Damba, a pilot for ExpressJet Airlines, a feeder service for Continental Airlines and other carriers, said he acquired Wentzville Truck and Auto in the middle of May.

"My background really has nothing to do with parts," Damba said. "Really, this is an investment. I've researched a lot of stuff on the automotive industry and NAPA. Years and years ago, I used to work in the construction industry, and everything we put on, the filters and everything, was NAPA. So when I was looking for this venture, NAPA was the first name that popped into my head as offering good-quality parts, good people, and good support."

Damba said he acquired Wentzville Truck and Auto after talking with NAPA's district office. He said he had initially intended to open a new store but decided on purchasing an existing location after NAPA officials said that such facilities were available.

Damba said that before acquiring the store, he carefully researched the industry to ensure that he was making the right move.

"I did have some concerns," he said, "and I put together a lot of models on the computer for my return on investment and where the economy is heading. Every one of them pretty much indicated that this was going to be a good venture."

For example, Damba pointed to the weak sales of new cars and widespread concerns about the economy. If new-car sales are down, "that just tells you people are going to fix what they have or continue to drive what they're driving."

Damba said the state of the economy concerned him, "but it didn't impact me enough that I had to make a decision not to do this."

Asked if, as an outsider, he brings a different perspective to the auto parts business, he said, "That's a difficult question to answer." However, Damba said there were several things that attracted him to the parts business in addition to what he perceives as the ongoing need for parts.

"I guess it's personal," he said. "I enjoy the parts. I enjoy working with people. I enjoy the hands-on type of situation you have here. Although I have lots of friends that just sit down behind a computer and invest in the stock market. I like physical investments. I like to meet the people, and I like to work with the parts."

Damba said he also likes "to drive by his investments," something that's possible for him with Wentzville Truck and Auto.
Since acquiring the 4,000-square-foot store, he has increased its inventory "quite a bit," Damba said. He has also been tracking lost sales, and with the expanded inventory, lost sales have begun to decline.

"If you don't have it, you're not going to sell it, and if you get the reputation that you don't have it, somebody's not going to even bother calling or stop in" he said. "You have to have the inventory."

At present, Damba said he employs three people, a manager, an assistant manager, and a counterperson.

"With the previous owners, it was pretty much walk-in retail only," he said, adding that he plans to begin focusing on outside sales as well.

"For now, our assistant manager is going to start with outside sales until we need a full-time person," he said.

Damba said he has also installed a new computer system--NAPA's Total Automotive Management System (TAMS)--and he plans to increase advertising and marketing, and to make the store more visible in the community through participation in community events.

Damba said he believes he can double the sales volume of the store in the next 12 to 18 months. He also plans to increase the footprint of the store.

"We have an opportunity for some space next door. The whole building is 8,000 square feet, but there's about 2,000 square feet behind the other tenant that's available."

As a pilot, Damba said he is based in Houston and he commutes between his home in Wildwood, Mo., and Houston when he is scheduled to fly. He said his time is about equally divided between flying and working in the store.

"It's usually half and half. I usually have about 15 or 16 days a month off, and that time is usually spent here," he said.

In many ways the two jobs complement one another, Damba said.

"In airline work, we sit a lot in hotels, or we sit a lot in terminals," he said. "With a laptop, I can connect to our system and see everything that's going on. It's easy for me to do business while I'm flying or sitting in a hotel room. I get a lot of down time, which gives me plenty of time to do whatever I need to do, and unlike most jobs, in the airline business, when I walk away, when I finish my trip, I don't have to bring work home with me. So it allows me to have the extra time for this job."

For Damba, the acquisition of Wentzville Truck and Auto is a long-term investment. It's also one that's supported whole-heartedly by his family, he said.

"I've only had this store a month, and we've already picked up sales quite a bit," he said. "I would like to see this store grow enough where we can add a second store and continue on. I'd like to purchase three or four stores down the road."