After attending Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University), Don joined Amoco Fabrics in Nashville, Georgia, in 1968. He held several management positions during his eleven-year tenure with Amoco and became intimately familiar with the production, distribution, and selling of textile products. In 1979 Don left Amoco and started his sales career with Southern Belting & Transmission in Albany, Georgia, where he was responsible for all sales activities in the southern Georgia region. During his time with Southern Belting & Transmission, Don learned the automation and power transmission market from the distributor’s point of view. It was during this time that he gained extensive knowledge of variable speed drives, sensors, digital/tension control, and various mechanical and power transmission products. Don held this position for three years and in 1982 joined R.L. Matus & Associates as a sales representative covering southern Georgia, Alabama, northern Mississippi and western Tennessee. On October 1, 2000, along with Doug Hall, Don purchased R.L. Matus & Associates from founder Bob Matus.