PMA announces United States and International TVPs of the Year

The recipient of the PMA United States TVP of the Year Award is Wayne Welch, representing the PMA Pacific Northwest Division. Welch is founder and president of Oregon Photo Suply Inc., Tualatin, Ore. He has developed his business over the past 30 years into a highly successful five-retail location operation in the Portland, Ore., market. Welch’s photo industry career includes three years as director of marketing and membership for the Independent Photo Images (IPI).The recipient of the PMA 09 International TVP of the Year Award is Brian Gibson, Central Canada Division. Gibson has been the main operations, purchasing, human resources, financing, and general administrator for his family-run business, Burlington Camera, Burlington, Ontario, for the past 32 years. He started his photographic career as a darkroom assistant at the age of seven. He mixed chemicals and helped in the developing of school photographs with his father, Jack Gibson, the founder of Burlington Camera. The entire family helped in all aspects of the business which included camera sales, wedding albums, custom picture framing, and school photography. Although there have been many opportunities to expand beyond the single location, the Gibsons have concentrated their expertise in one location.