John Sher, who recently retired from top 20 distributor Adleta following a 44-year career at the Carrollton, Texas-based wholesaler, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this week’s NAFCD+NBMDA convention. 
Sher began his flooring career in 1973 with Armstrong. Here, he worked in sales across Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, San Francisco and New York. He later moved to Little Rock, Ark., to join Gunn Supply and then William R. Moore.
In 1980, Moore was acquired by Adleta. Sher rose steadily through the leadership ranks and became president in 2009. Under his direction, Adleta grew from $100 million to more than $150 million. The company achieved this growth through the launch of branded and private-label products.
After retiring as president, Sher became special advisor to the president. In that role, he planned to mentor Adleta’s senior leadership team through 2025.
A legacy of leadership and mentorship
“I cannot think of a person more deserving of a Lifetime Achievement Award,” Matt Hafer, Adleta president, told FCNews. “John has dedicated his entire 50-plus-year career to improving the lives of employees, customers and industry partners. He has been responsible for molding the past and present leadership of the Adleta Corporation, including me as the new president of Adleta. He gives back to his alma mater (University of Arkansas), to his co-workers and to the community through his work with various charitable foundations. He puts the needs and wants of others ahead of his own. One of his greatest accomplishments was assisting in the conversion of Adleta Corp. to an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan), which secured the futures of the 112 employees and now owners of Adleta.”
Hafer noted that Sher was his first sales manager when he joined Adleta in 1997. “Throughout my career, John mentored me, provided me opportunities for advancement and guided me through difficult situations while always supporting me,” Hafer recalled. “He placed me in roles throughout my career which expanded my overall knowledge of the business and the industry. Those actions helped prepare me to take on the role of president of Adleta Corporation. I’m proud to call John a mentor, a boss and, most importantly, a friend.”
Adleta is a member of Bravo Services, a North American consortium of 12 master floor covering distributors. In speaking on behalf of the consortium, John Carney, executive director, wrote: “Congratulations, John Sher, on receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAFCD. Your remarkable contributions to Adleta Corporation and the flooring industry as a whole are truly inspiring. This well-deserved honor reflects your decades of unwavering dedication, leadership and innovative spirit that have left an indelible mark on our industry. Your legacy of excellence, commitment to fostering strong relationships and tireless efforts to advance the field have set a standard for all of us to aspire to. We are incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone with you and honor the profound impact you’ve made over the years. Thank you, John, for a lifetime of achievements and for continuiing to inspire those around you.”
NAFCD’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual whose career has made a lasting impact on flooring distribution. The award recognizes a leader whose decades of service, innovation and dedication have shaped the industry and raised its standards.
