Making Room for More

Auto company investing millions to expand operation

  • The wholesale parts facility has seen inventory rise in recent years, which is why the company moved the facility to a larger building.
    The wholesale parts facility has seen inventory rise in recent years, which is why the company moved the facility to a larger building.
  • Employees of Beck Automotive Group’s wholesale parts operation gather in front of the Reid Street building in Palatka the company purchased because of its expanding business.
    Employees of Beck Automotive Group’s wholesale parts operation gather in front of the Reid Street building in Palatka the company purchased because of its expanding business.
  • An employee breaks down a box at Beck Automotive Group’s wholesale parts facility, which will be revamped as part of a $3.5 million overhaul.
    An employee breaks down a box at Beck Automotive Group’s wholesale parts facility, which will be revamped as part of a $3.5 million overhaul.
  • Positively Putnam FL
    Positively Putnam FL

An expanding Putnam County business is looking to invest $3.5 million into its wholesale parts operation on Reid Street in Palatka.

Since 2018, Beck Automotive Group has seen its wholesale parts operation grow to more than 30 vehicles traveling 4,000 miles a day in a 200-mile radius. Growth brought the need for space so Beck purchased the former Rochester imports building, which is about 57,500 square feet.

While the company already occupies the building, it is investing money for improvements, including overhauling the building’s exterior, adding office space and a large conference room and improving the roof. The parking lot and landscaping will also receive a makeover.

The sale of wholesale parts began in a portion of one of Beck’s dealerships, Beck Automotive Group President Breck Sloan said. The group has integrated its wholesale parts into the Reid Street building in the past few years. 

“We’re always looking for ways to continue growth and challenge expectations, and so wholesale parts was something we utilized that was our strength,” Sloan said.

Sloan said the company’s aggressive moves in focusing on local and regional markets expanded sales outside of Putnam County. He said Palatka’s central location can service North Florida and expand the company’s reach.

One of the challenges of the move was operating the existing wholesale parts operation while preparing the new site. Sloan said he expected to outgrow the Reid Street warehouse in the next five to seven years. 

“It started out with one delivery van, then to two and 20, and certainly a much larger footprint,” Sloan said. “We desperately needed more room.”

Craig Alexander, Beck Automotive Group fixed operations director, said the wholesale parts operation has withstood the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2018, the warehouse has added 16 employees, bringing the employee total to 60.

“We had to implement a lot of processes to really start ramping it up,” Alexander said.

Wholesale parts manager Brad Russell, who oversees the operation, said the company needed the space for its growing inventory. Sales have increased by about 57% in the past three years, he said. Wholesale parts are now shipped across the North Florida region, as far south as Lakeland and as far north as Brunswick, Georgia.

General Motors, Nissan, Chrysler and Ford parts are sent to collision shops, mechanics and other dealers throughout the region, Russell said. It’s a far cry from an operation that started in the corner of a dealership, he said.

“We go up to Brunswick and Valdosta, to Tallahassee and all the way to Lakeland,” Russell said. “It’s a pretty wide swath.”

 

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