Jan E. Gaulding Named Chief Financial Officer For 1-800-AutoTow
10 August 1998
Jan E. Gaulding Named Chief Financial Officer For 1-800-AutoTow
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.--Aug. 10, 1998--Jan E. Gaulding, former chief financial officer for ProNet, a major consolidator in the wireless and paging industry, has been named chief financial officer for 1-800-AutoTow(tm) (OTC Bulletin Board:AUTW), a publicly traded company rolling up America's vehicle towing industry into a national brand.
Ms. Gaulding has served as chief financial officer and treasurer of ProNet since 1984. In addition to overseeing the corporation's financial functions, Gaulding helped analyze, select and implement acquisitions, market expansion and product development. During her tenure at ProNet, the company's annual revenues jumped from $21 million in 1993 to $120 million in 1997, turning the modest niche provider into one of the top five commercial competitors in the country. The company's merger with Metrocall in 1997 created the second largest paging company in the world with $400 million in annual revenues.
Previous to working at ProNet, Ms. Gaulding was audit supervisor at Ernst & Young in Dallas, Texas, where she oversaw audits of clients specializing in high technology and entrepreneurial companies. She has attended the Stanford Business School's Executive Program for Growing Companies and has earned a bachelor of science in business and public administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Ms. Gaulding also is a certified public accountant.
"Ms. Gaulding has extensive experience in overseeing the financial responsibilities of a company that is rapidly growing through acquisitions and consolidation," said 1-800-AutoTow(tm)'s President and Chief Executive Officer Joel Nagelmann. "She will be a strong asset to 1-800-AutoTow(tm) as it rolls up the towing industry into a national brand."
1-800-AutoTow(tm), which began publicly trading June 25, is acquiring well-run vehicle towing companies in metropolitan areas across the country, and will consolidate their operations into a single branded identity. The highly fragmented vehicle towing industry is believed to consist of more than 36,000 towing companies nationwide, representing $12-$15 billion annual revenues.
The transition to a national service for 1-800-AutoTow(tm) includes professional driver training, fleet standardization, automated 24-hour dispatching using GPS (global positioning satellite) technology, the introduction of a dedicated sales force for local and national marketing, and benefits packages designed to attract and retain quality employees.
Customers include motor clubs, car dealerships, police departments, individual car and truck owners, financial institutions, and commercial fleets for vehicle towing, transport, accident recovery and storage. Towing operators whose companies are acquired by 1-800-AutoTow(tm) are offered cash, stock and opportunities to stay on with the company. 1-800-AutoTow(tm)'s main competitors are Miller Industries' RoadOne and United Road Services .
Founded in 1997, 1-800-AutoTow(tm) is based in Boynton Beach, Fla. The company's management team consists of a diverse and experienced group of entrepreneurs, senior operating executives and towing veterans. More information is available on the internet at www.1800autotow.com.