The LTAA Hall of Fame Award has been established to recognize quality and service in the light truck industry.  Both Miller and Gatti played integral roles in the founding of A.R.E. and its contributions to the light truck community.

A.R.E. was founded in 1969 by friends Sal Gatti (Ralph Gatti's father) and Jonas Yoder, plus first employee Aden Miller, to manufacture high-quality aluminum frame truck caps that fit the needs of truck owners.  As the company grew, Ralph Gatti joined Miller to focus on production, and in 1979 they designed their first joint product, the Deluxe Commercial Unit (DCU).  A.R.E. continues to produce the DCU, which has become one of the most popular commercial caps on the market today.  In 1982, Miller and Gatti introduced the first fiberglass truck cap into A.R.E.'s product line-up.

As instrumental leaders in creating new product components at A.R.E., both Miller and Gatti have been recognized for their industry-changing product designs.  Miller has received the Ron Webster Award for Innovation and Design Excellence and the Chrysler/SEMA Award for Innovation/Engineering Excellence.  Gatti's focus on innovation and his customer-centered approach grew the business from a small regional cap manufacturer to an industry leader.

"Our company continues to grow and succeed as a leading truck accessories business as a result of the core values that these gentlemen put in place during the first formative years of A.R.E.," said Terry Seikel, A.R.E. president & CEO.  "More than 40 years later, we are still committed to product innovation, design excellence and a customer-centric work ethic.  We are very proud of Aden and Ralph for receiving this award, and for joining our co-founder Sal Gatti in the LTAA Hall of Fame."

As one of the founding members of TCIA - which later became the TCCA and then the LTAA - A.R.E. has been committed to product excellence and industry growth, building fiberglass truck caps and tonneau covers for nearly every make and model truck on the road.  In 1995, A.R.E. built a state-of-the-art production facility and corporate office complex in Massillon, Ohio, totaling 256,000 square feet (in addition to the company's 108,000-square-foot facility in Mount Eaton, Ohio).  

Miller retired as Vice President of Design and Engineering at A.R.E. in 2006.  Gatti currently serves on the board for A.R.E.  As positive mentors to friends and industry colleagues, both Miller and Gatti have spent much of their retirement volunteering for natural disaster efforts and leading missions overseas.

The Light-Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA) is a council of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and was created for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and/or installers of accessories for light-duty pickup trucks, vans and SUVs.  For more information, visit www.sema.org/ltaa.  

A.R.E. began manufacturing aluminum frame truck caps in 1969.  Since then, the company has become a leading manufacturer of fiberglass truck caps and hard tonneau covers, and boasts more than 600 employees at its ISO-9001:2008-certified manufacturing facilities.  They have a network of more than 600 independent authorized dealers.  For more information, contact A.R.E. at 400 Nave Rd. S.E., P.O. Box 1100, Massillon, OH 44648, email topline@4are.com or visit www.4are.com.