NAPA Honors Top Suppliers & Donates $500K to TechForce Foundation
NAPA presents its supplier awards at its 15th annual 2026 Partnership Event in Atlanta & surprises TechForce Foundation with a major donation…
On March 12, NAPA honored its supplier award winners at its 15th annual 2026 Partnership Event in Atlanta. This gathering has long served as a milestone moment that brings together NAPA’s most valued partners to celebrate shared achievements, align on strategy and deepen the relationships that drive the business forward, company officials stated.
“Our Supplier Partnership Event isn’t just a celebration, it’s a reflection of what we believe at NAPA: that the most successful businesses are built on a foundation of trust and collaboration,” said Danny Huffaker, SVP product & marketing. “Bringing our partners together each year is how we align on our plan to win and strengthen our relationships. We’re grateful to our partners for their continued investment in NAPA and for their shared commitment to innovation that is defining the future of our industry.”
Among the evening’s honors, PGI received the Spirit of NAPA Award. Established more than 30 years ago, this award recognizes an individual or company that embodies NAPA’s values, work ethic, and commitment to a deep, lasting partnership, the company said. Here is the list of award winners as provided by NAPA:
| Award | Winner | About the Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Partnership Award | Chris Pruitt | Chris Pruitt is recognized for decades of leadership. Over a remarkable 31-year career at East Penn Manufacturing, Chris helped guide the company through significant growth while strengthening its relationship with NAPA at every level. Under his leadership, East Penn consistently supported key NAPA initiatives that drove market share growth through innovative and collaborative programs. Chris also demonstrated a deep commitment to giving back, proudly supporting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund through fundraising efforts that honored those who have sacrificed for our country. Known for his accessibility and collaborative spirit, from the store level to the executive team, Chris fostered a culture of open communication and true partnership. Now serving as chairman of the board, he leaves behind a legacy defined by trust, integrity and a long-standing relationship between East Penn and NAPA built to endure for years to come. |
| Service Award | Valvoline | Valvoline is recognized for delivering exceptional service performance to the NAPA network, maintaining industry-leading fill rates and dependable on-time delivery. Their reliability and responsiveness ensure NAPA customers consistently receive the products they need when they need them. |
| Catalog Award | CRC | CRC is recognized for excellence in catalog content and data quality, demonstrating exceptional completeness, correctness and reliability in product information. Their commitment to maintaining high standards ensures NAPA teams and customers have the accurate information they need to confidently identify the right products. |
| Quality Award | OWI | OWI is recognized for its outstanding commitment to product quality and transparency, working closely with NAPA to provide comprehensive testing data and detailed quality documentation. Their proactive collaboration and dedication to continuous improvement help ensure the reliability and performance that NAPA customers expect. |
| Innovation Award | Milwaukee | Milwaukee is recognized for driving innovation and growth within the NAPA network through the launch of more than 600 new SKUs in 2025 and the creation of exclusive trade-in promotions that generated significant incremental sales. Their continued investment in new product development and sales enablement demonstrates a strong commitment to innovation and partnership with NAPA. |
| Indirect Supplier Award | The Variable Agency | The Variable Agency is recognized for its exceptional partnership and creative leadership in the brand transformation of Carlyle Tools. Through strategy, distinctive visual identity and powerful storytelling, TVA helped reimagine Carlyle as a modern professional tool brand designed to resonate with the next generation of technicians. |
| Marketing Award | Dorman | Dorman is recognized for outstanding collaboration with the NAPA marketing teams, investing in innovative campaigns and strong social media engagement that increased visibility and traffic at NAPA for the Dorman brand. Their commitment to creative marketing initiatives continues to expand awareness of Dorman products among technicians and customers across the industry. |
| Sales Award | Dorman | Dorman is honored for delivering exceptional sales growth with NAPA, generating significant incremental revenue through strong product innovation, inventory support and close collaboration with NAPA teams to capture new opportunities and serve customers more effectively. |
| Market Disruptor Award | Carlyle Tools Suppliers (ISS, Great Neck, Clore, Homak, FNA) | ISS, Great Neck, Clore, Homak, and FNA are recognized for their partnership with NAPA in relaunching the Carlyle Tools brand—bringing together product expertise, supply chain strength and collaboration to create a differentiated professional tool offering that is reshaping expectations in the market. |
| Spirit of NAPA Award | PGI | PGI is honored with the Spirit of NAPA Award for demonstrating exceptional overall performance, deep partnership and a sustained commitment to NAPA’s success. Through industry-leading service levels, strategic investment in dedicated NAPA sales support and strong collaboration on new product launches and market expansion, PGI has consistently aligned its efforts with NAPA’s goals. Following one of the most significant product transitions in NAPA’s history, PGI stepped up in a meaningful way, working cross-functionally with NAPA’s teams to support training, sales enablement and market adoption. Their partnership has helped expand product coverage, drive market share growth and ensure NAPA remains well-positioned to serve customers across its network. Through performance, collaboration and shared commitment, PGI truly embodies the Spirit of NAPA. |
NAPA Donates $500K to TechForce Foundation
In addition to celebrating this year’s supplier award winners at the 2026 Partnership Event, NAPA surprised TechForce Foundation with a $500,000 donation.
“This marks a meaningful milestone in our commitment to strengthening the workforce and addressing the technician shortage,” said Huffaker. “NAPA is proud to support the next generation of technicians and invest in the future of our industry through our partnership with the TechForce Foundation.”
The longstanding partnership between NAPA and TechForce Foundation has included numerous scholarships, workforce development campaigns, and a shared mission to grow the next generation of automotive technicians. Scholarships the organizations have partnered on include:
- The ongoing NAPA Network Scholarship
- The Carlyle MAX Impact Scholarship, which includes a toolbox for recipients
- NAPA, WD-40 Brand and TechForce Scholarship
- NAPA Techs for Success Scholarship
“It was such an incredible surprise that NAPA presented TechForce Foundation with this additional contribution. It’s one thing to say you support the skilled trades; it’s another to put your money where your mouth is and make a huge impact on the lives of future techs and industry,” says Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “This significant investment will enable TechForce to bolster its work helping students to pursue a technical career, from accessing schools, scholarships, wraparound services, apprenticeships and jobs. It truly shows their commitment and leadership to championing the skilled technician workforce.”
