After more than 60 years in business Heimpel Automotive is still holding strong. As a top competitor in the automotive parts & machining industry, Heimpel Automotive relies on solid customer-centered values and an intelligent business approach.
Heimpel Automotive was founded by Wilf Heimpel, and his two brothers Walter and Goldwin, as an automotive machine shop in March of 1953. The three man operation started off with $6000 of equipment and ran that way for two years.
In 1965 Wilf decided to venture out on his own and bought out his brothers' share of the business. The following year his son and current owner/president joined his father to work along side him in the machine shop. Over the years Wayne moved throughout the company starting in the machine shop then as a shipper/receiver and finally landing at the order desk.
The company faced it's greatest crisis in April of 1980, when a fire completely destroyed the offices, order department, and parts warehouse and severely damaged the machine shop. After a portion of the building was rebuilt and the machine shop reopened, the rest of the business was forced to temporarily relocate. In November of the same year they purchased a new 10,250 sq-ft. facility at 38 Hanson Ave. where they have remained ever since.
2003 brought a loss to the company as well as some administrative changes as Wayne took over ownership of the business after his father passed way in the same year.
The majority of the business is wholesale, dealing primarily with local auto repair shops in the area, the remainder being directed towards retail. Wayne believes that having knowledgeable sales staff at your counter who are able to talk to your retail customers is an important aspect of a successful business. "If they are not sure if they have all the parts to do the job, you have to have someone behind the counter who knows what is needed and point that out to the customer." He also values his long relationship with Bestbuy Distributors, whom they have been members of for 48 years.
Heimpel Automotive was founded by Wilf Heimpel, and his two brothers Walter and Goldwin, as an automotive machine shop in March of 1953. The three man operation started off with $6000 of equipment and ran that way for two years.
In 1965 Wilf decided to venture out on his own and bought out his brothers' share of the business. The following year his son and current owner/president joined his father to work along side him in the machine shop. Over the years Wayne moved throughout the company starting in the machine shop then as a shipper/receiver and finally landing at the order desk.
The company faced it's greatest crisis in April of 1980, when a fire completely destroyed the offices, order department, and parts warehouse and severely damaged the machine shop. After a portion of the building was rebuilt and the machine shop reopened, the rest of the business was forced to temporarily relocate. In November of the same year they purchased a new 10,250 sq-ft. facility at 38 Hanson Ave. where they have remained ever since.
2003 brought a loss to the company as well as some administrative changes as Wayne took over ownership of the business after his father passed way in the same year.
The majority of the business is wholesale, dealing primarily with local auto repair shops in the area, the remainder being directed towards retail. Wayne believes that having knowledgeable sales staff at your counter who are able to talk to your retail customers is an important aspect of a successful business. "If they are not sure if they have all the parts to do the job, you have to have someone behind the counter who knows what is needed and point that out to the customer." He also values his long relationship with Bestbuy Distributors, whom they have been members of for 48 years.
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