Yakima, Wash.--For almost 65 years, the Pitzer family has had a major influence in the machine shop and automotive parts market in central Washington, said Pitzer family members during a recent interview at P&F Automotive Warehouse.
It all started in 1945 when Vic Pitzer left Seattle for Yakima, purchased Yakima Grinding Co., an established automotive machine shop, the family said.
Pitzer had been in business in Seattle’s General Parts Co. with his brothers Jack and “Pink” Pitzer, the latter moving to Northern California to open Central Automotive Warehouse and Jack remaining in Seattle, the family said.
Over the years, Yakima Grinding had steady growth and became a redistributing parts jobber and later joined the former Evergreen Warehouse cooperative, said Fred Pitzer, Vic’s son and now semiretired from P&F Automotive Warehouse, which was founded in 1972 to market wholesale parts to accounts throughout central Washington.
Pitzer said he and his elder brother Pete spent a great deal of time working at Yakima Grinding during their high school and college days.
“I got out of college in 1972 and then spent some time in the National Guard, and when I joined the company full-time in 1973, Pete was running P&F at that point,” he said.
Over time, P&F acquired several parts stores, in addition to Yakima Grinding, today has six total part store operations from Quincy to Sunnyside, he said.
The two brothers, along with their wives, owned and operated the 22,500-square-foot P&F operation until they sold to the next generation in January 2008, Fred Pitzer said. The new owners are Jon Pitzer, Pete’s son; Kevin Pitzer, Fred’s son; and longtime family friend John Ibach.
Jon Pitzer said he joined the firm in 1992 after attending college at Eastern Washington University and worked with the inventory, ordering, and delivering parts.
Ibach started with the company at 18, mainly working at the stores and being a driver, and attended Central Washington University, Pitzer said.
Kevin Pitzer said he joined the firm in 1998 after college and handles the accounting for the firm, following in his father’s footsteps.
Jon Pitzer said he and Ibach obtained valuable jobber store experience working at the company parts stores. “We both worked at the Zillah store for several years, and John also worked the Wapato store,” he said, adding that understanding parts needs is vital to what the pair does today regarding inventory needs and service.
Ibach said he and Pitzer share an office and work on inventory, ordering, and other matters at the warehouse, but that he also oversees company store operations.
The six stores owned by the company average a 60/40 split of retail and wholesale business, Ibach said, and service repair shops, fleets, and other accounts. “We have two machine shops and four stores have paint operations to service collision repair facilities. We are big into paint and it is a growing market for us, especially at Yakima Grinding.”
A full line of automotive, truck, and specialty parts is marketed by P&F to company-owned stores and also to other independent parts stores throughout central and eastern Washington, northern Oregon, and western Idaho, Jon Pitzer said.
“Our marketing area is the same as when we started and our focus is still on jobbers, though we also service a few large fleets,” he said. “We service our own stores and about 15 other independent jobbers as a major supplier, plus another 20 or more accounts where we are a second source for parts.”
Jobber accounts are serviced by Gary Cartwright, who has been with P&F for 20 years, Ibach said, adding that Cartwright also does some sales work in the field. Each of the company stores also have outside sales reps servicing wholesale accounts, he said.
In total, there are 65 employees, 13 at P&F, said Kevin Pitzer. Both Fred and Pete Pitzer work part-time helping with inventory and ordering, “but the boys own and run the company,” Fred Pitzer said, adding that the company has had steady growth over the past three years.
“We benefit from this being a family operation,” said Jon Pitzer. “We have a lot of experience, and as cousins and family members, we have good communication within the group.”
And the owners touted their employees for long-term company success. “Many of our employees have been here for well over 20 years, and several more than 30 years,” said Kevin Pitzer.
Like any warehouse distributor, inventory control is a challenge, and Jon Pitzer said parts proliferation is a “big issue.” He and Ibach said the company’s new computer system allows them to better control inventory, ordering, and tracking of lost sales.
“Pete, Fred, John, and I all look at parts control and how to keep our inventory levels at their best levels and have right parts for our customers,” Pitzer said, adding that they review inventory every day.
“Manufacturers have better applications today than in the past and provide us with Northwest parts sales rankings, so we’re more prepared to have the right parts on hand,” Pitzer said. One challenge, he added, is the expanse of agricultural and large truck parts coverage required by accounts throughout the region they service.
“Our largest and fastest-growing line is Wix Filters,” Kevin Pitzer said.
“Fred worked hard on developing excellent coverage for the filter line and the broad coverage we need to stock,” Jon Pitzer said.
While data is stronger from manufacturers, the Pitzers said there are fewer factory or independent manufacturer reps serving the market today than in the past, and many manufacturers no longer have western distribution centers.
Gates, P&F’s oldest product line, is second-largest in product sales, the Pitzers said, including the belt and hose group as well as hydraulics.
P&F joined the Federated Auto Parts distribution group in 1995, and 35-40 percent of their products are purchased through Federated, the Pitzers said. They are also active members of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), a group that Jon Pitzer said is revitalizing itself.
Over the next five years, Ibach said they will retain their company parts stores and add more if the opportunity arises.
“We’ll look outside the box at additional fleet and specialty business, as well as maintaining our core business,” Jon Pitzer said.
They all agreed that there will be more Internet sales and that parts for import vehicles, hybrids, diesel-powered vehicles, and European technology will increase, and they will meet the parts demand for those products.
“The agricultural business is stable, but there will be growth there as well,” Jon Pitzer said.
