ERA PRESS RELEASE
March 4, 2025
Contact: Clare Kluck, ERA Communications Director, ckluck@era.org

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Mike Morton, CEO of TTI, Inc., Receives Tobin Bridge Award at 2025 ERA Conference

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) announces that Mike Morton, CEO of the TTI Family of Specialists is the recipient of the sixth annual Tobin Bridge Award. The award was presented to Morton by ERA CEO Walter Tobin at the 2025 ERA Conference in Austin, Texas.

Walter Tobin, CEO of ERA, bestows the Tobin Bridge Award to Mike Morton, CEO of TTI, Inc., in Austin, Texas in February 2025.

The Tobin Bridge Award is presented annually to an individual who reaches across to “bridge” the various constituent components of the electronics industry — reps, manufacturers and distributors — while advancing the manufacturers’ rep function.

Mike entered the industry in 1971 with Nash Hardware, a regional wholesale distributor of hardware for the southwest. Upon joining Nash, Mike held positions in purchasing and major account sales.

In 1976, Mike and two partners formed American Distribution Systems, a growing logistical business model more commonly known as “3PL” or “fee for service” logistics services in Arlington, Texas. Mike and partners recognized the need and importance of creating a model that allowed manufacturers to get their products to market as efficiently as possible.

In 1978, Mike joined TTI which, at the time, was a Fort Worth-based business with a staff of 10 and annual revenues of approximately $2 million. Today, Mike is one of four employees who have been with TTI for more than 45 years.

Throughout the years, Mike had the opportunity to help build TTI and participate in almost all areas of the business. Mike started in the warehouse to gain knowledge of products. Soon after he started, TTI founder Paul Andrews requested Mike work directly with him to be able to transition all purchasing responsibilities of passive components to Mike.

By 1992, Mike’s responsibilities expanded to include responsibility for connectors. In 2000, his responsibilities were expanded to global product marketing and operations. Outside of his direct responsibilities in product management, Mike has taken an active role in the systemic development of the TTI inventory management programs as well as the TTI MRP1 customer inventory replenishment programs.

Mike became president of TTI Americas in 2014 and was key to building TTI into a global organization. With the passing of Paul Andrews in 2021, Mike took the helm as CEO, leading TTI respectfully and with the acumen gained though his 50+ years of distribution experience.

Mike and TTI are longtime supporters of ERA with their exclusive sponsorship of the association’s annual STEP educational training program, as well as the annual ERA Conference’s sole Patron Sponsor since 2018.

“Mike has been a true friend to the rep community for many years,” said Walter Tobin, ERA CEO. “He recognizes the differentiated value proposition of the manufacturers’ rep sales model but also the crucial links between the reps and their distribution partners. His leadership and the support that his company has given to ERA and to our overall industry are a model for all of us to follow – he is a true bridge-builder.”

Previous Tobin Bridge award recipients are:

Michael Budde, Budde Marketing Systems (2024)
Michael Knight, Endries International Inc. (2023)
Ken Bellero, Schaffner EMC (2022)
Craig Sanderson, Sager Electronics (2021)
Walter Tobin, ERA (2020)

About ERA
The 90-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.