Brown and Sons Joins Automotive Parts Associates

Automotive Parts Associates (APA) today announced that Brown and Sons Auto Parts has joined its group.

Like many in the industry, Brown and Sons beginnings were humble. Founded in 1949 by Jack Brown, Jack’s first warehouse was the household garage and his sales/delivery vehicle was the family’s Chevrolet station wagon.

Brown always had talked about vision, vision to see something that wasn’t there yet. By the early 1950s, Brown and Sons had moved into its first warehouse and retail facility. By the end of the decade, all three sons: George, Jim and Pete had joined the company.

The ‘60s were a decade of growth for the family business, where the current facility had become too small for their needs. By the 1970s, the company had moved into its new state-of- the-art facility, which consisted of a modern warehouse, finished retail area and office complex.

Founded in a car town, Flint, Michigan, Jack’s vision set the stage for two more generations over the next 50 years, George’s sons, Nick and Pete, and Nick’s son, Alexander.

Over time, the company has evolved, but they’ve held onto Jack Brown’s ethos: strong work ethic, keen business acumen, and respecting both customers and employees. If Jack were here today, his family says he’d be pleased to see his vision of almost 75 years ago come true: the business he started is still flourishing and his son, grandsons and great-grandson are still part of it.

President of APA, Steve Tucker, shared, “With an eye on strong steady growth, Brown and Sons has always taken the right steps to achieve these goals and that’s why we’re thrilled to have them join APA.”

Federated Auto Parts Distributors announced it is entering into a collaboration with the Association of Independent Oil Distributors (AIOD) – one it said will focus on mutual benefits for the respective members.

“Federated is constantly looking at ways to improve value for all constituents and this agreement provides that,” said Sue Godschalk, president of Federated. “This collaboration provides added volume and opportunities for our suppliers, new partners for our members, and added supply points and products for shop customers. We have enjoyed working closely with several AIOD members in the past and this agreement will expand and create further opportunities for both Federated and AIOD.”