Williams Innovations
Technical Center
1408-C Old Oxford Road
Durham, NC 27704
(888) 835-7948
Upcoming Events
Towing Experts
TeleSwivel™ brand hitching systems are made by Williams Innovations, LLC of Durham, North Carolina. We come to work each day to solve some of the toughest towing problems on earth, and to make your life easier! Our mission is to help our customers be more productive, have more fun, and be safer whenever they tow a trailer.
We are towing experts. We live to improve towing. We look at hitches and trailers as we drive down the road. We watch how people tow. We stop and ask them questions about towing--what do they like, and what do they hate? We go to trade shows to learn how people tow and what sort of problems they have. We go out in the field to see how soldiers use their equipment. We go to horse shows to see what equestrians need. We work with fleet owners to find out how to improve operations. We are constantly tuned in to people who tow.
Then we go back to the Tech Center and think. And design. And create. We sketch. We pull stuff out of our "Idea Cart" to stimulate new thinking. We build models out of wood, foam core, cardboard, plastic, and finally metal. We test, we tinker, and we test some more. We do computer modeling and finite element analysis. We build prototypes, do some more testing, and get some feedback from people who tow. All along we are working with our manufacturing partners to make sure that we have the best design for manufacturability. We build some pre-production models, and do some more testing. Finally, we are ready to go to market!
Tommy Williams with Lt. General Gainey
The innovative technology, from which all of our towing products evolve, was invented by Tommy Williams. A retired Durham, N.C. Firefighter, Tommy's passion for nearly two decades has been to develop products to make it easier and safer to connect and disconnect trailers from their prime mover. A relentless innovator, he drives our continuous innovation process applying the technology to broader markets and better products.
Management
Dave Woolf, President and CEO
We are led by Dave Woolf, our CEO. He has assembled a great team of experienced people and oversees a high-energy entrepreneurial environment. He has over 10 years of sales, marketing, and leadership experience and has founded/co-founded three start-ups during that time. Most recently, Dave co-founded a software and services company where he built the sales and marketing operations from scratch, generating multi-million dollar sales in less than two years. Dave's extensive sales experience includes closing and managing multi-year, multi-million dollar, engagements with global Fortune pharmaceutical, financial services, technology and manufacturing companies. During a 14-year Army career, Dave commanded an airborne infantry company during Operations Desert Shield/Storm, taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Dave holds a bachelors degree from the US Military Academy, and a Masters in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Herb Aten, COO
Herb Aten is our COO. Herb has over 18 years (including 5 years in the defense Industry) of sales, marketing, operations and leadership experience, and most recently served as President and COO of Desert Steel Corp, a design and fabrication business that has more than doubled revenue and grown EBIT 500%, in 28 months. Herb's other business experience includes sales and operations executive roles with American Axle and Manufacturing, a Fortune 600 Company, where he was responsible for over $3 billion in sales to General Motors, and Engineered Air Systems, Inc., where he was responsible for Military sales to the Department of Defense and Foreign Military Sales. Herb holds a bachelors degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Herb serves on the Board of Directors for Desert Steel Corp. and Tu Nidito, a large non-profit agency assisting terminally ill children, and is an Army Veteran.
Bob Lee, VP Government Sales
Bob Lee is our VP of Government Sales. Born in New York, and a die-hard Yankees fan, Bob served in the Marine Corps in a variety of leadership positions around the world, and founded two leadership consulting firms upon his retirement in 2001, most recently Uncommon Leadership, LLC, teaching essential leadership skills for managers to drive improved employee performance. During his 28 year career with the USMC, Bob served with the U.S. State Department in the Middle East responsible for embassy and consulate security from Bangladesh to Morocco; the UN Truce Supervision Organization in Lebanon; Military Assistant to the Executive Secretary of the Department of Defense; Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Navy; and Principal Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy. Bob also commanded an infantry battalion and was the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps' Basic School, where the Marine Corps teaches leadership to all newly commissioned Marine Corps lieutenants.
Bob attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Management. He earned his Masters degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has been featured in numerous books and articles on leadership including McKinsey & Company's "War for Talent"; David Friedman's book "Corps Business"; Michael Useem's "Leading Up"; Federal Executive Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company Magazine and the Marine Corps Gazette.
Board of Managers
Jess Eberdt: President and CEO, Parata Systems
Jess has led Parata since its inception in 2001. He spent much of his career focused on helping pharmacies leverage technology to improve processes and profitability. Prior to founding Parata, he served in sales and marketing roles with Baker APS/McKesson, American Hospital Supply/Baxter Healthcare and Eon Labs. Jess also served as president of MyDailyHealth through its acquisition by ProAct Technologies in February 2000. He is a 1982 graduate of Duke University.
Donald A. Holzworth: Chairman, Futures Group International
Donald A. Holzworth was the former Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Constella Group, a leading global provider of health consulting services dedicated to enhancing human health around the world, every day. In August 2007, Holzworth completed the sale of Constella to SRA International, Inc., a $1.5 billion technology services and consulting firm, for $185 million. In September of 2008, Holzworth repurchased Futures Group, International, a former division of Constella Group, and now serves as the Company's Chairman.
From 1991 to 2007, Holzworth guided Constella's revenue growth to more than $200 million, increased the company's number of employees to more than 1,500, and the scope of the company's operations to 61 countries. In 2003 and again in 2007, the North Carolina Council for Entrepreneurial Development recognized Constella with its Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. In 2005, Ernst & Young named Holzworth as a Carolinas Entrepreneur of the YearŽ and he now serves as both a regional and national judge for this prestigious program.
Prior to Constella, Mr. Holzworth spent 9 years as a senior executive with another consulting firm, leading that company's life sciences business and growth from $6 million to $70 million in revenue before its sale in 1990. In 2002, Holzworth was a co-founder and served as the inaugural CEO of Expression Analysis, Inc., a start-up genomic services company spun out of Duke University Medical Center. He now serves as the company's Chairman of the Board. He also serves as Chairman of Casey Petraceuticals, a pet nutrition products company and on the Board of the Campbell Alliance Group, a management consulting firm serving the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and on the Advisory Board for Southern Capitol Ventures.
His public health experience has led to an appointment to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and to the Board of the Accordia Global Health Foundation. He is an Executive in Residence at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, a member of the School's Advisory Council, Acceleration Advisory Committee, and Adjunct Professor of Health Policy and Management.
Mitch Mumma: Partner, Intersouth Partners
Mitch is primarily responsible for Intersouth's technology portfolio. He joined Intersouth in 1989 at the inception of Fund II. Mitch has full-cycle venture investment experience and has held management positions with various companies throughout his career, including three start-up companies, all of which subsequently went public.
Mitch is known for board and syndicate leadership as well as tireless focus on portfolio company success. He has provided early financing and venture leadership for numerous successful companies and served as CEO of an Intersouth portfolio company. Prior to joining Intersouth, Mitch worked in finance and operations for a high growth computer hardware and software company. Previously, he worked as a manager in the high growth business practice at Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte & Touche).
Mitch is a Director and former Chairman of the Board of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA). He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Duke's Fuqua School of Business and also serves on the Advisory Board for N.C. State University's Engineering Entrepreneurs Program. In addition, he has served as a mentor to the Kauffman Foundation's Kauffman Venture Fellows Program.
Mitch is a frequent speaker on the topic of venture capital and an adjunct professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC where he teaches a course on venture capital. He received an A.B. in management science from Duke University.
Michael Hunter: Partner, Chase Properties, Inc./W&W Partners, Inc.
Mike has been in real estate management for over 17 years. He and his two partners have planned and developed over 3500 residential units and 200,000 square feet of commercial property. His companies have assembled, planned, entitled, and sold over $100 million of real estate. He served on the Home Builders Board of Directors for 4 years. He and his partners also own and operate several entrepreneurial businesses that they have grown from start-up phases. Mike is active in the management of their businesses that employ over 45 individuals.
Prior to real estate, Mike spent 10 years developing and implementing business strategies for individual entrepreneurs and startup companies, including business evaluation; strategic business plan design; marketing; and sales implementation. He dealt with a diverse portfolio from simple consumer products to advanced technology. He has been actively involved with inventor Tommy Williams, and the evolution of the TeleSwivel products, for approximately 20 years.
Rick Whitaker: President, Brown Brothers
Rick is the President of Brown Brother Plumbing, a leading service company in Durham, NC. He has been an advisor to Tommy Williams for many years.
Advisory Board
Gen. Hugh Shelton: US Army (R), 14th Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
A native of North Carolina, General Shelton served in the US Army for 38 years, retiring in 2001 as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after serving two terms. During his distinguished career, he participated in the liberation of Kuwait and the restoration of democracy in Haiti, among a variety of postings and commands. Currently, General Shelton is on the board of directors for Red Hat, CACI, Ceramic Products Corporation, Robbins-Gioia and CoVant. He is chairman of the O'Gara Group board of advisors, vice chairman of the board of advisors for MIC. In addition, he also serves as Executive Director of the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at NCSU and as Director of the Hugh and Carolyn Shelton Military Neurotrauma Foundation. He received his bachelor's degree in textiles from NCSU and was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. General Shelton holds a master's degree from Auburn University, and has attended Harvard University, the Air Command and Staff College, and the National War College.
John Heller: VP and GM, DoD Programs, Harris IT Services, Harris Corp
John Heller is president of Harris IT Services. In this role, he leads all aspects of the business, including partnering with cross-divisional operational leadership, key staff members, and customers to shape growth strategies and advance innovation. John was promoted from his position as VP and General Manger of DoD Programs at Harris IT Services business unit. He has 25+ years of IT management experience, including serving as President and COO of Multimax, Inc.; President and CEO, Netco Government Services; and President and CEO of Rentport, Inc. John has been a principal for TenX Capital Management, where he was involved in due diligence of TenX acquisition opportunities. He has held senior management positions with Answerthink Consulting and Deloitte & Touche Consulting. John is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Lt. Gen. John Sattler: USMC (R)
Lieutenant General Sattler retired in August 2008 as the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following a distinguished 37-year career in the US Marine Corps. He has served in leadership positions around the world, with postings from Okinawa to the Horn of Africa. As a Marine Infantry officer, he commanded the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment, was the Assistant Division Commander for the 2nd Marine Division, was the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force -- Horn of Africa, Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force during Operation Phantom Fury (The 2nd Battle of Fallujah) and Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (with honors) and the Industrial College of Armed Forces (ICAF) at the National Defense University (with distinction). In addition to his command postings, John served as Congressional Liaison Officer to the U.S. House of Representatives and in several positions with the Joint Chiefs.
John Wilson: President, Rolling Plains Holding Company; Ottawa Land and Cattle, Inc.
John is a 31-year veteran of the financial industry, serving as the VP of Marketing for Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. He also has been lead advisor to the Chairman of Country Club Bank, a regional bank in the Midwest, for broker dealer and insurance operations, and national sales consultant to the CEO/Chairman of LabOne, now a division of Quest Diagnostics, Inc. He is currently the President of Rolling Plains Holding Company, a large scale cattle feeding company, and Ottawa Land and Cattle, Inc., a 7000 acre cattle ranch and feeding operation and row crop grower.
A former Navy officer, John received his BS in Economics from the University of Missouri in Columbia, and his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in finance and insurance.
Williams Innovations, LLC Snapshot
- Creating high value, high quality, trailering solutions
- Innovative technology recognized with 20+ patents
- Leading supplier of proximity hitch and trailer safety solutions to US Military for 10 years; Battle proven, road ready
- TeleSwivel™ products improve Total Cost of Trailering™ for military and civilian fleets
- Continuous product development for full range of trailering solutions
Affiliations & Organizations
Williams Innovations is a member of the following affiliations and organizations- Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA)
- National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA)
- National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM)
- NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA)
- North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA)
- National Marine Marketing Association (NMMA)
- Association of the United States Army
- Light Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA)
- U.S. Army Transportation Corps Regimental Association
Williams Innovations, LLC is a proud sponsor of the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Challenge at the North Carolina State University.