MIAMI, Fla. – On Saturday, April 13, 150-plus suppliers, employees, customers and special guests of the National Performance Warehouse Companies (NPW) gathered for an evening event that included cocktails, camaraderie, dining and awards. The second-annual CARS Expo Awards Banquet took place at the Marriott Hotel in Santa Clara, Calif.
In continuing a tradition from the company’s Miami operations, awards were presented in five categories. In the performance category, titled High Gear Awards, winners were:
* First Place, "Nitro" category: Gotelli Speed Shop
* Second Place: Bell and Gaines
* Third Place: DenBeste/Speedway Motorsports
Gotelli Speed Shop has won this position for the second year.
In the traditional category, NPW named the Automotive Partnership Awards, which were presented to:
* First Place: "Overdrive" category: Winchester Auto Stores
* Second Place: Weaver’s Auto Parts
* Third Place: Divide Auto Parts
Winchester Auto Stores and Weaver’s Auto Parts have won the top honors two years in a row in their categories.
The Rep of the Year went to Mark Hernandez of the UCI/FRAM Group and the Suppliers of the Year were Dorman Products in the traditional category and Redhorse Fittings in the performance category.
This year’s Hall of Fame awards went to two reps: Tom Allen, one of the founders of Ballard and Allen, and to Michael Rao, principal of R&R Marketing. The third award went to Rich Dozer of Performance Auto, a long-established performance outlet in Calif.
Larry Pacey, president and CEO of NPW Companies, commented, “I said the show would be better and I am happy to see that we were able to deliver. I want to thank the vendors and jobbers who made the show more successful and interesting. I also want to recognize our employees who put on a great show on top of moving and assembling our new San Jose Warehouse.”
