BUCYRUS – A longtime business in downtown Bucyrus is “steering” down a different road with a change in ownership and a new location.
The former NAPA/Fisher Auto Parts, a mainstay on North Sandusky Avenue since 1952, has been sold to Washington Auto Parts. The business this week also moved to 1855 E. Mansfield St. in the East Point Shopping Center.
“We have about twice the inventory here than we did at the old location,” said Dustin Ward, the store’s general manager. “It’s been a little crazy for us with the move, but overall it’s going pretty well.”
Ward, who has been with the Washington Auto Parts family since 2016, said the building has been renovated, with new signage on the front and near the busy highway. All of the former employees have remained intact, he said.
Washington Auto Parts has also increased its staffing since taking over Jan. 2 with the hiring of additional drivers, Ward said. As a plus, he said, former NAPA/ Fisher Auto Parts owner Larry Schmidt has agreed to help with the transition and work part-time.
The business’s shelves are fully stocked with what Ward calls “hard parts” for cars and trucks – brakes, shocks, starters, headlights, alternators, and wheel bearings, along with hydraulic hoses and filters for farm machinery and equipment.
“We have just about everything for the automotive side. There’s not a whole lot we can’t do,” said Ward, who transferred to Bucyrus this year from Washington’s Upper Sandusky location. “Hopefully, we’ll be fully operational by the end of the week.”
Washington Auto Parts, a family firm founded by Ken Washington back in 1978, operates dozens of locations throughout the North Central Ohio area. Acquiring another locally owned store was a win-win, Ward said.
“We’re not a corporate store.”
The company not only partners with NAPA but also with other names in the automotive supply business, such as Gates, Denso, 3M, and Meyer Snowplow. Parts and accessories can also be ordered online for in-store or curbside pickup.
