PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Bob Pyne Sr., founder of Williams Trading Co. and adult industry pioneer, has passed away at the age of 88.
Pyne founded Williams Trading more than 55 years ago in Pennsauken, building the company from the ground up and helping establish it as a leading distributor of pleasure products.
His career began with projector movies and film reels, when Pyne became a full-time entrepreneur during the early years of the adult entertainment business. As the industry evolved, so did Williams Trading, expanding its product offerings and developing relationships with manufacturers, retailers and other industry professionals across the country.
“Bob was there at the very beginning of the adult entertainment industry, standing alongside fellow pioneers in the fight for equality, free speech and fair treatment for a business that was not yet widely accepted,” the company said in a statement. “The battles he fought and the ground he broke helped pave the way for the thriving industry we know today.”
In recognition of his decades of contributions, Pyne was inducted into the StorErotica Hall of Fame in 2019.
Pyne eventually stepped back from Williams Trading’s day-to-day operations but remained closely involved with the company he founded. His six children assumed leadership responsibilities throughout the business, overseeing areas including warehouse operations, e-commerce and purchasing.
“Bob's legacy lives on not only in the company that bears his family's name, but in the industry he helped shape and the countless people whose lives and livelihoods he touched along the way,” the company said in its tribute.
