Members of the Association of Independent Manufacturers’/Representatives, Inc. (AIM/R) wanted a way to honor the dedication and efforts made by members who came before them — especially those who drove the group’s inception and helped build a strong foundation. In 2015, AIM/R established a Hall of Fame to formally recognize — and memorialize — all of those contributions. Fourteen have already been honored, and two more were inducted last week at the group’s 47th Annual Conference in Orlando. During the Awards Luncheon, AIM/R Board Member Michelle Lewnes-Dadas, CPMR, of Preferred Sales Inc., introduced Sam McCullough and Dave Watson as the newest inductees into this prestigious group.
Sam McCullough, McCullough & Associates
AIM/R President 1981-1982
Sam McCullough was born to be in sales. His first job was washing dishes at a drugstore on the Jersey shore when he was a teenager. After only two weeks, the owner pulled McCullough from the kitchen area and put him on the counter saying, “I want you to be up front selling to my customers!”
He earned a degree from Franklin & Marshall, and took a sales position at Lancaster Pump. While working Lancaster’s booth at trade shows, McCullough was intrigued by the presence of the well-dressed men who seemed to know so many people and had multiple booths. That is how he learned about the role of independent manufacturers’ representatives.
“When my former competitor from Wayne Pump approached me about representing their line, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to form my own agency,” he said. “They gave me a choice of several cities and my wife and I thought Minneapolis would be the right spot for our growing family.”
S.D. McCullough & Associates was founded in February 1962 and his first year’s sales were $80,000. McCullough represented lines in six Midwestern states, and when he sold the agency in 2002, sales had reached $19 million. Sam said the tremendous growth was primarily fueled by his decision to get involved with PVC during its early years.
“Timing is everything in this business,” he said. “Beyond traditional plumbing wholesalers, I was fortunate to capitalize on the growing DIY market by selling plastic pipe to the major hardware wholesalers in my territory. No one had ever called on them before, and hardware stores had not been able to generate much in plumbing sales. But PVC began drawing in that business. Before long, they started buying and stocking other plumbing products from me.”
McCullough was involved in AIM/R as president and gave several presentations at AIM/R conferences sharing information about the opportunities in the DIY market. His company made the cover of Supply House Times’ August 1977 issue under the title, “The Professionals.” Twenty-three years later, they were featured in an article headlined “The Multi Market Rep.” A third article in the magazine several years later was entitled, “Is There a Role for the Manufacturers Rep?”
Sam’s legacy of entrepreneurship and out-of-the box thinking continues to be recognized within AIM/R. And although Sam sold the agency almost 20 years ago, it continues to bear his name.
Dave Watson, Dave Watson Associates
AIM/R President 1996-1997
Dave Watson quite literally crashed right into a career as a manufacturers’ rep. While Watson was home for Christmas break during his freshman year in college, he wrecked his dad’s car. As Watson describes it, “my dad blew a gasket and told me I was going to have to work off my debt for the repairs.” So instead of heading back to college, Dave began working at his dad’s office, Dave Watson Associates, in January 1971.
Established in 1966, Dave Watson Associates represents manufacturers of plumbing, heating, PVF, irrigation, fire protection and OEM products. The agency covers Michigan’s lower peninsula and Northeastern Indiana. Watson’s dad was handling all the sales and his mom answered the phone calls. Watson was the first full-time outside sales employee.
The agency’s ownership transitioned from the late 1970s into the mid 1980s. Rather than making a singular announcement that Watson had become president, they progressively made him the face of the company. They are doing the same thing now as Watson transitions the business over to Rick Johnston, a long-time employee.
“I’ve really enjoyed participating in the group for all of these years,” he said. “The things I’ve learned and connections I’ve made through AIM/R have helped me make a good living for my family.”
