Elite Distributor Alliance has awarded KICKER Audio’s parent company, Stillwater Designs, Vendor of the Year 2020 (Best Supplier-in-a-Storm), the company announced. The EDA ultimately created the unique sub-headline on the award to recognize the brand’s contribution to the 12-volt industry during a tumultuous year, the company said.
“With KICKER, there was never a serious disruption of business,” said Josh Eatherly, president of the EDA. “There was an obvious go-to-market strategy in place way before the pandemic, to have enough product and a sale-able price, and it carried through. We wanted to recognize that this was a significant event that happened. This was a supplier that went above and beyond.”
The EDA consists of 11 partner distributors, servicing mobile-audio retailers across the country. Its stated mission is to “collectively seek to improve the business of EDA distributors, vendors and retailers by striving to create a more organized and predictable business environment,” per its website. KICKER is among 11 mobile electronics manufacturers that work with the EDA.
“We have continually heard that KICKER is doing an outstanding job of supplying product through this challenging time, and this award confirmed that,” said KICKER President and founder Steve Irby, who attended the award ceremony. “We were also honored to hear that several dealers had told their distributors that KICKER literally kept them in business through this difficult time.”
