Carquest Auto Parts announced a new branding package, including a refreshed logo, at its 2022 Leadership Summit in San Antonio.
Elements of the branding package gradually will be incorporated into interior and exterior store signage, marketing materials and more.
“Our updated branding reflects our focus on modernizing Carquest for the benefit of our independent store owners,” said Carquest Executive Vice President of U.S. Stores Junior Word. “It was critical for us to retain the red, white and blue symbolic of our store partners and their passion for serving customers in communities across America. We’ve refreshed our brand, but we’re still the same Carquest, dedicated to treating customers like family and helping them find the parts they need.”
Some 300 Carquest store owners from across the United States were represented at the summit, which included panel discussions, training sessions and a vendor show featuring 60 auto parts and technology vendors.
Additionally, Advance Auto Parts President and CEO Tom Greco and Word announced that Carquest store partners and their customers raised $86,209 for Hire Heroes USA. Greco and Word presented the donation to Hire Heroes USA CEO Andrew Sandoe. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Hire Heroes USA provides employment assistance, personal career guidance, resume building and one-on-one support for military veterans entering the workforce.
The top three Carquest stores raising the most funds were:
- La Porte Motor Supply in La Porte, Iowa, owned by Joe Weber ($6,199)
- Kittrell Auto Parts in Beaufort, North Carolina, owned by Buddy Kittrell ($4,412)
- D&M Auto Parts in Medway, Massachusetts, owned by Doug Urmston ($3,875)
“It’s been a long time since we had so many of our store partners under one roof, so that alone brought a lot of excitement for our Carquest family,” said Word. “It was important for us to use this time to celebrate our outstanding owners while providing networking opportunities and training to support their businesses and help them become more profitable. We’ve long said that our mission at Carquest is to take care of our owners while they take care of the needs of their customers, and we believe that the summit provided our owners with valuable information that will position them for success.”
Training sessions available for store partners focused on enhancing DIY business; creating digital marketing strategies with a local focus; and leveraging technology to gain business results. The summit also included a session focused on key trends influencing the automotive aftermarket, led by Auto Care Association Director of Market Intelligence Mike Chung.
