Genuine Parts Company

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) was founded by brothers Carlyle and Malcolm Fraser in Atlanta in 1928. GPC's headquarters were located at Atlanta's Circle 75, in Cobb County, starting in 1979. Approximately 400 employees worked in the 115,000-square-foot space. In 2014, GPC announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Wildwood Office Park, next to an existing operational support facility. William P. Stengel II is GPC's president and chief executive officer (CEO). He joined the company as GPC's first chief transformation officer in 2019, became president in 2021, and became chief operating officer in 2023. Stengel succeeded Paul Donahue, who became the CEO of GPC in 2016. Donahue succeeded Tom Gallagher, who initially continued as chairperson, until Donahue was elected by the board of directors to that role in 2019. Donahue transitioned to executive chairman in 2024. On February 17, 2026, the company announced its plan to split into two publicly traded companies. GPC ranked number 239 on Forbes America's Best Employers list in 2017 and number 262 on the magazine's list of America's Largest Public Companies in 2018. The company also ranked number 678 on Forbes World Best Employers list in 2020, and number 731 on the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2024. == Company timeline ==

• 1925 National Automotive Parts Association established. • 1928 Genuine Parts Company established. • 1948 GPC Initial Public Offering. • 1975 Acquired S.P. Richards Company. • 1976 Acquired Motion Industries. • 1994 Joint Venture with Auto Todo. • 1998 Acquired EIS. • 2008 Acquired Altrom. • 2013 Acquired GPC Asia Pacific. • 2016 Acquired AMX Superstores • 2016 Acquired Auto-Camping • 2017 Acquired Inenco Group (Australia). • 2021 Acquired RSP Automotive & Industrial. • 2024 Acquired Motor Parts & Equipment Corporation (MPEC) == Subsidiaries ==

; pictured is the exterior of a NAPA Auto Parts shop in the commercial historic district of The Dalles, Oregon, in 2014. GPC has two primary business segments: Motion, which focuses on industrial products, and the automotive brand NAPA Auto Parts. According to Industrial Distribution, Motion started as a distributor of bearings and industrial supplies, and expanded to offer products related to automation, conveyance, hydraulics, fluid power, and robotics. GPC acquired Motion in 1976. GPC's electrical products division, EIS Inc., merged with Motion in 2018, before being sold in October 2019. Some NAPA Auto Parts stores are owned and operated by GPC, but most are independently owned and operated. There were approximately 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores in 2020. GPC and its four business units acquired nineteen companies in 2016. In 2017, GPC acquired a 35 percent stake in industrial distributor Inenco Group, as well as Alliance Automotive Group. GPC acquired Kaman Distribution Group (KDG), a provider of industrial solutions such as automation, conveyance, and fluid power, in 2022. GPC sold S.P. Richards through a series of transactions in 2020, starting with the Canada division in January. The U.S. operations were sold to an investor group and the Supply Source Enterprise business, which included The Safety Zone and Impact Products operations, were sold to an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital. GPC continued with Motion and NAPA Auto Parts. ==References==