Chief Auto Parts
{{Short description|US auto parts store}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Chief Auto Parts
| logo =
| type = Private
| industry = Retail
| fate = Acquired by AutoZone
| successor = AutoZone
| founded = {{Start date and age|1955}} in Norwalk, California
| founder = Vern Johnson and Lorin Tuthill
| defunct = {{End date and age|1998|07|01}}
| hq_location_city = Dallas, Texas
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| area_served = California, Texas, Tennessee, Nevada, Arizona, Arkansas
| num_locations = 556 (1998)
| key_people =
| products = Auto parts
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent =
}}
Chief Auto Parts was a United States–based auto parts store chain that had stores located in the states of Tennessee, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Arkansas and California. Chief was founded in 1955 in Norwalk, California, by Vern Johnson and Lorin Tuthill. The company grew to 119 stores when it was sold to Southland in 1979. After passing through several different owners during the next two decades, the company grew to over 500 stores before it was sold to AutoZone in 1998.
History
Chief was founded in 1955 in Norwalk, California, by Vern Johnson and Lorin Tuthill.{{cite news |url=http://business.highbeam.com/137238/article-1G1-13794243/chief-auto-parts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114093211/https://business.highbeam.com/137238/article-1G1-13794243/chief-auto-parts |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2017 |title=Chief Auto Parts. (Chief Auto Parts Inc.)(includes related articles) (Company Profile) |newspaper=Aftermarket Business |date=December 1, 1992 |last1=Stambaugh |first1=Sandie |last2=Aylward |first2=Larry |name-list-style=amp |via=HighBeam Research |url-access=subscription}} The chain grew to 119 stores, mostly in California, by the time it was purchased by Southland in 1979. It was purchased by Southland Corporation in 1979,{{cite news |title=Southland Will Acquire Apache Corp. Subsidiary |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=November 7, 1978 |page=15 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/134247357 |url-access=subscription |author= |id={{ProQuest|134247357}} |access-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-date=November 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113229/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/djreprints/doc/134247357.html |url-status=live }} along with Citgo and Movie Quik. The company was based in Dallas, Texas, and operated as a division of Southland Corporation until 1990. The company expanded in 1985 by acquiring locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama by purchasing Honey's Auto Parts in Nashville.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19851020&id=nO4aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W0cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5203,4467716 |title=Honey's Changes Name |newspaper=Bowling Green Daily News |date=October 20, 1985 |page=3D |author=}} At the same time, Chief also acquired 77 Checker Auto Parts locations in Oklahoma and Texas from Lucky Stores when Lucky decided to withdraw Checker from those areas.{{cite news |title=Lucky sold 77 auto-parts stores to Southland Corp. |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 8, 1985 |page=E2 |author= |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/154121526 |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|154121526}} |access-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-date=November 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113453/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/154121526.html |url-status=live }}
In 1988, Southland sold Chief Auto Parts to an investor group led by Chief management and Shearson Lehman Brothers for $130 million.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/12/25/southland-selling-unit/ |title=Southland Selling Unit |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=December 25, 1987 |author=}} Six years later, Chief Auto Parts was acquired by Trust Company of the West, a Los Angeles–based investment group, and the management of Chief Auto Parts for an undisclosed amount to primarily pay off General Electric Capital which had acquired Shearson Lehman's share of the company.{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/06/03/Chief-Auto-Parts-to-be-acquired/7465770616000/ |title=Chief Auto Parts to be acquired |newspaper=United Press International |date=June 3, 1994 |author=}} In 1995, Chief Auto Parts acquired Houston-based Hi-Lo Automotive, with its 191 stores in Texas, Louisiana and California, for $121 million.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/02/business/company-news-chief-auto-parts-to-buy-hi-lo-automotive.html?pagewanted=all |title=Chief Auto Parts to Buy Hi-Lo Automotive |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 2, 1995 |author=}}{{cite press release |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/CHIEF+AUTO+PARTS+AGREES+TO+ACQUIRE+Hi%2FLO+AUTOMOTIVE-a016988769 |title=Chief Auto Parts agrees to acquire Hi/Lo Automotive |work=PR Newswire |date=June 1, 1995 |author= |via=The Free Library |access-date=November 13, 2017 |archive-date=November 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113535/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/CHIEF+AUTO+PARTS+AGREES+TO+ACQUIRE+Hi%2FLO+AUTOMOTIVE-a016988769 |url-status=dead }} At the time of the acquisition, Chief had more than 500 stores in California, Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, Arkansas and Arizona.
In 1998, Trust Company of the West sold Chief to Memphis, Tennessee–based AutoZone for $280 million in cash and debt assumption.{{cite news |title=Autozone Plans to Buy Chief Auto Parts |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/12/business/company-news-autozone-plans-to-buy-chief-auto-parts.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=12 May 1998 |author=}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-12-fi-48771-story.html |title=AutoZone to Acquire Car Parts Rival Chief |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 12, 1998 |first=John |last=O'Dell}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-01-fi-65162-story.html |title=AutoZone Purchase of Chief Auto Is Complete |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 1, 1998 |first=John |last=O'Dell}} At the time of the sale, Chief had 556 auto parts stores. From 1992 until its merger with AutoZone, the company's CEO was David H. Eisenberg.
References
{{Reflist|30 em}}
Category:Automotive part retailers of the United States
Category:Retail companies based in California
Category:Defunct companies based in Texas
Category:Defunct retail companies of the United States
Category:Companies based in Dallas
Category:Retail companies established in 1955
Category:Retail companies disestablished in 1998
Category:1955 establishments in California
Category:1998 disestablishments in Texas