How a 40-Year-Old Auto Parts Chain Survived the EV Disruption

When General Motors and Ford announced their EV-only futures, the auto parts aftermarket faced extinction. This episode examines how a 40-year-old auto parts chain with 5,000 locations bet against the narrative — and won. We walk through CEO Wilbert Thornton's 2023 decision to pivot from internal combustion parts to hybrid and EV service training, and how they acquired a battery diagnostics startup for $14 million. Today, with the S&P 500 at 7,267 and the Dow at 49,919, the company's same-store sales are up 12% year-over-year. Lucas and Luna explore the structural advantage of a physical service network in an era of increasingly complex EVs, and why the aftermarket might be the most durable part of the automotive industry. #AutoParts #EVDisruption #Aftermarket #Turnaround #WilbertThornton #AutoZone #OReillyAutoParts #BatteryDiagnostics #InternalCombustion #HybridVehicles #EVService #PhysicalRetail #BusinessTurnaround #Restructuring #SupplyChain #AutomotiveIndustry #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo