Frank’s Auto Parts for Sale after 48 Years

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Going the distance in any business is a test of patience and experience, especially in a world dominated by corporate giants.

Jack Frank Sr. opened his auto parts business in 1970. Brothers Jack Jr. and Gary Frank continued the business after their father’s retirement in 1995. But the Franks recently decided to retire themselves and put the business at 1014 South Ave. up for sale.

“My dad worked for E.E. Emery Co. until the mid-1960s, then went on to work for Hartford Parts in Youngstown after the Emery Co. closed,” Jack Frank Jr. said last Thursday.

Frank Sr. bought a property at 904 South Ave. in January 1970 to open his own auto-parts store. Three years later the building at 1014 South Ave. became available and became the final spot for Frank’s Auto Parts.

“We bought two buildings at this location and, after that, business really picked up,” Frank Jr. said.

Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., Carney-McNicholas Inc., Youngstown Cartage Co., City Asphalt Paving Co., the city of Youngstown and Ohio Edison Co. were just few of the customers that dealt with Frank’s Auto in the 1970s, according to Frank Jr.

“When the business in the 1970s took off, we built an addition to the store with a complete machine shop,” Frank Jr. said.

The work included everything from complete motor rebuilds to machining brake drums and rotors to making hydraulic hoses.

“When the [South Avenue] bridge closed during the 1980s, it really hurt us,” Frank Jr. said. “The Vindicator came up and took pictures. We survived it, though.”

Frank’s Auto Parts employed eight until the mid- 1990s when it closed its machine shop, reducing the staff to just Jack Jr., brother Gary, and longtime employee Rich Yaslik.

According to Frank Jr., the business averages revenues of $700,000 annually and the “phones never stop ringing,” he adds. “We really hustle. It’s about $60,000 to $70,000 every month. It would be a good business for somebody, but nobody has stepped forward to buy it.”

The property includes machine shop equipment. The building is 4,725 square feet, with one warehouse area in rear for storage and two overhead doors. The larger room in the rear is suitable for an auto repair business or machine shop, according to the owners, and the building has a newer pitched roof.

Their asking price is $300,000.

The Franks and Yaslik agree that their loyal customers are “sad” at losing the longtime business that has served the area over the years.

“They are definitely bummed out when they hear that this may be the end of the road,” said Yaslik. ”We have a very good customer base. And they are a little disappointed.

“We sold pop and ice cream for years. The little kids would come in and buy pop and ice cream. Then when they started driving, they would come in for parts,” Frank said. “There were no convenience stores in the area. And we still sell pop.”

Pictured at top: Gary Frank, Rich Yaslik and Jack Frank.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.