JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Parts House (TPH) selected Dorman as the recipient of its prestigious 2011 Vendor of the Year Award at this year’s GOLD RUSH Sales & Marketing Summit in Jacksonville, Fla., in January, according to Brian Mendelson, VP of Sales for TPH.
This year’s summit was a first for TPH, gathering 150 salespeople and customer service experts, all of whom are focused on assisting their customers out of the company’s 31 locations. The event also brought in 70 of TPH’s top vendors for a weekend full of training, networking and recognition for a job well done. The Vendor of the Year Award was accepted by Scott Thomas, Dorman’s regional sales director. “Dorman is extremely pleased to be named Vendor of the Year by TPH,” Thomas said. "Dorman’s partnership with TPH has never been stronger. Our relationship with TPH has allowed us to provide the independent professional installer with access to many new products never before available in the aftermarket. I look forward to continuing our mutual success in 2012 and beyond.” More than honoring the long and fruitful relationship between Dorman and TPH, the award also celebrated the life and work of Richard N. Berman, Dorman’s chairman of the board who had passed almost a year to date of the award. The award was presented by TPH COO David Miller who said, "I, like many of you, believe that people buy from people. In the early years of TPH we carried three major lines, ACDelco, Motorcraft, VW and a handful of other stuff. One of my first jobs was to buy the other stuff, and one of the most persistent salesmen was a guy named Richard. I finally understood his passion as I became aware that he literally was the company — R&B/Dorman. Over the next 30 years, I continued to buy from Richard, sometimes a little sometimes a lot, but the constant remained Richard and his enthusiasm. I considered Richard to be a friend. It was amazing to watch him go from selling his stuff — from nuts, bolts, and trinkets, to being a major supplier in the aftermarket. Unfortunately Richard Berman passed away last year. I know how proud he would be that I announce Dorman Automotive as The Parts House Vendor of the year in 2012."
