Steve Tucker: Thriving in a competitive industry
In 2021, Steve Tucker was named Automotive Parts Associates, Inc. president, where he currently presides. Before his role at APA, Tucker spent 11 years at the Automotive Distributions Network as vice president. Tucker’s advancement to such high positions is attributed to his experience working at an auto parts store in high school, his role at his father’s Kenworth Truck Dealership, and positions at companies like Delphi, Mid-State Automotive, Federal Mogul, and Dana.
“I've always been a car guy,” Tucker says. “I built my first go-kart when I was 8 years old. And I’ve always been intrigued with mechanical things — anything with a motor and wheels — and the intricacy of how it works. That was what got me interested in the business itself. The other part was, I like people and helping folks figure out what they need for their cars. For me, that’s carried on through the industry in a variety of positions. It's a people business, and despite all the need for technology, we're still human beings, and we do business with people that we like and respect, and this industry is chock full of that type of people.”
Bridging the Gap
At APA, Tucker and his team work for both the buyer and the seller to bridge the relationship. The company connects the two parties by providing tools to its buyers and suppliers to simplify the process. APA takes its job very seriously and is always ensuring that its members have what they need to be better suppliers for their customers.
“This group is kind of an island of misfit toys,” Tucker says. “We have a wide variety of people that own their own businesses. We have some very large members, we have some very small ones, and we have some that are just starting out. Additionally, some have been in business for over 100 years. As a result, we have this wide plethora of ways to get parts through and we provide something for everybody.”
APA takes an a la carte approach to the industry by providing a multitude of different services to its customers. In addition to parts, it provides a suite of technology and marketing services for members to choose from. This allows APA the ability to service every type of customer because they can pick and choose what best fits their specific business model.
“We have some customers that only do under-hood stuff,” Tucker says. “We have some that are full-blown warehouse distributors. We have some that are import specialists that only deal in high-end European cars, and some that are Asian specialists.”
Strategy for Success
Regardless of what service a customer is looking for, they can be assured that APA is providing cutting edge service.
“There's two things that we do to be to stay on top of things,” Tucker says. “Number one, we attend and participate in all the industry functions. Whether it be going out and attending meetings of investors to see what is tripping their trigger and why they want to invest in this industry, to technical forums, to AWD and AAPEX. Number two, at those functions a lot of my time is spent making sure that APA is on the cutting edge of getting information and transferring that into what tools we currently have, or what we need to develop and make sure that we're able to address trends.”
Whether APA is changing suspension technologies or tariffs, it understands the importance of ensuring its members have the advantage.
“I always like to say that I look at our industry and I hear people talk about the rise of the retailers and the big box guys and how successful they are, and that's all very true,” Tucker says. “But I liken our industry a lot to the hardware store business or even the pharmacies and the grocery stores. There's a lot of Home Depots and Lows out there, but there's still a lot of ACE and independents. These independents can move more quickly, and they're closer to the street, and they eat what they kill. And so, the limited aftermarket is alive and well and thriving, and suppliers need to make sure they don't take their eyes off that channel and continue to support it.”
