Arthur Taubman
Co-founder 1932Background
Arthur Taubman founded Advance Stores Company in 1932 in Roanoke, Virginia, with his brother Charles. The original concept was a general merchandise store selling auto supplies, home goods, and hardware during the Great Depression. Arthur's defining decision was recognizing the potential of automotive parts as a standalone business category and pivoting the company toward auto parts specialization in the 1970s. The Taubman family maintained influence in the company for decades, and Arthur's entrepreneurial vision established the foundation for what would become one of the largest auto parts retailers in the United States.
Role at Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
Advance Auto Parts was founded in 1932 by Arthur Taubman. Unlike the high-tech founders of modern conglomerates Taubman was a retailer operating in the depths of the Great Depression. He purchased three struggling auto and home supply stores in Virginia (two in Roanoke and one in Lynchburg) from the Pep Boys organization. The founding context of the company was defined by scarcity; automobiles were becoming essential for American life, but the economic devastation of the 1930s meant that very few people could afford to purchase new vehicles. Consequently, the demand for affordable replacement parts, tires, and basic maintenance supplies was resilient. Taubman's early business model was not strictly focused on auto parts. Like many retailers of the era, the early Advance Stores sold a wide variety of merchandise to survive, including appliances, televisions, and even toys. However, as the American middle class exploded post-WWII and the Interstate Highway System birthed the modern car culture, Taubman shifted the company's focus entirely toward automotive supplies. He established a deep culture of customer service, recognizing that many of his customers were 'do-it-yourself' (DIY) mechanics who needed expert advice as much as they needed the physical parts. Arthur Taubman led the company for decades, expanding its footprint across the Southeastern United States before passing leadership to his son, Nick Taubman, in 1973. The company remained a privately held, family-run business for the vast majority of its existence, only going public in 2001. That IPO fueled an era of debt-funded acquisitions (most notably buying Discount Auto Parts in 2001 and General Parts International in 2013), transforming Arthur Taubman's three depression-era storefronts into a sprawling, Fortune 500 giant that struggled to integrate the scale it had purchased.