Welcome Advance Auto Parts!

Garland is the first of 12 DFW stores Advanced Auto Parts will be opening in the next few months. The Grand Opening of their store at the corner of First and Main (107589 Main Street) was attended by corporate executives, representatives from the Garland Chamber of Commerce, City Councilwoman Anita Goebel and Mayor Douglas Athas.

Now headquartered in North Carolina, the company was founded in 1932 and went public in 2001. It is now among the Fortune 500 companies with stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

The new Garland AAP store is strategically located on the corner of First and Main in the space formerly occupied by Pizza by Alex and a furniture store. The red and yellow signage brightens the corner and freshens up the entrance to Historic Downtown Garland.

AAP supports several charities and presented a $1,000 donation to United Way of Garland, a portion of which will benefit our Boy Scouts. Steve Walker of BSA Troop 100 was there to accept the award. AAP’s CEO, Darren Johnson, greeted all in attendance, then turned to the the store’s working staff and emphasized teamwork and superior service. A trimmed down and dapper Paul Mayer, Garland Chamber of Commerce CEO, welcomed the AAP to Garland’s business community and assured them that the Chamber will support them them when and if needed.

As far as Grand Openings and Ribbon Cuttings go, this was a fir first rate affair, with a large corporate contingent on hand to greet guests and answer questions and a tent se-up outside with an elegant array of refreshments and pastries. Cold drinks and a high powered fan were thoughtfully provided for those who had gathered for the ribbon cutting and welcome speeches in the steamy parking lot. Though this was a mid-morning event, the temperature had already climbed to the upper 80’s and the concrete acted as a giant radiator. Time to check those coolant levels!

Photos by Edd Holden