During its annual 11th Annual Million Dollar Dinner, National Auto Parts Warehouse Companies (NPW) not only honored its top suppliers for reaching $1 million or more in business with the company, but it also provided suppliers in attendance an update on the business and what they can expect from the company in 2024.

“As this market continues to change—and it’s changing faster than ever— we at NPW want to stay ahead of the curve,” said Chris Pacey, president and CEO. “We’re investing in our future, but we can’t do it without your partnership. NPW will evolve and be different than what we are today, and we look forward continuing out partnerships and thinking outside of the box together.”

As part of the celebration, Larry Pacey, NPW founder and chairman, and Chris Pacey, his son, provided attendees with a business update, highlighting NPW’s accomplishments in 2023. One of those was adding new executive staff members in 2023 including, Matt Palmer, vice president of demand planning; Danielle Rickerson, head of marketing and communications; Luis Rodriguez, director of commercial sales; and Steve Shipman, senior vice president of sales and operations.

“We’ve added some really good talent this year,” said Chris Pacey. “This is a testament to NPW looking toward the future as we bolster our leadership team to stay ahead of the curve.”

NPW, a member of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance (The Alliance), also made key acquisitions in 2023, purchasing 20 Auto Plus locations in Florida last summer. According to NPW, the locations expanded its Florida footprint to 28 stores reaching north to Daytona on the east coast and west to Clearwater on the west coast. With these locations, the company was also able to consolidate its stores in Florida where there was coverage overlap to better leverage resources and inventory.

“That is the 35th acquisition we’ve done since 2008,” said Larry Pacey. “We’re rolling along with acquisitions, and we have four more we’re negotiating for 2024.”

Larry Pacey thanks the crowd of suppliers at NPW’s Million Dollar Dinner.

In December, the company also acquired a New Jersey Auto Parts location, which has been in Miami since 1979. The store was rebranded as Johnny’s Auto Parts and includes Auto Value branding as part of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance. The store will introduce the Johnny’s brand to South Miami, which NPW plans to expand across the region.

“Johnny’s Auto Parts is a great chain that we have in the South Florida area, and this adds a location in South Miami for us,” said Chris Pacey. “We look forward to some great things coming from this location, and we’re really excited to continue to expand the Johnny’s model in the years to come.”

NPW also implemented new technology to make sure its stores were on similar operating software. Chris Pacey said the company installed Elite Extra across its stores, a delivery dispatch software system that helps stores have the right part at the right place at the right time for customers. It also established a national phone tree system to better utilize NPW’s customer service representatives across the country.

“We’re continuing to work on centralizing processes throughout the organization as we look to better leverage our resources,” Chris Pacey said.

In addition, NPW produced its first virtual FAST Expo, a three-day super sale across its 60-plus locations, at the beginning of this year. Larry Pacey said in 2025, the show will be a live event in Miami.

Looking ahead, Chris Pacey said the company will host its 34th annual golf tournament this year. Last year, the annual tournament raised money for First Tee of Miami, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth through the game of golf.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

The Pacey family invited The Alliance’s John R. Washbish, CEO, and JC Washbish, president, to give an update on the state of the industry. In their fun father-and-son banter, the Washbishes provided their take on trends in our industry and outlined what they feel will have an impact on the aftermarket in 2024. Those included:

John R. Washbish showcases the name tags he has collection from the past NPW Million Dollar Dinner events, boasting the success of NPW’s business, a member of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance.

• EVs: While they are certainly coming, projections for EVs being a large part of the car parc come 2035 are skewed. “Let’s be realistic. Internal combustion engines will be here for a long time,” John R. Washbish said.
• Vehicle age: The average age of vehicles is getting older, which means more service opportunities and profit for the aftermarket. This means parts distributors, such as NPW, need the support to service independent repair shops and national accounts, JC Washbish said.
• November elections and H.R. 906: The elections in November will determine policies affecting our industry going forward, including emissions regulations. The Washbishes also encouraged the industry to understand H.R. 906, or The REPAIR Act, and contact their local Congressperson to express their support for the bill.

JC Washbish touts the University of the Aftermarket Foundation’s Coffee Club as a way to get involved in the industry.

“We have to get this thing passed so we can keep fixing cars and trucks,” JC Washbish told attendees. “We need everybody’s help. The automobile is one of the greatest freedoms that we have as Americans—it gives us the ability to go anywhere on our interstates whenever we want, wherever we want. That freedom is woven on the interstates, and that tapestry only comes together if you do something to support it.”