Wayne Williams, president of Wayne Williams Marketing in La Habra, California, passed away on July 18. He was 62. Williams was a former SEMA Wheel & Tire Council chair-elect and the “Counter Intelligence” columnist for Modern Tire Dealer. With more than 35 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket, he also served in wholesale and retail sales roles before working his way up to regional sales manager and vice president of sales and marketing for companies such as Parnelli Jones, Discount Tire Centers and Winston Tire. Williams served on the WTC select committee for several years and was often a guest speaker at council meetings.
While working for famous racecar driver and Indy 500 Champion Parnelli Jones, Williams earned recognition for his skills in sales and marketing, rising to the position of vice president of marketing for Parnelli Jones Firestone. After 22 years there, he served as the vice president of sales and marketing for Discount Tire Centers in Los Angeles.
Over 400 people attended Wayne’s celebration of life in Whittier, CA this past weekend proving he impacted many folks throughout his life. He will be missed.