Federated Auto Parts has added a new member, Dobac International, headquartered in Panama City, Panama.

Dobac International serves 17 Latin American countries and has a broad network of retail stores and service outlets throughout the region. Markets served are Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala in Central America; Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Chile in South America; and Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.

“Joining Federated is the next step in our evolution,” said Jorge Luis Carbonell, president of Dobac International. “It will allow us to enhance the training and support for our network and provide additional product lines for growth. This is truly a partnership for the future success of our company and our customers.”

Dobac International was founded as Panama Clutch in 1964, when Celestino Carbonell, Jorge’s father, decided to establish the first remanufacturing and assembly plant for brakes and clutches in Panama. In 1974, the company became a national organization and was the first assembler, remanufacturer and distributor of brakes and clutches in Latin America.

Since 1993, Dobac International has partnered with many suppliers to focus on brakes, clutches and shock absorbers, along with specialty tools and other undercar products, for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles. The company created the Fujimoto America Network of 45 master distributors with more than 500 authorized spare parts retailers and more than 5,000 authorized shops located in the markets the company serves. Dobac International has focused on training as a key support function for its quality products and has provided training for more than 150,000 technicians. In addition, more than 5,000 technicians visit the company’s virtual training website each month.

“We welcome Jorge and the entire Dobac International team to Federated,” said Rusty Bishop, CEO of Federated Auto Parts. “We believe we share the same dedication to quality parts and outstanding service, supported by extensive training. This relationship will benefit all of our members as we learn from each other.”