by Winsor was president and chief executive from 1993 to 2015 and was named chairman emeritus in 2015
DALLAS — Bill Winsor, the longtime president and chief executive and chairman emeritus of Dallas Market Center, died Dec. 12 in Austin following a brief illness. He was 78.
Winsor was president and chief executive from 1993 to 2015 and was named chairman emeritus in 2015. From that point on, he remained active in the business, market officials said.
Over his many years of service, he was credited with guiding the growth, strategy, management and merchandising of the 5 million-square-foot market complex, which showcases products from a variety of industry segments including women’s, men’s and children’s apparel and accessories as well as home furnishings, lighting, holiday, floral, tabletop, housewares and gifts. It hosts more than 25 global trade events and other specialized trade events each year that draw buyers from around the U.S. and other parts of the world.
In 2021, Winsor guided the launch of the Western and English marketplace at Dallas and this month helped launch a specialized trade event for nearshoring which connected various brands with vetted factories and supply chain service providers in Mexico and Latin America.
“His passion for the business and care for others will be fondly remembered,” Dallas Market Center said in a statement announcing his passing on LinkedIn.
Before joining Dallas Market Center, he was president and general manager of Infomart, a former technology trade mart also held in Dallas. He joined Crow Family Holdings in 1981 to establish Infomart where he initially was general manager, handling sales, operations and administration.
He was recruited by Trammell Crow from Texas Instruments where he was responsible for corporate marketing and merchandising for five product groups including consumer goods, digital systems, geophysical services, government services and semi-conductors. He graduated from Southwest Texas State University and held a B.S. in communications.
Winsor is survived by his wife, Kathleen, sons Mark and Kelley (wife Lacy) and three grandchildren. Away from work, Bill was a noted historian, amateur archaeologist and enthusiastic Texas rancher. He also was described as “a devoted husband, father and grandfather.”
Memorial details will be announced soon.
