From humble beginnings, Advance Auto Parts has evolved into the second largest aftermarket auto parts dealer in the United States. Now present in 40 states, Advance Auto Parts operates over 2,800 stores with more than 41,000 employees.

Part 1
Founder Arthur Taubman purchased a small chain of home and auto supply stores in 1932. It was not until the 1970's that Taubman changed his company's name to "Advance Auto" and eliminated their home supply inventory to focus exclusively on auto parts. During the 1980's, Advance Auto began to carefully expand throughout the eastern United States and began the Parts Delivered Quickly (PDQ) service. In 1985, the company name was changed to "Advance Auto Parts" which remains today. By the end of 1993, Advance Auto Parts had grown to over 352 stores.

Making Tracks
Following the death of Arthur Taubman in 1994, Advance Auto Parts experienced explosive growth. Over the next decade or so, Advance Auto Parts bought out Western Auto, Carport Auto Parts, Discount Auto Parts, Trak Auto Parts, Kar Parts Auto Stores, Lappen Auto Supply and Autopart International. These acquisitions, combined with Advance Auto Parts's own growth results in their current presence in 40 states, operating more than 2,800 stores and 8 distribution centers. They are second only to Autozone in terms of sales and store count. Remember that in 1993, only 352 stores operated under the Advance Auto Parts name--in about 10 years, that's an increase of almost 700%! If you live anywhere east of the Mississippi, you're near an Advance Auto Parts store. There's even a smattering of Midwest stores, stretched from the bottom of Texas to the top of North Dakota.

Services Offered
Of course you can go shop at a brick and mortar Advance Auto Parts, but they do offer many services for their customers. Some geographic areas even have on shop that is open 24 hours a day! They also have an excellent online catalogue to help you find the exact replacement part you need. This is a list of all the free services that Advance Auto Parts stores offer, 7 days a week, 363 days a year.

  • Electrical testing:
    Determine if your car battery, alternator and/or starter are functioning correctly. This can save you the hassle of replacing the wrong part when your car won't start.
  • Battery Installation:
    Because if you can't figure it out on your own, you'd probably kill yourself trying.
  • Oil and battery recycling:
    So you're a DIY? Great, you can recycle all those lead-acid batteries and used oil here for free.
  • Windshield Wiper Installation:
    If you're not a girl, they will laugh at you vigorously as soon as you pull off.
  • PDQ or Parts Delivered Quickly:
    This is a great service. If you need a part that is normally stocked by Advance Auto Parts but is not present at the store, the part will be available to you in 24 thanks to a runner from the nearest distribution center. If you live close enough to the distribution center, it's possible to get the part the same day. There is no additional charge for this service, so don't forget about these guys!

Furthermore, Advance Auto Parts is the official auto parts of the USHRA Monster Jam as well as the primary sponsor of funny car racer Cruz Pedregon, who holds the number 4 spot on the list of career funny car victories.

They're ready in Advance!

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.