Aftermarket Insider Issue 78 - (Page 8)

CoM PANY PRoFilE Kohlweiss auTo ParTs inc. A Hobby and a Business Kohlweiss Auto Parts inc. FOuNdER: Frank Kohlweiss lOCATiON : • Two warehouse locations in Redwood City and Sunnyvale, Calif. • Retail store in Redwood City, Calif. busiNEss: Full line warehouse distributor NuMbER OF EMPlOYEEs: 73 WEbsiTE : www.kparts.com strive for Perfection “If you strive for perfection, along the way you will achieve excellence,” reads the sign hanging in the main warehouse of Kohlweiss Auto Parts Inc. in California. Every day, employees are reminded to do the best job they can in serving their customers. After being involved in the aftermarket industry since 1972, Frank Kohlweiss decided to start his own business, Kohlweiss Auto Parts, initially importing engine cores from Germany and Japan and selling them to other distributors and rebuilders. Kohlweiss then began importing body parts and hard parts, eventually growing into a full line distributor, with one retail and two warehouse locations. “We are a branded house and carry most major lines. We sell everything auto-related, brakes to spark plugs, oil to antifreeze,” said Frank Kohlweiss. “We keep in excess of five million dollars in inventory in a total warehouse space of more than 80,000 square feet.” Currently, Kohlweiss Auto Parts Inc. sells to independent repair shops, car lots and dealerships. They service more than 800 active accounts on a daily basis and make more than 700 deliveries a day. still a Family operated by Frank and his sons, Matt and Kevin, who all live locally and have personally known and maintained many of their customers for years. “We offer a complete benefits package to our employees like the big guys, but are still small enough to remember your birthday.” Kohlweiss currently employs 47 people and 26 independent drivers. Passion for Cars “My sons and I are car people and enjoy the hobby and the business,” said Kohlweiss. The Kohlweiss family’s passion for cars is apparent in its meticulously decorated retail store showroom in Redwood City, Calif. Featured in several trade magazines as well as local Despite its growth, Kohlweiss has always been able to maintain the family atmosphere with which it started. It continues to be family-owned and 8 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 78 http://www.kparts.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 78

Aftermarket Insider Issue 78
Contents
President’s Message
Association News
AAPEX 2012
Company Profile
Member Profile
Toolbox
Government Affairs
Technology Update
Executive Perspective
Association News
Market Intelligence

Aftermarket Insider Issue 78