Don Youngblood of DYK Automotive LLC of Germantown, Tenn., has been president and CEO since 2008. DYK Automotive is the parent company for three automotive aftermarket entities, with each entity operating independently under the names: Atlantic Pacific Automotive (AP Auto), Superior Automotive, and Keltner Distribution.

In this exclusive Executive Interview, Youngblood discusses acquisitions and the three companies that operate under the DYK umbrella.

Please tell us how your three decades of experience in the automotive aftermarket are contributing to your leadership role today at DYK Automotive.

The automotive aftermarket has gone through dramatic changes during that time. It has transitioned from a market driven by replacement parts and independent jobbers to a market that is largely driven by accessories and auto parts chains. Because I have had the opportunity to experience these changes firsthand, I am in a strong position to anticipate the direction of our industry based on my experience.

In March 2009, DYK Automotive, the parent company of Atlantic Pacific Automotive (AP Auto) and Superior Automotive, also acquired Keltner Enterprises LLC from a private equity firm located in Nashville, Tenn. Please bring us up to speed on the progress that has taken place regarding this acquisition and any expansion of the business in recent months.

The acquisition of Keltner by DYK Automotive has worked out very well for all of our companies. AP Auto and Keltner were in similar businesses but with largely different accounts and a different product focus. The acquisition has enabled both companies to benefit from the strength of the other to better serve our respective customers. Simply put, AP has been able to offer our customers a complete assortment of oils and lubes, while Keltner is now able to offer their customers a broader assortment of hard parts plus the proprietary brands, developed by AP over the past decades.

Please explain to our readers the relationship between the three businesses that fall under the DYK Umbrella – being that AP Auto is a distributor and marketer of proprietary brands, Superior Automotive is a supplier of their own branded products and Keltner also is a distributor. Do these three business act completely independently, or is there a supplier/customer relationship happening?

The three companies continue to operate independently. Superior remains a marketing and sourcing company focused on specialty items for the automotive and off-road market operating from West Memphis, Arkansas. Superior remains as a completely independent member of the family. AP and Keltner, however, do provide clear, synergistic opportunities within all business disciplines. The two companies, combined, can better negotiate with all suppliers, be they vendors, transportation, technology, etc. While AP and Keltner remain independent of one another, we work hard to combine our strengths where possible to better serve our customers.

Since the start of the year, AP Auto has introduced some new product lines – a line of lubricants and oils, and a premium wiper blade line. Are there plans for any more product introductions this year?

Proprietary brands have always been a big part of how AP Auto serves our customer. We actually have developed and control more than 10 brand names in over 20 product categories; everything from spray paint to ignition. We develop and support all of our brands internally. So far this year, we have launched Master-branded lubricant products and the StormShield wiper blade program with great success. We will continue to add new categories to our proprietary stable of brands, as well as making continual improvements on assortment, package and price point for our established brands. Ultimately, proprietary brands benefit our customers, so we look to expand whenever there is need in the market.