. A. Williams Co., an aftermarket representative agency, in 1959 after graduating from the University of Georgia and serving in the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corp.

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Northwood University, the only accredited university in the nation offering both Automotive Marketing Management and Aftermarket Management degrees, recently honored Neal Williams Sr., chairman of N.A. Williams Co., as one of nine nationally known business men and women at its 32nd Annual Outstanding Business Leader Awards. A gala celebrating this year’s honorees was held Jan. 21 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. Northwood's Keith Pretty with Honoree Neal Williams Sr.

Recognized as one of the leading figures in the automotive aftermarket industry, Neal Williams joined his family’s business, the N. A. Williams Co., an aftermarket representative agency, in 1959 after graduating from the University of Georgia and serving in the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corp.

After entering the company as a territory salesman and progressing to sales manager, president and chairman, Williams grew the N. A. Williams Co. to become the country’s largest automotive agency. Having flourished from a six-man sales team to more than 100, the conglomerate is now recognized as the country’s largest automotive agency.

Founded in 1934, by William’s father Neal (Red) Williams, the enterprise serves accounts such as CARQUEST, NAPA Genuine Parts, AutoZone, Advance Auto, O’Reilly and more.

Widely respected due to his integrity, vision, knowledge and insight, Williams is renowned as one of the leading figures in the automotive aftermarket industry. Nationally recognized for his ability to promote tremendous growth and expansion, he also is acclaimed as one of the first in his industry to offer profit sharing and healthcare programs to his employees.

Recently presented with the Martin Fromm Lifetime Achievement Award by the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), the N. A. Williams Co. also was selected as “The Georgia Family Business of the Year.”

Active in both industry and civic causes, Williams is a member of the Board of Trustees at Darlington School, the Board of Governors and Manufacturers Council of AWDA, the Alexis Tocqueville Society and The Pals Club. He also serves as an elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Northwood University annually recognizes a select group of men and women for their business achievements and for their support and exemplary leadership of the communities in which they live and work. These individuals serve as role models for Northwood University students, all of whom are engaged in the study of business management and who aspire to successful careers. In the 32 years since the program’s founding, more than 300 business leaders from more than 30 states and several countries, representing dozens of industries and fields of business expertise, have received the Outstanding Business Leader Award.

Northwood’s Class of 2012 Outstanding Business Leaders also includes:

• Jose Maria Alapont, President and CEO, Federal-Mogul Corp.

• Keith Crain, Chairman, Crain Communications

• Valerie Freeman, Founder, Imprimis Group, Inc.

• Jerome Fullinwider, Founder and Vice Chairman, Hillwood International Energy

• Peter Georgescu, Chairman Emeritus of Young & Rubicam, Inc.

• John Hantz, President and CEO of Hantz Group Inc.

• Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation

• Mary Ellen Sheets, Founder of Two Men and a Truck/International, Inc.