APA Returns from Vegas Adrenaline Adventure Weekend Promo
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By Counterman
Automotive Parts Associates (APA) is pleased to announce that Midwest Parts Hub, a division of Kelley Automotive Group based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has joined the group as a shareholder.
Founded in 1952 by Jim Kelley, Kelley Automotive Group is a family-owned dealership group representing multiple vehicle brands and serving customers throughout northeastern Indiana and beyond. Midwest Parts Hub opened in 2025 and services customers throughout the surrounding region through its extensive inventory of genuine General Motors OEM, ACDelco and aftermarket parts, along with daily delivery routes and advanced technology systems. The company emphasizes inventory availability, experienced staff, technology integration and reliable service as key drivers of its continued success.
“In today’s market, if you want to stay competitive, you need to be part of a program group,” said Mike Smith, parts director for Kelley Automotive Group. “Operating completely on your own is no longer effective. After evaluating our options, we knew
link hidden, please login to view was the right choice.” “We are excited to welcome Midwest Parts Hub to APA,” said Steve Tucker, president of APA/TruStar. “Their long-standing commitment to service, innovation, and operational excellence makes them a tremendous addition to our shareholder family.”
For more information about Kelley Automotive Group, visit
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By Counterman
Automotive Parts Associates (APA) announced that Cereal City Auto Parts of Battle Creek, Michigan, has joined the organization as its newest shareholder.
Owned by Frank Marz and his business partner, Matt Green, Cereal City Auto Parts brings more than two decades of industry experience and a strong commitment to growth, service, and strategic inventory expansion to APA/TruStar. Marz began his career in the automotive aftermarket 24 years ago working in tires at Pep Boys and later joined Cereal City Auto Parts in 2010 as general manager before purchasing the business in 2023. Today, he owns the company and its three locations in partnership with Green and continues to guide its development and expansion.
Joining APA will allow Cereal City Auto Parts to further diversify product offerings, strengthen supplier relationships, and improve inventory availability. Marz said he was particularly interested in the opportunity
link hidden, please login to view provides to expand line acquisition and accelerate access to inventory, as well as the value of the organization’s data analytics resources to support informed business decisions and long-term growth planning. “APA offers the flexibility and insight we were looking for as we continue building the business,” said Marz. “The ability to add lines more efficiently and take advantage of the data analysis tools available through the group made becoming a shareholder a natural next step for us.”
“We’re excited to welcome Cereal City Auto Parts to the
link hidden, please login to view family,” said Steve Tucker, President. “Their commitment to growth and their community will make them strong addition to our shareholder base. We look forward to working with them and helping them buy better!” The post
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By Counterman
The curtain has closed on
link hidden, please login to view’ 2026 Annual General Meeting, which was held March 20-23 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville. The successful event brought together nearly 300 APA shareholders, TruStar members, and supplier partners for several days of collaboration, strategic discussion, relationship building and recognition. The meeting opened with a lively welcome reception that gave attendees the opportunity to reconnect with industry colleagues and set the tone for a productive weekend, APA said. Date Night followed, providing suppliers with the opportunity to host shareholders and members for dinner and continue conversations in a more relaxed setting, helping strengthen relationships across the APA community.
Throughout the weekend, attendees also participated in scheduled one-on-one sessions featuring fast-paced, 20-minute meetings between shareholders, members, and supplier partners. This structured format encouraged productive discussions and allowed participants to connect with multiple partners while making the most of their time together.
In addition to these networking opportunities, attendees heard valuable updates on the state of the automotive aftermarket from Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association and Simeon Gutman, managing director of Morgan Stanley. Jason Popillion of Cyphernova also delivered a presentation exploring the expanding role of artificial intelligence and its growing influence across the automotive aftermarket.
APA President Steve Tucker welcomes the almost 300 attendees to the group’s annual conference and awards program. Bill Hanvey, Auto Care Association president and CEO, was a featured speaker at the APA event. The meeting concluded with the annual awards dinner, recognizing outstanding performance and long-standing commitment across the organization. The award winners are as follows:
Supplier Awards:
APA Supplier Champion Award – Gina Williams of Bosch
APA Supplier of the Year Award – FCS
Distinguished OE Partner Award – Denso
Outstanding Marketing Partner Award – DRiV
Cornerstone Award – Mevotech
Technology Award – Autologue
Content & Catalog Excellence Award – DRiV
Shareholder Awards:
Ambassador Award – Brown & Sons
Milestone Award – 50 Years – JR Auto Parts
Milestone Awards – 40 Years – H&H Wholesale Parts, Metric Auto Parts
Milestone Award – 30 Years – POJA Warehouse
New Member Recognition – Lang’s Auto Parts, Atlantic British, Prime Auto Parts, DEPSI Auto
“Bringing nearly 300 attendees together in Nashville created a tremendous environment for collaboration, meaningful conversations, and celebrating the strength of APA and TruStar,” said Steve Tucker, president of
link hidden, please login to view. “Meetings like this don’t happen without a great deal of planning behind the scenes, and I want to thank our APA staff, especially Jan Larson, our director of marketing, for delivering such a successful and engaging event for our shareholders, members, and supplier partners.” APA extends its sincere thanks to all attendees, presenters, and sponsors who contributed to making the 2026 AGM a resounding success. The organization looks forward to building on the momentum from this event as it continues to support its network throughout the year.
APA/TruStar’s 2027 Annual General Meeting is scheduled for March 12-16, in Charlotte, NC.
Supplier Partner Awards
Evening Reception – Entertainment
One-On-One Sessions
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By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view welcomed DEPSI Auto, doing business as Budget Auto Parts, as a new member of TruStar. Purchased in December 2023, DEPSI Auto is a family-owned and operated business serving the Chicago area with two locations dedicated to providing quality automotive parts to local customers. Although new to the automotive aftermarket, owner Guru Dua is eager to jump in and begin building relationships throughout the industry, APA said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what the aftermarket is all about and fostering connections with other shareholders and members while strengthening relationships with suppliers,” said Dua. “APA/TruStar was recommended to us, and I knew it was the right choice when they responded quickly and took the time to answer all my questions.”
“We’re pleased to welcome DEPSI to the TruStar network,” said Steve Tucker, president of
link hidden, please login to view. “It’s always exciting to see new entrepreneurs enter the aftermarket, and we look forward to supporting their growth through TruStar’s collaborative network and enhanced buying power.” The addition of DEPSI Auto further strengthens TruStar’s growing network of independent distributors across the country. By joining TruStar, DEPSI gains access to exclusive supplier programs, marketing resources, and group support designed to help independent distributors compete and grow in today’s automotive aftermarket.
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott qualified 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He made steady progress in the first stage, ending it in the eighth position. Elliott followed that up with a ninth-place finish in the second stage. In the final stage, the 30-year-old driver spent most of it in the top five. Following a caution, he restarted from the second row and settled into third before making the pass for second with 34 laps to go. He closed the gap to the leader but ultimately ran out of time, taking the checkered flag in second. The runner-up result was Elliott’s second top-five finish of the season and tied his previous-best effort at the track. Elliott leaves Las Vegas fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 87 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9
link hidden, please login to view team qualified 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet showed speed early in the 267-lap event. He battled for 10th in the opening laps before settling into 11th. Prior to making a scheduled green-flag pit stop, the 30-year-old driver reported that the No. 9 Chevy “could get a little snug at times in the center of turns one and two.” Elliott visited pit road on lap 34 for four fresh tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Once the field cycled through pit stops, Elliott was scored in the 10th position. He continued to gain ground, finishing stage one in eighth place and collecting three stage points.
Under the stage-ending caution, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts crew completed a fast pit stop for four tires and fuel, allowing Elliott to gain three positions on pit road. After a car ahead of him received a pit road penalty, Elliott started the second stage from row two on lap 89. He was in a four-car battle for the lead before settling into third. Elliott slipped to fourth prior to the start of green-flag pit stops. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called the Dawsonville, Georgia, native to pit road for fuel and four tires on lap 122. Unfortunately, there was an issue on the left rear that caused a long pit stop. Elliott lost some track position but was still scored inside the top 10 once pit stops for the field were complete. Elliott held strong in seventh before slipping to ninth to end the second stage.
During the stage break, Elliott relayed that he had “overbuilt the right rear just a little too much.” He visited pit road for four tires and fuel under the caution, gaining two positions. Elliott restarted seventh for the final stage on lap 173 and improved to fifth by lap 180. He was running in that same spot when a caution came out for an on-track incident on lap 212. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy reported that “it was building to a nice spot.” After pitting for fuel and four tires, he lined up fourth for the choose, restarting from the inside of row two with just 50 laps to go. He held strong, running in third before making a pass for the second position with 34 laps remaining. Elliott gained ground on the leader in the closing laps but ultimately ran out of time, taking the checkered flag in the runner-up position.
“I felt like our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was a little better there on the longer run,” Elliott said after the race. “I thought Denny (Hamlin, race leader) was starting to fall off, and I was just trying to be as tidy as I could and give myself an opportunity. We just came up a little bit short. But honestly, with where we’ve been to how we ran today, it was not even comparable. As bummed as I am, I have to check myself back to reality and understand how big of an improvement that was from past races (at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). Just proud of this team. It’s a lot of fun to be right there in the mix with those guys that have won a lot of races out here. Excited about that and hopefully we can keep building on it.”
Elliott is now fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 87 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 15 / 2
Points Standing / Total: 5th / 168 pts. (-87)
Next Race: Sunday, March 22, Darlington Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or MRN
NAPA:
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