Melbourne, Australia | 4 September 2024: Genuine Parts Company (GPC) today announced it has acquired Australian automotive collision repair parts company Auto Parts Group (APG), the country’s leading independent supplier of genuine, certified and aftermarket automotive collision repair parts.
GPC made the acquisition via its Australia-based subsidiary GPC Asia Pacific, Australasia’s largest industrial and automotive aftermarket parts and service supplier.
Melbourne-based GPC Asia Pacific will now operate APG as a dedicated Collision Repair division alongside its existing automotive parts businesses, which include Repco, NAPA, Rare Spares, Sparesbox, and AMX Super Stores.
“Acquiring APG is a natural extension of GPC Asia Pacific’s current operations,” said Rob Cameron, Managing Director and Group CEO at GPC Asia Pacific. “It enables us to extend into a large and resilient sector of the automotive industry, one that has favourable tailwinds and which will benefit from GPC’s global scale and capabilities.
“GPC has exciting plans to further invest in APG’s distribution capabilities, product range, and customer service capabilities, which will deliver a multitude of benefits to APG’s customers.”
The deal sees GPC Asia Pacific acquire 100 percent ownership of APG from the company’s founder, Stephen Campbell, who determined GPC was the best home for his company’s future growth aspirations, APG’s 300-strong team, and its community of customers.
GPC Asia Pacific’s acquisition took effect on 2 September 2024.
APG currently operates five distribution centres across Australia. At present, they supply more than 47,000 different product lines to around 3,500 collision repairers.
APG’s operations will continue unchanged under GPC’s ownership and will now enjoy the advantages of GPC Asia Pacific’s investment strength and global supply chain.
James Knox will continue to lead the business as Executive General Manager of APG and become a member of GPC Asia Pacific’s Automotive Leadership Team.
James Knox said, “Coupling APG’s customer-focussed approach with GPC’s planned investments in larger product ranges and distribution centres will significantly enhance the APG proposition.”
GPC Asia Pacific’s purchase of APG is the latest in a series of significant Australian investments.
In June this year, GPC Asia Pacific opened its newest state-of-the art 39,000 square-metre parts distribution centre in Broadmeadows, north of Melbourne. The highly automated facility is one of a number of expansion projects scheduled by the leading parts and accessories supply company.
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Image captions:
GPC and APG Image 1:
LEFT: James Knox, Executive General Manager of APG
CENTRE: Stephen Campbell, Founder of APG
RIGHT: Wayne Bryant, CEO of GPC Asia Pacific’s Automotive Division
GPC and APG Image 2:
LEFT: Wayne Bryant, CEO of GPC Asia Pacific’s Automotive Division
RIGHT: Stephen Campbell, Founder of APG
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For more information, please contact:
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Email: peter@peterfadeyev.com
About GPC:
Established in 1928, Genuine Parts Company is a leading global service provider of automotive and industrial replacement parts and value-added solutions. Our Automotive Parts Group operates across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australasia, France, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal, while our Industrial Parts Group serves customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australasia. We keep the world moving with a vast network of over 10,700 locations spanning 17 countries supported by more than 60,000 teammates. Learn more at genpt.com