The Peavey Electronics Corporation, founded in 1965 by Hartley Peavey, is a major manufacturer of guitars, amplifiers, speakers, electronic keyboards, and other electronic audio-enhancement equipment. In 1993, the company, solely owned by Hartley, then chairman, and Melia Peavey, his wife and president of the company, had sales estimated at $210 million. Exports to more than a hundred countries accounted for an estimated 40 percent of sales. Peavey Electronics, with more than 1,600 different products, is also the tenth largest manufacturer in Mississippi, with more than a million square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space in east-central Mississippi, including a 40-acre headquarters site known as Peavey City in Meridian. The company also has manufacturing operations in Foley, Alabama, and in Corby, England, and distribution centers in The Netherlands and Canada. Its chief competitor is Yamaha, the Japanese conglomerate. Founder Hartley Peavey, whose "hometown boy makes good" story made him a local legend in Mississippi, has been the recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurship, including the "E Star" award for success in international markets from the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was also inducted into Hollywood's "Rock Walk of Fame" in 1990 for his contributions to rock 'n' roll music.