Shannon & Associates

Representing Quality Manufacturers Since 1974

In 1974, the petroleum division of Whiteway Lighting decided to eliminate all territory sales managers and establish a network of independent sales representatives. With only a single product line, Elbert Lee “Al” Shannon rolled the dice and started E.L. Shannon & Associates and became the Whiteway Lighting sales agent for his previous sales territory, which was VA, NC, SC and Eastern TN. With the support and encouragement of Ed Beaver, Burns Beaver and Rick Dimmette, who were the owners of Southern Pump & Tank Company at that time, he was able to acquire additional petroleum equipment lines to build the foundation of his new sales agency. It was due to this help Al received to start his agency that he had a personal commitment to supporting petroleum equipment distributors. This core value of our agency is still true today.

At the age of 68, Al was beginning to plan for his retirement. In 1985, Al hired Jack Hatcher, who was working for Southern Pump & Tank Company at the time. Over the course of the next 5-years, Jack Hatcher, along with a small group of investors, purchased the company and incorporated E.L. Shannon & Associates in February 1990. Al remained an employee until he fully retired in 2000. Al Shannon passed away at the age of 84 in November 2002.

One of the lines E.L. Shannon represented was Xerxes, a fiberglass underground storage tank company. Through this relationship, Jack had become friends with Art Boelke, who was the Vice President of Sales for Xerxes. Art was looking for a professional change with less travel requirements and a warmer climate than Minneapolis, MN. He accepted Jack’s offer to join E.L. Shannon & Associates and relocated to Charlotte, NC. Art became a partner and Vice President in 1993.

In 2012, both Jack and Art were beginning to think of retirement and hired Alan Tapscott and Tom Fulton. Alan had worked for SPATCO and Jones & Frank for a combined 21 years. Tom Fulton was the owner of Carolina Marketing Solutions, which was another petroleum equipment-based sales agency.

Over the course of the next 5-years, Jack and Art groomed Alan and Tom to take over the business. Jack retired in 2016 and Art retired in early 2017 when Alan and Tom completed the purchase of the business.

Later in 2017, the company was renamed Shannon & Associates. Although the name has changed, the core values of providing professional sales services for our manufacturers and a commitment to support our distributors and represent quality products has not.

Our History