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Dennis Roberts Sr., once again owns Little Roberts Auto Parts.
With Steve Cox's help, the company has introduced a new web
site.
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There's that old saying that goes, "whatever goes around,
comes around." Dennis Roberts Sr. and Little Roberts Auto
Parts in Kansas City, Mo., are seeing the wisdom in that adage.
It took five years, almost to the day, but the business has
come full circle.
In August 1999, Roberts sold his business, then known as Little
Roberts Auto Salvage, to GreenLeaf Auto Recyclers, one of
the nation's largest recycled-part suppliers with multiple
locations across the country. Then, in August 2004, with the
help of partner Don Edwards, he bought it back and changed
the name to Little Roberts Auto Parts, LLC.
"I sold it because the price was right," Roberts explained.
"But it's really good to be back."
The complex includes approximately 60,000 square feet of buildings
and a 1,000-vehicle inventory on 18 acres, plus a 30,000-square-foot
off-site warehouse. It maintains a delivery fleet of five
trucks, plus a rollback and 18 employees.
In his deal with GreenLeaf, Roberts retained ownership of
the land and buildings. He remained an employee of GreenLeaf
for the first year, then spent the subsequent four years building
a subsidiary business, Roberts Classic Cars, which builds
custom hot rods and other high-performance vehicles.
Edwards, Roberts' close friend in the reacquisition, owns
C & H Auto Salvage, also in Kansas City. Both men are very
enthusiastic about the "new" Little Roberts.
"We've made a lot of changes in the operation, and it's back
on its feet and getting better every day," Roberts revealed.
"But it will still take us probably another year to get to
where we want to be."
He said that, as part of the transition, Little Roberts sent
letters to all former and existing customers explaining the
change. And with the help of Steve Cox, general manager, it
launched a new web site - LittleRobertsAutoParts.com.
Another point of speculation is the Little Roberts name itself.
It turns out to be a Kansas City icon.
Roberts explained, "My grandfather, Curtis Roberts, started
the family in the salvage business in the 1940s. His place
was called Roberts Auto, and he was a pretty big man. My dad,
Bill Roberts, opened his own yard from the mid-'50s to the
late-'60s, and he was a little guy - around 135 pounds. He
became known as ‘Little' Roberts, and that's what he named
his business."
When Roberts opened his own business in 1977, his father had
already closed the original Little Roberts, so he adopted
the name to capitalize on its popularity.
Last year, Roberts' sons, Dennis Jr. and Kent, decided to
become the fourth generation of Robertses in the industry.
But to avoid confusion, they named their business County Line
Auto Salvage, located in nearby Kingsville.
Although it's only been a short time since the buyback, Roberts
is relying on that old saying to bring Little Roberts back
to where it used to be. "We're getting an excellent response
from our old customers, and we're gaining new ones. They see
the positive changes that we've made, and we're winning back
their confidence and business."
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