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In the Beginning...
One Tuesday night, at Roots Farmer’s Market in Lancaster County, a man by the name of Jack Pizzola asked an eighteen year old runner at the auction if he would like to share a stand with him at Elizabethtown Trading Post. He said it was just on weekends and would cost ten dollars per table each month until Christmas. We could split up the time and sell things. He would sell stereo equipment and I could sell trains, which was my hobby. I agreed.
After Christmas, Jack no longer wanted to continue his table so he offered to give me his sources for stereo equipment. This was the start of Dave's Stereo, which is now DAS Companies, Inc.
With seven hundred dollars, Dad's station wagon, my grandmother's garage and a whole lot of ambition I started laying the foundation of DAS.
Today, thirty-six years later, it is one of the most respected distributors, importers, and manufacturers in the industry. DAS employs over six hundred and fifty associates with distribution that stretches world wide. The foundation that I started laying thirty-six years ago was based on a set of core values (the mortar) which grew in importance as the company grew. The true building blocks of the company were its associates without whom we could not be who we are today. My first associate was a young boy, who at the age of twelve helped his older brother at the Farmers Markets. His name was Michael Abel and he is now the CEO/President of DAS Companies, Inc. Under his leadership we have grown and will continue to grow into a company where people want to invest a large part of their life, customers enjoy doing business and vendors choose to be a part. The future of DAS lies in each and every associate who is reading this and chooses to be a part of it. With you as the building blocks, our mission statement and core values as the mortar and our company purpose being the ultimate objective, the future of DAS is exciting. The management team of this company is focusing on GROWTH: both DAS's, and most importantly, YOURS.
The debate to hire was on Dave's mind...when should this happen. So, the decision is made, Dave decided to hire the first associate. After doing several interviews, they chose a trustworthy young, clean cut, dark haired man; Fred Peters. Fred had to be excited to be starting his new career. His shipping room/office was the old horse stall. The heat for winter was provided by a single kerosene heater and summer air conditioning was as simple as rolling up the two garage doors. Orders from customers came in and were answered by either Dave, Fred or their trustworthy Phonemate answering machine. Fred had his wife join in the fun as they all sat around the kitchen table folding hand made flyers and licking stamps. Ah, the good old days.
Fred was busy shipping 200-400 packages a day looking up the customer addresses on his Rolodex. Dave remembers tractor trailers backing down the driveway filled with Soundesign stereos that were unloaded and sold to local mom and pop stores. One year later in 1981, Dave bought the Lawn Elementary School building and leased out half of it thinking that the old gymnasium (now part of Truck Stop offices) would be more room than they would ever need. Fortunately for all of us that was not enough.
