This year, Wayne Auto Parts in Monticello, Ky., celebrates its 50th anniversary. A lot has changed since it opened its doors in 1955, but the key to its success remains the same: Treat people the way you want to be treated.
“The one thing that has contributed most to our success is how we take care of our customers,” says Harold Davis, who owns Wayne Auto Parts. “If a customer needs help, we help them no matter what it takes.”
It sometimes takes getting a part where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Wayne Auto Parts’ hot shot delivery service will deliver any part to anyone in the county, free of charge. That includes a 20-cent bolt or a $1,000 order. And the delivery drivers don’t wait for a full truckload before heading out. They deliver as orders come in.
In the rural areas around Monticello, which is in southern Kentucky, those parts are just as likely to be for tractors, houseboats or logging equipment as they are for cars. The company has a reputation for stocking hard-to-find parts. It has partnered with O’Reilly Automotive, whose service and delivery arm, Ozark Automotive, makes daily deliveries to Wayne Auto Parts.
“For years we dealt with Mid-State Automotive Distributors in Nashville,” Davis says. “The owner, William Cherry, advised us to stock one or two of a lot of different parts, rather than buying a dozen of the same part. They offered every day delivery, so we seldom missed a sale.”
When O’Reilly Automotive bought Mid-State Automotive Distributors in 2001, it offered Davis the same daily delivery options. “If I order it by 5 today, it’s usually here by tomorrow morning,” he says.
Serving niches
But the convenience of finding the correct part in stock is just one way Wayne Auto Parts meets its customers’ needs.
When Davis noticed the logging companies in the area needed a good supply of hydraulic hoses, he began to custom manufacture them. He also stocks specialty logging equipment parts for those customers, as well as heavy-duty truck parts.
Wayne Auto Parts also supplies major houseboat manufacturers with many of the items they need — from hydraulic hoses to fuel pumps to paint.
“Like car manufacturers, the houseboat manufacturers here are always looking for something different for their boats,” says Davis. “They’re all custom built, so they need a lot of odds and ends; that adds up to quite a few dollars for us each year.” Meeting the special needs of customers allows them to compete with chain stores, such as Advance Auto Parts, NAPA and AutoZone, which keep longer hours.
“They do a lot of business after we close,” Davis says. “My hours are 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. ‘till noon on Saturday. We’re closed on Sunday. That’s the way we prefer it.”
Resonating happiness
Davis extends his philosophy of giving people what they want to his employees. He currently has six employees, one who has worked there for 37 years. The newest employee, who started this year, was hired away from local competitor Advance Auto Parts. He took a pay cut to work for Wayne Auto Parts.
“Surprisingly, it’s not about the money,” Davis says. “I try to treat my employees well and make them feel like part of the operation. I don’t have a time clock. If they need some time to get a haircut or run downtown to do some business, they’re not docked. I’m not on their backs.”
The employees are like a family, Davis says. In fact, they call his wife “Aunt Joan.” Also like a family, they depend on each other’s strengths to succeed. One employee has a farming background, so he can answer questions about farm equipment. Another used to race cars, so he can assist customers looking for high performance parts. Yet another’s specialty is paint and body work.
Davis says he usually likes to hire people who know nothing about the auto parts business so that he can train them from scratch. He stresses values like honesty and takes his time showing them the ropes.
“I tell them up front how I like things to be done,” Davis says. “I also tell them they’re doing well if they know where the water fountain and rest room are the first week. I’m patient.”
Davis says it takes about three years before an employee becomes proficient.
He is careful to treat all of his employees equally. They all receive the same size bonus each year, regardless of who sold more. “We’re all on the same team,” Davis says. “Treating everyone the same leads to everyone helping each other.”
That equality extends up the ladder. Davis began his career as a 17-year-old sweeping the floor for 40 cents an hour. Forty-seven years later, as president and owner of the company, he’s still not above pushing the broom when it’s needed.
“It’s just like horsepower,” he says of the team atmosphere. “We all pull together to get the job done.”
The Vital Stats
Years in business: 50 years
Number of employees: 6
Wholesale/retail ratio: 50/50
Snapshot of Wayne Auto Parts: Established in 1955, Wayne Auto Parts serves its rural customers with automobile, farming and logging equipment. It primarily wholesales logging equipment and houseboat parts.
Affiliation: The Alliance
Competition: AutoZone, NAPA, Advance Auto and an independent parts store
Location/Facility size: One 3,500-sq-foot base of operations and a 1,200-sq.-foot storage facility, both in Monticello, Ky.
