“I’m glad to say that after just a few minor hiccups, Orio has become a great partner, right up there with some of the big ones,” said Wittlinger. “One of the many thoughts was, ‘How could this company distribute parts for a vehicle no longer being manufactured and do so efficiently?’ “When Orio took over the procurement and logistics for Saab parts, many of us in the industry were skeptical,” said Wittlinger. In addition to a parts warehouse with one of the largest inventories of OEM parts in the tri-state area, Beans owns six CARSTAR collision repair shops AutoExpress, an express lube and automotive accessories store AutoRent, for discount car and truck rentals a towing company and a detail and accessory center.ĬARSTAR Doylestown in Pennsylvania is one of Fred Beans' six collision repair shops. “I thought it would be a natural for us to continue with it and we have.”įred Beans currently sells 21 different auto brands through its 18 dealerships. “Saab was a great car and had a very loyal following,” said Fred Beans, owner of the Fred Beans Automotive Group, based in southeastern Pennsylvania. Since then, Fred Beans has purchased the parts for its own six CARSTAR collision centers, as well as redistributed them through its parts warehouse.
Orio North America, a subsidiary of Orio AB based in Sweden, began distributing SAAB original parts to the U.S. Saab Automobile Parts North America opened in June of 2012 and the name was changed to Orio North America in late 2013. “Our jobs got a whole lot harder,” said Dave Wittlinger, general sales manager, Fred Beans Parts & CARQUEST of Doylestown, PA. “With very limited availability across the U.S., it became near impossible to source parts for this once sought-after manufacturer.” Fred Beans with his daughters (l to r): Jennifer, Beth, and Barbara, who are all part of the family business.Īfter Saab Automobile declared bankruptcy and closed its doors in late 2011, collision repair shops faced a dilemma: where would they find the parts needed to repair these vehicles?įacility Employees: 70 collision repair / 1,700 totalĬombined Production Space: 110,000 square feet (combined)
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