Fowler says this program is going over so well with dealers that he wonders if he may have missed something. It looks as if this will be DTI's most widely used program to date. In essence what Part-Ease does is take all of the risk away from the dealer as far as a parts inventory and puts the risk on DTI. The program's beauty is its simplicity: DTI guarantees participants in Part-Ease that 85 percent of the parts a dealer is going to need will be in stock at his location and those parts not in stock will be delivered the next day.

DTI has been on a continuous growth pattern since its founding. And it has far surpassed the dream that Fowler had when he first started. Yet, he doesn't clutch credit to his own breast for this success. He credits his management team, most of whom came up through the ranks at DTI, for the company's success.

"I guess our success is that we are committed to service; we never forget that we are only a link in the chain; and we will never forget that we are not the only ones selling parts. I credit the success of DTI to everybody that's involved. Our managers come from the bottom up; they have all been in customer service; they have all been in the warehouse; and they understand our commitment to our customers."

That formula has worked for DTI. Fowler took a segment that no one wanted -- parts -- and built a very successful business around it. He has set the standard by which other parts distributors must match in order to compete. But since he has a vision for DTI's role, he is constantly setting the standard even higher. Hal Fowler has had, and continues to have, a major impact on the industry. What he does affects everyone else in the industry because he is a catalyst that ultimately helps the end-user of the industry's products.

And no matter what yard stick you choose to measure Fowler's contribution, it all comes down to a single word -- success.

"My first motivation was to make a living for myself and my family and be successful at what I was going to do in life," Fowler said.

"Success is what I get-off on the most. Yes, there was a need. Is there satisfaction in fulfilling that need; the satisfaction of doing something for our industry? You bet. But that's all part of being successful. In the dictionary, success comes before work. However, in life, work always come first."

And Fowler's success has allowed him to make contributions in other areas. Working within the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) and the Warehouse Distributors Association (WDA), Fowler has been an outspoken, passionate missionary for the RV aftermarket.

Fowler served in various roles in RVDA's RV AfterMarket association (RVAM) from chairman to committee chairman roles. He also serves as WDA vice president. Fowler was instrumental in helping to bring WDA back from being nearly broke to a financially sound association.

One of Hal's missions is to bring standardization to reporting warranty claims and he has worked tirelessly on educating the industry to adopt a standardized warranty claims form. He spends a lot of time and money supporting industry associations and has that rare capacity to take his company hat off when he sits down with other industry leaders and thinks about what's good for the industry rather than what's good for DTI -- and it's not always the same.

It is one of the ways he sees of giving back to the industry. Fowler explained, " This industry has been absolutely wonderful to me. I have had a lot of fun; I've reaped some monetary rewards for myself and my family, and I have built relationships within the industry that I will cherish for the rest of my life. For the most part, the people in the RV industry are great people, really nice people. There comes a point in your life, when it's time to give back."

When Fowler looks back over his career, he recognizes the contributions others have made to his success and helped him formulate philosophies in life and in business. Of those, two stand out more prominently than the others -- his two fathers.

Fowler said, "When I was a little boy my family didn't have anything. Yet, there were a few individuals in the family that decided if you worked hard and came up with new ideas, you could make your dreams come true and you would be successful. My father was an on-the-road sales person and I can remember the lessons he taught me: First, you have to sell yourself if you're going to sell; and second, you have to believe in what you are selling.

"I started selling when I was eight years old and have never stopped.

"And even today, I love to sell. But I cannot sell you anything that I don't truly believe in and that I'm doing something good for you. And when I walk away I'm going to be proud. I absolutely get a high out of convincing you to do something good for yourself."

And the other main lesson Fowler carries with him was given to him by his second father. (Hal, doesn't use the term stepfather because he believes it seems to degrade the love and respect that he feels for his second father.) "He taught me that a sale isn't a sale until its paid for and no matter how busy you are, always take the time to help others succeed," Hal continued. "And these lessons have been the cornerstone of my success."

Hal Fowler is one-of-a-kind. He has met and surpassed his goals in life and in business and our industry is fortunate that he chose this path for his career.