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By Counterman
VIPAR Heavy Duty and Power Heavy Duty added 15 distributors representing 62 locations to their aftermarket distribution networks for 2025. The new companies include multigenerational, family-owned operations, high-growth regional players, and the networks’ first international distributors in Central America.
“These distributors bring an incredible range of experience, capabilities, and regional expertise,” said Chris Baer, president and CEO of VIPAR Heavy Duty. “From established shops with decades of history to innovative businesses breaking new ground, what unites them is a clear vision for the future and the drive to use our network to fuel their success. That shared commitment strengthens our entire organization.”
Market Impact
The additions expand coverage across key freight corridors in the United States and extend
link hidden, please login to viewHeavy Duty’s footprint into Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. The new locations add service bay capacity, delivery fleets, and warehouse square footage to support fleets, independent service facilities, municipalities, agriculture, oil and gas, mining, and on-/off-highway markets. The combined expansion strengthens regional parts availability and service responsiveness—particularly in the Upper Midwest, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, and across Central America—while broadening access to driveline, suspension, brake, filtration, hydraulics, and specialty services.
New VIPAR Heavy Duty Distributors (2025)
Truck Depot Corporation
30 Locations across Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador
Truck Depot marks a historic milestone as the first Central American distributor to join VIPAR Heavy Duty. Truck Depot’s staff of more than 500 employees operate a mix of sales channels including warehouses, retail stores, service shops, mobile assistance, and e-commerce. Founders Oscar Sevilla L., Gabriel de la Fuente E., and Diego de la Fuente Schutt began operations in 1999 focusing on suspension and brake parts with Maxi Repuestos SRL and Ultra Repuestos de Honduras S.A. de C.V. Grupo Vintage S.A. was added in 2005, and in 2024, Truck Depot Corporation was established to encompass all. They distribute spare parts and accessories for all mass cargo and passenger transportation types and offer large inventories, strong brands, and professional staffing.
Universal Truck Service LLC
Roseville and New Brighton, Minn.
Led by Gene Perry, Universal Truck Service represents three generations of family leadership, with over 90 employees serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro area. The company operates 50 service bays, performing truck and trailer repair, engine and transmission work, mobile repair, tanker maintenance, Cummins warranty repairs, hydraulic hose services, and parts delivery within a 60-mile radius.
Seagull Diesel Parts Inc.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Founded by Jimmy Jacketta in 2010, Seagull Diesel Parts offers transmission and driveline service, engine diagnostics and repair, electrical troubleshooting, welding, radiator and cooling system service, vehicle inspections, frame and alignment work, DPF filter cleaning and replacement, and air conditioning service.
Tampa Spring Company
Tampa, Bradenton, Lakeland, and Ocala, Florida
Tampa Spring is a family owned and operated business serving customers since 1927. Owned by John Messina, Tampa Spring offers a comprehensive range of truck and heavy duty vehicle repair parts, including a full line of automotive leaf springs, helper springs, air springs, and coil springs. They sell to and service both wholesale and retail customers with 60 employees, four outside sales representatives, 10 delivery vehicles, and 58 service bays.
RENOSA (Repuestos Noé, S.A. de C.V.)
San Salvador, Ilopango, Lourdes Colón, and Santa Ana California, El Salvador
RENOSA strengthened VIPAR Heavy Duty’s presence in Central America and are a strong addition with an impressive list of supplier relationships. The company was founded in 1990 and is owned by Rigoberto Martínez. He leads more than 100 employees who provide high quality service to the heavy and semi-heavy transport systems in El Salvador, including differential, suspension, transmission, and brake system components as well as filtration systems and engine repairs.
Childers Auto & Truck Parts Inc.
Pikeville and Mt. Sterling, Kentucky
Founded in 2023 by Ken and Allison Childers, Childers Auto and Truck Parts is a family-owned business that has rapidly emerged as a strong presence in the heavy-duty parts and service market. The company supports fleets, owner-operators, municipalities, and off-highway customers with truck and trailer parts, full-service repair, diagnostics, and critical support services.
Super Industrial SRL
Santo Domingo, Bávaro, Haina, and Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
Super Industrial SRL (La Casa del Camionero), owned by Carolina Mederos, is a family company that was established in 1975 for the reconstruction of clutches, brakes, radiators and rectification of drums, discs and steering wheels for trucks. In 1986, they opened their first store for the sale of all types of original and replacement parts for trucks, buses, and trailers of North American manufacture. Today, their reconstruction workshop and branch locations provide service and parts for the entire island.
New Power Heavy Duty Distributors in 2025
NorthWest Bearing & Industrial Supply Co. Inc.
Woodward and El Reno, Oklahoma
NorthWest Bearing & Industrial Supply has been serving the gas compression, agricultural, and farming industries in Western Oklahoma since 1991. Owned by Bob and Denise Mitchell, the company is a trusted source for industrial bearings, filters, and hydraulic components. They operate a 15,000-square-foot facility in Woodward and a 2,400-square-foot branch in El Reno. Its team of 20 experienced professionals supports sales, purchasing, warehousing, delivery, accounting, and a fleet of eight delivery vehicles.
RBR Truck Parts LLC
Hutchins, Denton, Duncanville, and Fort Worth, Texas
Founded in 2018, RBR Truck Parts is a heavy-duty aftermarket parts distributor serving owner-operators, fleets, service centers, and municipal accounts in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Its Hutchins location is strategically located near Interstate 45, close to major ports, rail yards, and warehouse hubs that support the region’s trucking industry. RBR stocks a broad range of engine, suspension, brake, wheel and tire, filter, fluid, and accessory products. The company is led by owner Rony Santos and general manager Cesar Perez.
Milian Truck Center
Tampa and Medley, Florida
Established in 2018 by Osman Lleo, Milian Truck Center is a family-owned distributor with three locations, including two in Tampa—one of Florida’s key regional transportation hubs and home to the state’s largest shipping port. The company employs 45 people, operates four delivery vehicles, and manages 60,000 square feet of warehouse space, supplying aftermarket truck parts to fleets and owner-operators.
Knox Trailers Inc. / DBA KP Services Truck and Trailer Parts
Knoxville and Crossville, Tennessee
Founded in 1993 by Steve Fultz and Tommy Jones, Knox Trailers offers heavy-duty truck and trailer parts, repair, and refurbishing services. Operating out of a 32,000-square-foot Knoxville facility and a new 4,800-square-foot warehouse and showroom in Crossville, the company provides 14 service bays, a paint booth, and a dedicated fleet of delivery and service trucks to meet customer needs quickly and reliably.
West Ridge Heavy Duty Parts LLC
Logan, Utah
Established as recently as October 2023, West Ridge Heavy Duty Parts is a fast-growing, service-driven company founded by Jared Strawn and Russel Guymon. They offer a full range of heavy-duty truck and trailer parts and services, including flywheel resurfacing, custom driveline and hydraulic hose fabrication, U-bolts, and welding services. Their customer base includes a diverse mix of on-highway fleets, owner-operators, agriculture, and mining operations across class 5 through 8 vehicles.
Accurate Alignment and Frame Service Inc.
Appleton, Wisconsin
Accurate Alignment and Frame Service has been a family-owned business in the northeastern Wisconsin market for the past 70 years. Owned by Mark and Dennis Broehm, they offer heavy-duty truck and trailer parts, shop supplies, tools and equipment, and extensive repair capabilities. With 24 service bays, 34,000 square feet of shop space, and a 14,000 square foot warehouse, the company supports fleets, municipalities, independent service facilities, and owner-operators.
A & L Systems NexGen LLC
Redford, Michigan
A & L Systems NexGen offers a full range of heavy duty truck parts and specializes in the engineering and installation of auto-lubrication systems for both on- and off-road equipment. They service fleets, municipalities, independent service facilities and owner operators in the Detroit area from their 6,500 square foot warehouse and showroom. Originally established in 1980, the business was purchased in 2024 and is owned by Ron Meehan.
Brakes & Wheels Inc./Gordo Bros.
Odessa, Texas
Brakes and Wheels distributes a full line of heavy duty parts, operates a brake reline shop, repairs utility trailers and installs toolboxes, brush guards, head-ache racks, and other accessories for the oil field customers they service. They serve independent owner-operators, local fleets, oil field service companies, and city and county service centers out of a 20,000 square foot facility located on 2 acres. The business was started by Connie and Ray Quiroz in 1975 and is owned today by Connie and sons Rene and Gilbert.
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By Counterman
ADD Group announced that the company has been honored with two awards: the Best Marketing Excellence from Advance Auto Parts and the APC Overdrive from ACDelco.
The Best Marketing Excellence award highlights the company’s exceptional marketing services and support that have significantly contributed to Advance’s growth and success in 2023.
The APC Overdrive recognizes ADD Group’s outstanding achievement across global supply chain, sustainability, innovation and product launch among others, the company stated.
“We are deeply honored to receive these prestigious awards,” said Bruno Bello, director of global marketing at ADD. “They reflect our ongoing commitment to OE quality, product development, sales support, marketing excellence and logistic services. At ADD group we have a continuous improvement culture, so we are driving excellence and innovation for global OES and aftermarket.”
The ADD Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of shocks, struts and complete strut assemblies. For more information about ADD products, call +86 576-8721-0118 or visit
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By APF
link hidden, please login to view Source:
link hidden, please login to view Activist investors targeting auto-parts retailers are taking hits to their investments, and Amazon isn’t helping.
When hedge fund Starboard Value LP disclosed a stake in Advance Auto Parts Inc. in 2015, it said the stock, then at $171, could more than double. The retailer’s shares have instead nearly halved since then, after warning weak sales will continue for an industry that’s also drawn interest from billionaire Carl Icahn. Advance Auto’s peers O’Reilly Automotive Inc. and AutoZone Inc. also have also plunged this year amid disappointing demand.
SOURCE: BARCHART
Perhaps the biggest bogeyman weighing on the shares is Amazon.com Inc., which sent shockwaves across the retail industry in June with its $13.7-billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market Inc. The online juggernaut has also been making inroads with autos, launching a car-research site and a parts marketplace last year. While car-part distributors -- with their technical expertise, trove of components and ability to quickly deliver to mechanics -- are more insulated from e-commerce than other retailers, though they’re not invincible.
“We fear an increased level of price transparency -- these companies either more aggressively price or promote their products to drive the same level of sales growth,” Seth Basham, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said of the auto-parts retailers. “I don’t think it’s a primary driver of what’s been hurting same-store sales in the industry this year, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a bigger impact going forward.”
Investor Interest
The more immediate challenges dragging on the industry include economic uncertainty for low-income customers, higher gas prices and warmer weather that has eased the wear and tear on consumers’ cars, Advance Auto Chief Executive Officer Tom Greco said Tuesday.
Starboard’s view is that Amazon is a mild headwind -- at most -- to the industry, a person familiar with its strategy said. The New York-based hedge fund is pleased with Advance Auto’s efforts to cut costs and bolster its online presence and sees earnings improving early next year, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.
Further encroachment by online rivals could pose a threat to industry profit margins that are in excess of 20 per cent -- part of what initially drew investors like Starboard and Icahn to the aftermarket parts business.
With the average age of vehicles on American roads approaching 12 years, investors also are betting an older vehicle fleet will mean more repairs and parts replacement. To capture that expected growth, Icahn has strung together several companies that deal in automotive parts, including service and retail chain Pep Boys, Auto Plus and parts supplier Federal-Mogul.
For now, e-commerce represents a sliver of the $277-billion aftermarket parts business, according to estimates from Wedbush and the Auto Care Association, an industry trade group. Online sales were about $11-billion last year, with EBay Inc.’s roughly 40-per-cent share being the largest, Wedbush estimates. Amazon had about a 25-per-cent share, though it’s growing at a rapid clip, Mr. Basham said.
Amazon Encroaches
Amazon launched the Amazon Automotive store in 2006 and has been expanding its inventory since then. It’s added a parts-finder filter that lets shoppers enter the make and model of their cars to find the correct parts.
“We’re continually expanding our selection and improving the customer experience with things like our Part Finder, Amazon Garage and, most recently, Amazon Vehicles,” a company spokeswoman said in an email.
Icahn Automotive, which owns Pep Boys and Auto Plus, and Starboard declined to comment. Spokespersons for O’Reilly, AutoZone and Advance Auto also declined to comment.
In trying to assess the potential threat from Amazon and other online parts sellers like RockAuto and EBay, analysts are honing in on retailers’ exposure to the consumer-facing “do-it-yourself” market, as opposed to the “do it for me” approach in which retailers sell to professional mechanics. The do-it-yourself market could be more vulnerable because consumers who aren’t in a hurry to buy a new wiper blade or spark plug may go online to find the cheapest price.
DIY Slowdown
The do-it-yourself segment already is lagging, according to the Auto Care Association, which estimates sales will grow at a compound annual rate of 3.8 per cent in the five years ending in 2017, compared with a 4.4-per-cent increase for the do-it-for-me market.
The slower growth also is a reflection of cars getting increasing complex and loaded with technology, which contributes to more repairs necessitating technicians, said Behzad Rassuli, senior vice president of strategic development at the Auto Care Association. Some bumpers, for instance, now are built with embedded sensors that need to be properly calibrated.
“The opportunity for the consumer to repair their own vehicle has been dwindling,” Mr. Rassuli said.
Mr. Icahn said as much when speaking about his acquisition of Precision Auto Care Inc. in June, the latest addition to his chain of auto-repair shops. He’s also planning to take advantage of higher utilization of cars driven by the growth of ride-hailing businesses, he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview at the time.
Greg Henslee, O’Reilly’s CEO, has said the impact of companies like Amazon will be limited because they will struggle to sell component to consumers who don’t know what’s wrong with their car. Online retailers “will continue to take a little bit of market share here and there,” Mr. Henslee said on an earnings call in February. “I don’t see them nearly as one of our most prominent competitors.”
Digital Experience
Even if their expertise diagnosing car troubles offers some protection, traditional parts retailers still are under pressure to improve their digital experience, especially since a buyer will often go online to ensure a part is in stock before picking it up at a store.
Advance Auto is investing heavily in technology to ensure a “consistent experience every time, both in-store and online,” Mr. Greco said on the company’s earnings call Tuesday. He told analysts consumers will have a “faster and more frictionless experience” online.
If you’re a parts retailer, “you’re definitely concerned,” Wedbush’s Basham said. “You’re thinking about ways to defend your turf and to capitalize on the way consumers are changing their behaviour.”
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By Counterman
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has submitted a request to the Auto/Oil Advisory Panel and the API Lubricants Group to add SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity grades to the current ILSAC GF-6 specification.
ILSAC GF-6B currently is applicable only to oils meeting the SAE 0W-16 viscosity grade.
As a result, the Auto/Oil Advisory Panel will be called into session and will be co-chaired by the ILSAC chair and the API Lubricants Group chair. The group first will need to evaluate the request and, if accepted, it will undertake the technical efforts of adopting the new viscosity grades into the category, following the procedures detailed in API 1509, Annex C.
Changes to API SP will be handled by the API Lubricants Group in parallel with any changes for ILSAC GF-6.
API said it anticipates that the SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity grades can be fast-tracked for quick approval, with the goal for the new oils to be ready for first license by API by the end of 2022.
The existing GF-6 fuel-economy tests have not demonstrated the ability to accurately measure fuel economy in these ultra-low-viscosity grades, according to API. Therefore, API recommends reliance on a recently published fuel-economy test standard from the Japanese Automotive Standards Organization (JASO).
The test standard, JASO M366 (Automobile Gasoline Engine Oils – Firing Fuel Economy Test Procedure), stipulates a test procedure for the measurement of the fuel-economy performances of these very-low-viscosity gasoline engine oils by the measurement of the fuel consumption using a fired engine test. This test is available in U.S. independent labs and has some Base Oil Interchange and Viscosity Grade Read-Across guidelines.
API said its plan is to adopt this test into GF-6 in a manner to be determined by the Auto/Oil Advisory Panel and establish test limits as set forth in JASO M364 (Automobile Gasoline Engine Oils), which specifies the performance of SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity-grade engine oils.
Benefits of Adding Lower Viscosities to ILSAC GF-6
There are a number of benefits to adding the lower viscosities to ILSAC GF-6 now, according to API.
First, it would fill an identified gap for licensing of “low-vis” oils in the global marketplace. In fact, calls for introduction of these grades came early in the development of GF-6 but could not be accommodated at that time because the SAE J300 specification on viscosity-grade classification had not yet defined SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 viscosity grades, and a test to measure fuel economy was unavailable.
Now that a fuel-economy test exists and that test is referenced, coupled with the fact that the test is confirmed to be available in North America, there no longer is a barrier to adopting the grades into ILSAC GF-6/API SP.
“An important additional benefit to licensing these oils is that there is precedent for EPA recognition of ILSAC engine oil specifications on engine approvals,” API said. “While there are currently not many engines on U.S. roads requiring oils of these viscosity grades, adopting them into ILSAC now could make the path of engine approvals a little less burdensome on future engines.”
API works continuously with the auto industry, oil marketers, additive companies and others to meet the lubricant needs of current and future engines.
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By Auto News
MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Aug. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO), the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories, plans to hire more than 20,000 new AutoZoners (employees) nationwide to meet the growing demands of its Retail and
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