Fisher and Father NAPA Auto Parts Expands Main Street Clarion’s Corle-Benn Legacy

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published February 26, 2017 5:50 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – The market for NAPA parts in the Clarion area has been a good one for more than 50 years and should be for many years to come if the results of the transition from Corle-Benn on Main Street to Fisher and Father NAPA Auto Parts on Water Run Road and Route 68 are any indication.

(Pictured above: Nathan McGiffin, Dave Carbaugh, John Hutchison, and Dave Simpkins.)

“We’ve had about a 10 percent increase in sales since our move at the end of last October,” said the former Corle-Benn Owner Dave Simpkins who is now a part-time employee and consultant.

“The size of the new Clarion building is 10,000 square feet.  The one on Main Street had 6,000 square feet if you added together everything from the upstairs, downstairs, and cubbyholes.”

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All of the employees from the old store are working at the new store, and Nathan McGiffin is store manager. The size of the new store allows more inventory. While the old store had an inventory of between 450,000 and 500,000, now they stock about 700,000.  The larger inventory is one of the reasons for more sales at a time when the industry has declined.

“This day and age in this business car parts sales are down,” said Simpkins.  “In 2007 and 2008, when the U.S. economy crashed and the car sales plummeted, that age of car right now is the prime dealer service market.  Those vehicles are starting to show up in garages to be worked on – the warranties are gone – but, because there were so fewer cars sold in 2007 and 2008, there’s kind of a hole in the market. Business is down because of it.”

Even though there is quite a bit of competition in the Clarion market, including some “big box” stores not far from NAPA, Fisher and Father has managed to see a 10 percent increase due to stock availability, convenience, and a core value that emphasizes value.

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“The only thing I can say is that this business has done as well as it has because its been established for a long time,” said Simpkins.

“We’ve always been very service-oriented.  I knew all of my customers.  It’s always been a good market for NAPA, and it has just carried on.  The big difference between us and some of the other parts stores is that we’re very wholesale-oriented and do the bulk of our business with garages and professionals.  They do the bulk of their business with walk-ins.  We want walk-ins, and that’s why we moved down here. It’s more convenient. We’ve always done a good job of servicing that professional market whether it’s a body shop, garage, gas station, or dealership.”

“We want to be competitive, but our priority is not to be the lowest price…Our priority is to be the best value, what you get for your money – knowledgeable people with a lot of experience, and that’s what makes us strong.  I never had all of this space in Clarion, and this is retailing.  Just because of where we’re at, we will get more walk-ins.”

Simpkins bought the Clarion store founded by Ray Benn and Bill Corle in July 1983 and also owned stores in Reynoldsville, Brookville, and Rimersburg.  He sold the Reynoldsville store about 20 years ago and the Brookville store in 2011.  The Rimersburg store was sold last year to George Hobaugh at the same time he sold the Clarion store.

Shane Fisher of Fisher and Father, Inc. is the new owner and plans to add some items such as Stihl tools later this year in addition to continuing the Corle-Benn tradition of quality and service.

Fisher also purchased the land in front of the store and plans to demolish the abandoned house close to Route 68 in front of the lot.  There are no immediate plans for the use of large grassy lot.

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Fisher and Father purchased the former Leezer Lumber Building at the Cranberry Mall years ago.

“He was in the John Deere and lawn and garden business for quite a while, but he only needed half of the building,” said Simpkins.  “He put his existing business in half of the building and opened up a NAPA store in the other half about two and a half years ago.  That was his beginning in the part business.   He likes the parts business and wanted to grow, and he picked Clarion.”

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