Michael Dickson refers to the present state of his company as a culmination of sorts. What was founded in 1933 as primarily a wrecking yard is now the largest supplier of automotive detailing products in Northeast Ohio.
“There were several companies that started at the same time we did,” says Dickson, CEO of Ohio Auto Supply, “but now in this area, they’ve gone out of business, they’ve been bought out or they’ve become affiliated with a national program. We’re the only one left that is an independent, unaffiliated auto parts store in Stark County — and we’re doing quite well at it.”
In March 1999, Ohio Auto Supply moved into a new 15,000-square-foot facility on West Tuscarawas Avenue. The facility boasts a state-of the-art manufacturing area, a new showroom, offices, a warehouse and loading dock.
“Our business was growing at such a rapid rate that we needed a new facility,” Dickson notes.
While the company primarily sells wholesale products to car dealerships, auto repair shops, detail shops and car washes, the retail side of Ohio Auto Supply, which had hovered at about 10 percent of sales, has taken off since the 3,000-square-foot showroom opened last year.
Aside from being the AC Delco distributor for the Canton area, Ohio Auto Supply manufactures and sells car-detailing products including soaps, degreasers, tire dressings and accessories. The company has overcome tough national competition by focusing on and penetrating the local market, Dickson says.
“This is a niche that we really lead the market in in Northeast Ohio,” he says. “We can offer people a superior product at the lowest price because we are the manufacturer. There’s no freight built into our cost.”
And when you’re selling 55-gallon drums of cleaners and degreasers, freight costs can add up fast, he points out.
Dickson, who has been running the daily operations of Ohio Auto Supply since 1987, is focusing his efforts on further expanding the retail side of his business. He is working on new labels and a catalog for the detailing products, and hopes to unveil a Web site within the next few months, where customers can look up and order parts.
In addition, the company has consistently added three to five products a year to its line, which in 1984 consisted of five products, and now numbers 55.
“I think [our success] is due to us staying on the cutting edge of the lines that we carry, and not being afraid to try something new or to come out with new products,” Dickson says.
The company employs 23, including Dickson’s father, Phil, who is semi-retired.
How to reach: Ohio Auto Supply, (330) 454-5105
Connie Swenson
