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Reflections on 60 Years from our President
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60 years ago, Eric Ward and Bill Davis formed Ward/Davis Associates as a manufacturer’s representative Company in the State of California. The Company grew quickly and expanded from selling Test & Measurement equipment to include a Video Division selling training equipment to businesses including teaching classes in video production and employee training and development.
In 1968, the Company merged with Glassco Mfg. Co which was a public Company and emerged as its majority shareholder. The resulting Company was named Kratos Inc and acquired several additional Companies. The resulting acquisitions and the US economy contributed to a decline in business at which time, Kratos decided to sell the Representative Company. Nine then-current employees purchased Ward/Davis and initiated business in November of 1970.
From 1970 until today, the Company has been a Test & Measurement sales representative Company. During the past 50 years, the Company has founded and sold a number of ventures including a Computer peripheral distribution Company, a Telcom distribution and representative business, a Microwave component distribution business, a capital equipment representative business catering to the semiconductor industry, and supplying solutions to the engineering design environment.
The Company also founded a Representative Company in the Rocky Mountain states including Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, now known as Technical Marketing Specialists. In 2000, the Company acquired Testech, a Representative Company covering Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Alabama. Both of these Companies are prospering today.
Ward/Davis Associates, covering California, Nevada and Hawaii, has 27 employees and represents manufacturers selling to the high technology environment with customers such as Apple, Qualcomm, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, Google, Facebook, and Raytheon. Sales to end users such as these companies exceed $100M.
Ward/Davis uses a Partnership model which allows all Sales Engineers, after a period of time, to join the Company as a Partner. The average tenure of Sales Engineers is 20 years and the admin and accounting staff tenure approaches 20 years. The Company continues to grow as manufacturers enjoy the variable cost structure of a representative sales team and the synergy created by selling non-competing products to our customers who design and specify complex technical products.
The Company has a Board of Directors and updates its Strategic Plan on a regular basis. The Company also plans for the future having succession and growth goals in place. Ethics and professionalism are key components to the Company’s behavior.
After 60 years, the Company’s outlook is bright and filled with promise of continuing success.
Ward/Davis Associates
1962 - 2022
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