LAS VEGAS — Neal L. Williams Sr., chairman of N.A. Williams Co., was presented with the Martin Fromm Lifetime Achievement Award by AWDA at its 2009 annual conference on Sunday. This very selective award recognizes individuals who, over the course of many years, have distinguished themselves through their commitment to, and high level of performance within, the motor vehicle aftermarket. Recipients of this award are considered to be “backbones” of the industry. 
Neal’s father N.A. "Red" Williams founded the N.A. Williams Co. in 1934. After graduating from the University of Georgia and serving in the U.S. Army, Neal joined the family business in 1959. He served as company sales manager while covering the Georgia/Florida sales territory. Neal succeeded his father as president in 1975 and led the company through a period of tremendous growth. It remains a family enterprise — Neal’s sons also joined the business. Today, N.A. Williams covers a large portion of the U.S., with more than 200 field sales people and six offices around the country.
N.A. Williams was the first rep firm to join AWDA and they remain a strong and active member. It has been said that when Martin Fromm wanted to have manufacturer rep firms participate in the AWDA process, the first person he called was Neal Williams. Since that day, Neal has served on the Board of Governors and Manufacturers Council of AWDA. He was also a past officer for the Southern Automotive Show and is active in both civic and industry causes.
Jack Creamer, former president of AWDA noted that, “When you ask anyone about Neal, the word that seems to get repeated is ‘integrity’. If you can work for more than 50 years in this or any business, with that kind of reputation, then you must be doing something right!”
In presenting the award, AWDA Vice-Chairman David Segal added, “For those who know Neal, giving good advice, wise counsel and friendly encouragement are just a few of his positive contributions. Neal and his company have set standards for the Manufacturer Representative segment of the industry – and they have set them very high. Neal Williams has indeed been a backbone of our industry.”
