CHANTILLY, VA — Late last month during the International Big R Show in Las Vegas, the Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association recognized two individuals with Honorary Member Awards.
APRA Past Chairman Steve Fallen, a second generation electrical rebuilder, was one of two men recently honored with the award.
Fallen literally grew up at Ennis Automotive, the company founded by his father more than forty years ago. Located in Ennis, Texas, Ennis Automotive is a major supplier of replacement armatures, rotors, stators and other components, both rewound and new, to other electrical rebuilders.
Fallen began his full-time career at Ennis in 1972, after college and a brief stint in the Army, and has spent many years actively performing and supervising company functions in purchasing, inventory control, human resources, health and safety, sales, customer relations and financial management.
Fallen’s participation and attendance at APRA functions and meetings predates his full time employment. He became a member of the Electrical Institute Board of Governors serving as its chairman in 1990.
He also served as the regional director for APRA’s Region III in 1993 before joining the executive committee as its secretary in 1994, and serving as APRA chairman in 1999. On several occasions over the years, he has opened Ennis Automotive for visits and tours by APRA members.
APRA’s First Vice Chairman, Mike Hill, also presented Mel Jones with APRA’s distinguished Honorary Member Award last month. Mel was the former owner of Accupart International, Inc. in Carson City, Nevada. He retired from service to the company in August 2004.
During the presentation, Mike expressed to the crowd the depth of Mel’s dedication to the industry, describing him as a mentor to all in APRA’s Heavy Duty Brake Division. He credited Mel with being instrumental in providing solutions to the seemingly insurmountable challenges that everyone in the business has faced over the last 30 years. Mel was not only a very savvy businessman, but he went beyond being a just a boss and devoted himself to the well-being of the people that depended on him.
“Mel’s list of friends and customers runs parallel, and I am proud to be included in their number,” concluded Mike Hill.
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