In this episode of Connections with Jim Franco, he looks back on his earlier days in the aftermarket and how things have changed over the past 60 years.

Franco recalls his early days working at his service station where the most sophisticated piece of technology was his phone. It served as a vital tool connecting him to the Big M Auto Parts store located blocks away where he would procure needed parts.

Franco discusses how the internet changed the game when it came to the automotive aftermarket. “When online ordering came about, it just made all the difference in the world because now the installer doesn’t have to go to the phone,” Franco said.

Jim Franco is the owner, president and CEO of Autologue Computer Systems and knows a thing or two about creating a successful business. In fact, he entered the workforce at age 11, making money mowing lawns, washing windows and delivering newspapers. By age 18, he acquired an auto parts store and grew his auto parts business into a multi-million dollar organization in the 60s and 70s. By the 80s, he entered the software business, and bought Autologue, growing it in step with the industry’s needs.

Now as an octogenarian with 64-plus years in the automotive aftermarket, Franco has teamed up with us at aftermarketNews to launch a monthly video series, Connections with Jim Franco, presented by Autologue.