by HIGH POINT, N.C. – Freddie Davis, founder of Gulfstream Shippers Association along with more than a dozen other successful businesses in the furniture, transportation and international shipping industries, has received the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Specialized Furniture Carriers division of the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA).
The Alvin W. Daughtridge Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2019 to honor executives whose contributions have had a lasting impact on the furniture transportation industry and individuals whose character and leadership have served as a role model for others. Davis was honored with the award at AHFA’s 2025 Logistics Conference in Asheville, North Carolina, on June 17.
In partnership with his wife, Teresa, Davis established a legacy of entrepreneurship by successfully founding, building and selling companies focused on both domestic and international shipping and transportation. The couple founded Gulfstream Shippers Association in 2017 as furniture production increasingly moved offshore. The association organized shipping contracts for its members to secure and maintain competitive rates from ocean carriers.
In addition to Gulfstream Shippers Association, he currently serves as chairman of Pelagic Consulting, which provides marine architecture, engineering and project management services. His daughters, Tiffany Bowman and Terra Bryant, have followed their parents’ entrepreneurial footsteps, with both currently heading up their own businesses. Bowman is CEO/president of Bluewater Logistics Group, and Bryant founded her own consulting firm in 2022.
In presenting the Specialized Furniture Carriers Lifetime Achievement Award to her father, Tiffany Bowman said Davis’ career has been distinguished by being a “true partner and true friend” to those with whom he did business.
“It’s safe to say that he’s been more than a friend of the industry and to all of us. (He’s been) a leader, a thinker and a visionary of the opportunities and the future,” Bowman said.
Davis is a graduate of Chowan University, which presented him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 1981. The Murfreesboro, North Carolina, institution recognized Davis for outstanding contributions to his community, his successful career and his “unwavering commitment to excellence.”
Davis continued his education at Appalachian State University (ASU), graduating in 1984. He is a passionate champion for the advancement of manufacturing, skilled trade and supply chain education and was a founding board member of both the Supply Chain Council and the Carol McCloud Entrepreneurship Summit at ASU.
Davis is an industry and community leader who has served on numerous boards of directors, trustees and advisors. He served on AHFA’s Specialized Furniture Carriers Board from 2016 to 2018. He is equally devoted to philanthropy, contributing to collegiate programs, the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Samaritan’s Purse and local youth organizations.
