Local businessman takes top honors at national trade show

Local businessman

takes top honors at national trade show

The Specialty

Equipment Market Association selected Peachtree City's Mitch L. Williams,

president and COO of Hella Inc., as its 2001 SEMA Person of the Year.

The announcement

of the award was made during the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week,

Oct. 30 - Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, Nev.

As president

and COO of Hella, Williams is responsible for aftermarket sales, special

OEM sales, marketing, and distribution activities. The firm serves the

U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean with a aftermarket and OEM lighting and

electronic products for the automotive, marine, heavy-duty truck, and

agricultural markets.

The Specialty

Equipment Market Association annually awards the SEMA Person of the Year

distinction in recognition of outstanding contributions to the industry.

Williams was

noted for his leadership in creating new tools for SEMA members to develop

their international business, both from a buying and selling standpoint.

He also was cited for his work in developing a quality initiative for

SEMA members that will enable them to offer more competitive products

and compete for more business opportunities.

Williams has

been in the high performance parts, accessory, and automotive lighting

industry for 26 years. He began his career in 1975 as coordinator of performance

activities for S.E.V. Corporation (now Valeo Corporation), serving the

company for nine years.

In 1985, he

joined Hella Inc. in Cranford, N.J., as eastern regional manager. After

three record-breaking years managing Hella's East Coast business, he was

appointed the company's youngest president at age 32.

During his

tenure, the company has become one of the largest Hella sales companies

worldwide, leading all Hella sales companies in annual sales revenue increases

five times.

Williams was

elected to the SEMA Board of Directors in 1998, reelected in 2000, and

in 2001 became a member of the SEMA Executive Committee.

During his

tenure on the SEMA Board, he has worked with several committees and task

forces, including the Nominating Committee, as chairman of the International

Task Force, and helped create the SEMA Lighting Committee.

He also serves

on the Board of Directors of the Auto International Association and has

chaired its Accessory Institute. He has served on the Hella Inc. Board

of Directors for 13 years. He has authored a number of articles on driving

safety, and he remains one of the leading American experts on driving

safety issues.

An Atlanta

native, Williams graduated from Emory University. He lives with his wife

and son in Peachtree City.

Hella Inc.

is a member of the Hella North America group of companies, a subsidiary

of Hella KG, Hueck & Company, of Lippstadt, Germany. Hella is a worldwide

leader of advanced automotive lighting and electronics technology, marketed

in over 150 countries with approximately $2.5 billion in sales globally.

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