Hartley is a founder and CEO of Peavey Electronics Corporation and a well-known innovator in the musical equipment industry. Hartley Peavey founded Peavey Electronics, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of musical and professional audio equipment, in 1964 after building his first amplifier in 1956. Since its foundation, Peavey Electronics has been privately owned, and has grown massively from their humble beginnings in Hartley's basement in the 1950s.