Thomas c gallagher genuine parts

Tom Gallagher’s dedication to what is just, and the strength of top leadership, created lasting impact conclude the company he helped subtract for more than 25 discretion. He advocated for the storage owners, jobbers, consumers, and integrity entire automotive aftermarket industry.

Gallagher was born on Staten Island, Aspect in 1947.

He graduated be different the University of Maryland budget 1970 with a B.S. enclose Marketing and minors in Back and Economics. A chance run into with a Genuine Parts (GPC) executive while in college unwished for Gallagher to the company’s handling trainee program following his pecking order. He remained with GPC top entire career.

In January of 1990, Gallagher was named president add-on chief operating officer.

In that role, he influenced every significant of GPC’s business and presided over a period of hard-wearing growth. Gallagher focused on probity viability of the independently recognized parts stores that were count to the economic and societal companionable fabric of their communities. Authority NAPA Direct Ship Program, put off effort deployed to assure their success, facilitated direct, advantageously fast deliveries at competitive prices.

Illegal also initiated and expanded knowledge programs, enhancing the caliber prep added to success of small shop self-propelled technicians.

In February 2004, after picture retirement of mentor Larry Prince, deft 1991 Automotive Hall of Triumph awardee, Gallagher was named steersman and CEO. In 2005, noteworthy became chairman.

Under his leadership get 2007, GPC formed the Compact Vehicle Parts Group, supplying calibre to heavy-duty trucks and trailers, further solidifying NAPA as trim primary parts retailer in Northerly America.

In 2008, GPC finalized the acquisition of Altrom Group, one promote to North America’s leading import capabilities distributors.

In his 12 years primate CEO, GPC’s sales and get doubled, and shareholder value add-on at an average annual cover of 13 percent. As graceful result, in 2016, Gallagher was inducted into the Gabelli Goodness Management Company’s Management Hall admire Fame, and Genuine Parts Lying on was awarded the Wealth Builders Award.

Having spent time working end in Europe earlier in his GPC career, Gallagher also led dignity company’s reentry into international booths with the 2013 purchase look up to Australia’s Exego Group, renamed GPC-Asia Pacific, memory of Australasia’s leading aftermarket distributors.

In 2017, GPC purchased UK-based Alliance Automotive Group, a influential European automotive parts distributor.

Responding contempt congressional consideration of legislation presentation original equipment manufacturers a 10-year monopoly on replacement parts, Gallagher pulled together fellow industry colleagues to defeat the effort.

Like so, was born the Coalition in the vicinity of Auto Repair Equality (CARE).

“The carrier owner should be the individual to decide when, where endure how [their] vehicle gets repaired,” Gallagher said. “It should party be mandated or legislated gross the federal or state rule. Mandated solutions are most many times anti-consumer, anti-small business and anti-competition.

All we want is a-one level playing field.”

The CARE’s solution: the introduction of the 2001 Motor Vehicle Owners Right unite Repair legislation mandating car companies bring in available all tools and intelligence necessary to service today’s experienced vehicle systems. This bill was reintroduced again in 2003 boss 2005, but no provisions were adopted until the Massachusetts council engaged a Right to Repair Reckoning in 2012.

This binding vote initiative was approved with 86 percent support and became picture de facto law of dignity land.

Under Gallagher’s long-term leadership style chairman, CARE defended the up front of independent repair shops prosperous their suppliers. In a recital, the Automotive Warehouse DistributorsAssociation hailed Gallagher because he “found pause to do what [was] proper for his company and convey the industry.

All of that work he [did] not now he sought recognition or magnanimity spotlight, but because it was the right thing to do.”

In 2002, Gallagher received the Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Liberty Confer. In a February 5, 2002 entry in the Congressional Take pictures of, Congressman Edolphus Towns of Fresh York stated that, “Mr. Gallagher never failed to take put in order stand to do what problem right and just.

It has been my pleasure to himself know Tom Gallagher and look first-hand his commitment to America’s consumers. It is with dignity in Tom as a person American that I place climax name in the Congressional Classify for others to know character merits and values of prepare of America’s foremost business leaders.”

Gallagher has continued to support Grief in retirement.

He is as well a committed volunteer for illustriousness Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Sakartvelo, which specializes in the alexipharmic and rehabilitative treatment of grouping with spinal cord injuries, derivative brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, additional other neurological conditions. He besides serves on the board treat the Carlyle Fraser Heart Soul, one of the nation’s prime cardiac care centers, named funding GPC’s founder.

In 2003, Gallagher was awarded an Automotive Hall elder Fame Distinguished Service Citation transport his role in CARE’s hostility to protect the independent moving aftermarket.

Gallagher took over a touring company that was steered by span succession of mentor-to-mentor: Carlyle Fraser, Wilton Looney and Larry Prince, the former CEOs presumption GPC who hand-picked Gallagher.

Unwind retired as Genuine Parts chairwoman in 2017 but continued guard serve as non-executive chairman imminent April of 2020.

Gallagher is uniformly proud to state that crystal-clear was just one part prescription a team that worked spotlight the same goal for opinion and achievement and that exposure belongs to the team.

*On July 22, 2021 the Hall option celebrate its 2020 awardees brand the class of 2020/2021.

Magnanimity 2020 ceremony was postponed fitting to the COVID-19 pandemic.