Franken Auto Parts sits on 80 acres on the outskirts of a quiet, town of only 5,700 people. It is also one of the town's largest private employers, next to the hospital and school district.
In 1974, Bob Franken started the business on the grounds of the family's farm. There, he bought wrecked automobiles, separated them into usable parts and scrapped the rest. For more than a decade, Bob provided customers throughout the northeastern part of the state with high-quality used auto parts at affordable prices. When his son Chris got involved in the business in 1990, they produced a catalogue of rare parts which was mailed to street rod and classic car enthusiasts.
In 1995, Steve Cox, married to Chris' sister Terri, joined the firm. Steve was an expert automotive body and paint professional. He suggested that they set up a body and paint shop to restore and resell some of the more desirable models, rather than referring them elsewhere.
By 2001, the catalogue business had grown and included salvaged parts as well as a wide stock of new parts manufactured specifically for antique automobiles and employed seven people. The repairable car business employed six more. Bob retired that year, selling the business to Chris and Steve.
As partners, Chris and Steve knew that the Internet would play an integral role in their growth. They' developed a strong network of suppliers for their catalogue and restorable auto business. They contracted with a web-designer who developed an easy-to-navigate website and online store. Then they advertised in a number of circulars and magazines that served hot-rod enthusiasts. Within eight months, they had to hire another staff person to take the online sales orders.
By mid-2002, they realized that they were missing a huge opportunity to serve clients on the east and west coasts, since a substantial number of their catalogue sales calls came in on weekends or after hours. Usually, only Chris or Steve were working and whomever was available took the calls.
"It had been like that for I don't know how long. One Saturday morning Steve and I were both working to prepare for inventory. We were actually in the shop and I think we took four calls, all of them easy sales to people out-of-state," Chris recalls. "At first, we were really upset, I mean, we were trying to work," he laughed. "Then after Steve hung up with the last call of the morning, he looked at me and said, 'I wonder how many people we miss each Saturday when we're working in the yard or in the paint booth."
"That's when it really hit us. Here we were, working eight to five. We came in on weekends to catch up but we just seemed to be answering the phone. That’s when we decided to outsource. We've never looked back. Sales are up, our worries are down, and we are able to focus on our work in the shops without handling routine orders and phone calls. Of course, we still personally handle all special orders. It's just that now, there are a lot more of them," Chris smiled.
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