Entered BrandSource’s hallowed Hall of Fame, Class of ’21
By Andy Kriege, YSN
After a one-year hiatus, the AVB/BrandSource Hall of Fame induction ceremony made a comeback last August at the 2021 Convention in Nashville.
First introduced three years ago, the honor is bestowed on those who have demonstrated an outstanding lifetime of service to the retail industry. As AVB CEO Jim Ristow explained, “We want to recognize individuals who have been great stewards of the industry, of their brands and of BrandSource. These are people who embody the American dream and will leave a very meaningful mark.”
The 2021 Hall of Fame class included four exceptional people who were selected by the AVB/BrandSource board of directors and the executive team for their lifetime of achievement and commitment to independent retail.
AVB’s Member Relations General Manager Kevin Werner was among this year’s inductees honored at the Convention in Nashville. He joins a select fraternity of groundbreaking retail pioneers enshrined on a newly revealed Wall of Fame that includes all prior inductees from past years.
Werner began his distinguished career in retail back in high school, working in an electronics shop to earn enough money for college. He went on to buy the business and in 1987 became a member of AVB, where he served on the Great Plains Region Board for nearly a decade.
In 2001 Werner sold his interest in the company and rejoined AVB/BrandSource, this time as Region Manager for the Great Plains Region. He was promoted to Central District Manager in 2011, Director of Field Management in 2016, and GM of Member Relations two years after that.
“I’m most grateful for the opportunity to work with an awesome group of members and staff over the years,” a humbled Werner remarked, “and for the lifelong relationships and friendships that I’ve made. BrandSource truly is a family, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Congratulations Kevin Werner and the entire class of 2021!
BrandSource, a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc., is a nationwide buying group for independent appliance, furniture, mattress, and CE dealers.
