FEATURE Story:
Jim Warren, long time VP of Merchandising for the 50-store Car Toys chain will replace Ray Windsor as Executive Director of the Elite Distributor Alliance (EDA), a 12 volt distributor group.
Effective January 1, 2018, Warren will be responsible for overseeing the day to day administration, programs, and strategic planning of The EDA.
Windsor, who helped found the EDA, the industry’s first distributor group, will retire from the organization and will semi-retire from work, he said. (See separate story).
Warren said, “I am excited about the quality of EDA’s membership, the needs of the retailer community served, and the excitement suppliers have toward the EDA mission. The foundation is solid – the opportunity tremendous. It will be an honor to work alongside such a group of professionals.”
The EDA is owned by its approximate 11 distributor members. EDA was formed in 2015 as a collective of distributors and suppliers committed to improving the flow of product to dealers.
Member suppliers of EDA include Atrend, VOXX, First Integrated Technologies, Kleinn Automotive, Metra, Scopion, UNO by Hertz, Race Sport, Fortin, JVC, Kicker,and Kenwood.
Warren served as Senior VP Merchandising at Car Toys from 1997 to 2006 and then again from 2010 to the present. During the four years in between posts at Car Toys he was SVP Sales & Marketing at Harman.
I am sure Jim will “outbrain” all the members of EDA and squeeze the last bit of profit out of the deal for the suppliers.