Advance Auto Parts opens

DeKALB – After months of construction, the new Advance Auto Parts officially opened its doors early last week.

The 6,126-square-foot building located at 2151 Sycamore Road in DeKalb has been under construction since last fall, and staff began stocking merchandise in April.

Jon Jennings, general manager at Advance Auto Parts, said the DeKalb store's shelves are stocked with about 2,700 items.

Advance Auto Parts sells a wide range of car parts, including batteries, brakes, spark plugs, engine parts, belts, hoses, filters, lights, wipers and other parts and accessories. Jennings said if a part or product isn't available on site, the staff is able to order it from other Advance Auto Parts stores in Batavia and Chicago. He said any parts the DeKalb store doesn't have can typically be delivered the same day they are ordered.

What sets Advance Auto Parts apart from similar stores, Jennings said, are the number of free services offered to customers. The store also supplies commercial parts to local mechanics.

"The biggest thing is we're here to help," he said. "We're not just here to make a sale. ... Advance Auto Parts is here for the customer. We're not here to pressure anyone to buy anything. We're here to help the customer as best we can."

The store offers free services such as starter and alternator checks, battery testing, wiper blade installations and computer checks. The store also offers free battery recycling, and when a customer buys a new battery, the staff will install it for free.

Advance Auto Parts employs 13 part-time and full-time team members, some of whom have Automotive Service Excellence certification. Jennings said the store employs both a commercial parts pro and a retail parts pro, and he said he tries to have at least one parts specialist on staff at all times.

Advance Auto Parts specialists don't do mechanical work, but they help customers identify their needs, answer questions and offer advice.

"We'll sit down and figure out the answers with the customer," he said.

Jennings said the DeKalb area is a new market for Advance Auto Parts, adding that the closest stores are in Batavia and Rockford. There are more than 3,700 stores nationwide, and store headquarters is located in Roanoke, Va.

"What separates us are our free services and knowledgeable staff," Jennings said. "We're here to make the customer happy because when customers are happy, they'll come back."

Know more

What: Advance Auto Parts

Where: 2151 Sycamore Road, DeKalb

Phone: 815-748-3021

Hours: 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday,
9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday

Web: www.advanceautoparts.com