by Amy Antenora
Managing Editor, aftermarketNews.com
JUSTIN, TEXAS — National Pronto Association announced yesterday that Ken Smith Auto Parts has become the newest shareholder to join the programmed distribution group.
Ken Smith Auto Parts is the fourth auto parts business this year to become a shareholder of National Pronto Association. It is the second company to join the group in recent weeks.
In late June, Pronto announced that Eugene Service Parts of Eugene, Ore., joined the association. In April, Pronto added to its roster CIP Auto Parts, with locations in Nevada and California, and Car Care Auto Parts based in Lake Charles, La. In all, Pronto now has 48 shareholders in the group.
Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., Ken Smith Auto Parts has branch locations in Marietta, Woodstock, Rome and Douglasville, Ga.; Huntsville, Ala; Johnson City, Knoxville, Murfreesboro and Nashville, Tenn. The company’s president is Raun Smith.
According to Bill Maggs, president of National Pronto Association, these new additions are part of a concerted effort to build Pronto’s network throughout the country. Maggs said the association spent about the last two years looking for potential merger opportunities but didn’t find the right fit.
“We decided that the opportunities really are not there,” said Maggs. “We are going to have to grow organically, which is more difficult and takes much more time. But I think that it’s better growth than just merging because with mergers you have fallout. Twenty plus 20 in a merger doesn’t always end up equaling 40. Ten people may fall out.
“There have been aftermarket consolidations that worked,” he noted. “The Alliance merger worked well. When we merged Unicor, a small group, into Pronto, that worked well. But looking at other opportunities, there is a lot of overlap, a lot of issues, a lot of difference in philosophies. We think we’ve got a strong plan. We need more volume as everyone tries to compete with AutoZone and the rest. We need to fill in some open holes throughout the country.”
After deciding not to pursue a merger in favor of adding new members, Pronto hired a director of business development. Murray Sullivan joined Pronto in this role on March 1. His job is to find new members, seeking out businesses that would be a good match for the group.
While he had no specific announcements at this time, Maggs said they hope to grow more this year.
“Never count your chickens until they are hatched, but we’ve got a number of other great prospects on the line,” Maggs said. “We are looking for some significant growth this year and into the future.”
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