On behalf of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association, was instrumental in building an effective network of 500 distribution centers serving some 500 manufacturer members

Elected President of AWDA in 1974, after serving as Vice President

Founded AWDA University, designed to train AWDA member employees in every aspect of the automotive aftermarket.

Martin Fromm found a place in automotive history by helping manufacturers find what they needed when they needed it. Emigrating from Germany in 1932, Fromm started in the automotive industry as a parts salesman. After serving in World War II, he founded a management firm and advertising agency that specialized in the auto industry. Fromm’s involvement in the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association led to a major challenge in 1947: The post-war auto boom had created chaos in the parts industry. Before the war, parts manufacturers had sold to regional wholesalers who, in turn, sold to retailers. By the late 1940s, the system could no longer accommodate the demands of the public. Under Fromm’s guidance, AWDA engineered a new system of distribution by establishing a more efficient system that generated greater sales for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers while satisfying the public’s needs for replacement parts. Summing up Fromm’s accomplishments, one reporter noted: “In Martin Fromm’s life, all the parts fit.”