Advance Auto Parts vs AutoZone: Founders, CEOs and History
Advance Auto Parts was founded in 1929 by Arthur Taubman and is led by Shane O'Kelly. AutoZone was founded in 1979 by J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III and is led by Philip B. Daniele.
Company facts
Advance Auto Parts
- Founded
- 1929
- Headquarters
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Current CEO
- Shane O'Kelly
- Employees
- 54,007
AutoZone
- Founded
- 1979
- Headquarters
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Current CEO
- Philip B. Daniele
- Employees
- 130,000
Founders
Advance Auto Parts
Arthur Taubman
Advance Stores Company existed before Taubman's ownership, which is why the FY2025 Form 10-K gives 1929 as the company's founding year.
AutoZone
J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III
AutoZone was founded in 1979 by Joseph R. 'Pitt' Hyde III, and its origins are intertwined with the wholesale grocery industry of the American South. Hyde was the grandson of J.R.
CEOs and their tenures
Advance Auto Parts
- Darren Jackson2008–2016
President and Chief Executive Officer
Jackson became president and CEO in January 2008 and led Advance during the 2014 General Parts International acquisition.
Source - George Sherman2016–2016
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Sherman became interim CEO on January 3, 2016 after Darren Jackson retired.
Source - Tom Greco2016–2023
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greco served from April 2016 until August 2023. During his tenure Advance acquired the DieHard brand and designated Raleigh as corporate headquarters.
Source - Shane O'Kelly2023–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
O'Kelly joined Advance in September 2023. Under his leadership the company sold Worldpac, approved a restructuring plan, completed store-footprint optimization, and focused its strategy on merchandising, supply chain, and store operations.
Source
AutoZone
- J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III1979–1997
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Hyde was running Malone & Hyde, his family's Memphis wholesale grocery business, when he opened the first Auto Shack store in Forrest City, Arkansas on July 4, 1979 as its auto parts division.
Source - John Adams1997–2001
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Adams became chairman and chief executive in 1997 when founder Pitt Hyde retired, and ran the company through its most acquisitive year.
Source - Steve Odland2001–2005
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Odland was named chairman, president and chief executive in January 2001 and held the roles until March 2005, when he resigned to become chairman and chief executive of Office Depot.
Source - William C. Rhodes III2005–2024
Executive Chairman; Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Rhodes, an accounting graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin with an MBA from the University of Memphis, worked as a manager at Ernst & Young before joining AutoZone in 1994 and rising to president and CEO in 2005, a role he held for nearly 19 years…
Source - Philip B. Daniele III2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Philip B. Daniele III has served as president and chief executive officer since January 2, 2024.
Source
Timeline: Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone side by side
1929Advance Auto Parts
Advance Stores founded
The FY2025 Form 10-K states that the company was founded as Advance Stores Company in 1929.
1932Advance Auto Parts
Arthur Taubman acquires Advance Stores
Arthur Taubman acquired the three-store business on April 29, 1932, with locations in Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia.
1979AutoZone
Founding of Auto Shack
J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III opens the first Auto Shack store in Forrest City, Arkansas on July 4, 1979 as the auto parts division of Malone & Hyde, his family's Memphis wholesale grocery business. First-day sales total US$300.
1983AutoZone
100th store opens
Auto Shack opens its 100th store, in Weslaco, Texas, four years after the first. The chain reaches 190 locations in 13 states by 1984.
1984AutoZone
Management buyout with KKR
Malone & Hyde, including its Auto Shack division and its 194 stores in 13 states, is taken private in a management buyout involving Hyde and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
1986AutoZone
Spin-off, Duralast and Loan-A-Tool
Auto Shack is spun off from Malone & Hyde as its own company with Hyde and president Peter Formanek in charge. The Duralast brand launches with alternators and starters, and the Loan-A-Tool program begins. Radio Shack sues for trademark infringement.
1987AutoZone
Rebranding to AutoZone
After Radio Shack wins its trademark case on appeal, the company announces it will rename itself AutoZone, changing signage and packaging across 459 stores in 16 states.
1991AutoZone
Initial public offering
Hyde and KKR take the company public in April 1991 on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AZO. KKR holds a majority of the stock at first and begins selling down by 1993.
1995AutoZone
1,000th store and Duralast batteries
AutoZone opens its 1,000th store, in Louisville, Kentucky, and launches the Duralast and Duralast Gold batteries. It ends the year with 1,143 stores in 26 states.
1996Advance Auto Parts
Professional delivery program begins
Advance initiated its professional delivery program, a precursor to its professional installer channel.
1996AutoZone
Acquisition of ALLDATA
AutoZone buys ALLDATA, an Elk Grove, California provider of automotive diagnostic and repair information, in a stock deal valued at about US$56 million, and launches its website the same year.
1998Advance Auto Parts
Western Auto operations acquired
Advance acquired Western Auto operations from Sears, expanding its store footprint.
1998AutoZone
Chief Auto Parts acquisition
AutoZone completes its roughly US$280 million purchase of Chief Auto Parts on June 29, 1998, adding more than 550 stores, close to 400 of them in California, and takes the leading share of that market.
1998AutoZone
First store outside the United States
AutoZone opens its first international store in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in December 1998, after a year in which it also bought Auto Palace, TruckPro and Express stores from Pep Boys.
2001Advance Auto Parts
Discount Auto Parts acquired and NYSE listing begins
Advance acquired Discount Auto Parts and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.
2001AutoZone
New chief executive and 3,000th store
Steve Odland is named chairman and chief executive in January 2001, replacing John Adams. AutoZone opens its 3,000th store in Cicero, Illinois in May and sells its TruckPro division in December.
2005Advance Auto Parts
Autopart International acquired
Advance acquired Autopart International to expand service to professional customers.
2005AutoZone
Bill Rhodes becomes chief executive
William C. Rhodes III is named president and chief executive in March 2005 after Steve Odland leaves for Office Depot, with founder Pitt Hyde returning as interim non-executive chairman. AutoZone opens its first Puerto Rico store in Bayamon.
2012AutoZone
Brazil, Alaska and AutoAnything
AutoZone enters Brazil with a store in Sao Paulo, opens its 5,000th store in Wasilla, Alaska, its 49th state, and buys online accessories retailer AutoAnything in December.
2014Advance Auto Parts
General Parts International acquired
Advance completed the $2.04 billion acquisition of General Parts International, adding Carquest and Worldpac.
2018Advance Auto Parts
Raleigh designated corporate headquarters
Advance designated Raleigh, North Carolina as its corporate headquarters.
2018AutoZone
Divestitures and founder leaves the board
AutoZone sells Interamerican Motor Corporation to Parts Authority and AutoAnything to Kingswood Capital in February 2018, refocusing on stores and hubs. Founder Pitt Hyde announces in October that he will step down from the board.
2019Advance Auto Parts
DieHard brand acquired
Advance purchased the DieHard brand from Transformco for $200 million in cash.
2023Advance Auto Parts
Shane O'Kelly appointed CEO
Shane O'Kelly joined Advance as president and chief executive officer in September 2023.
2024Advance Auto Parts
Worldpac sold to Carlyle
Advance completed the sale of Worldpac to Carlyle in November 2024 after announcing a $1.5 billion transaction value.
2024Advance Auto Parts
Restructuring plan approved
The board approved a restructuring and asset optimization plan focused on profitability, store closures, and organizational changes.
2024AutoZone
Leadership transition to Phil Daniele
Philip B. Daniele III becomes president and chief executive officer on January 2, 2024, succeeding William C. Rhodes III, who becomes executive chairman after nearly 19 years as chief executive.
2025Advance Auto Parts
Store-footprint optimization completed
Advance closed 522 stores during fiscal 2025 and ended the 53-week year with 4,305 company-operated stores.
2026AutoZone
First year above US$20 billion of sales
AutoZone reports net sales of US$20.34 billion for the fiscal year ended August 29, 2026, up 7.4 percent, with net income of US$2.57 billion, total company same store sales up 4.5 percent, a record 374 new stores and 8,031 stores at year end, including 172 meg…
Acquisitions
Advance Auto Parts
- DieHard brand from Transformco2019$200M
- General Parts International, Inc.2014$2B
- Autopart International, Inc.2005Undisclosed
- Discount Auto Parts, Inc.2001Undisclosed
- Western Auto operations from Sears1998$175M
AutoZone
- Interamerican Motor Corporation2014Undisclosed
- AutoAnything2012Undisclosed
- Auto Palace1998$55M
- Chief Auto Parts1998$280M
- ALLDATA1996$56M
Questions about Advance Auto Parts vs AutoZone
Who is the CEO of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. and AutoZone, Inc.?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is led by Shane O'Kelly and AutoZone, Inc. is led by Philip B. Daniele. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Advance Auto Parts, Inc. founded vs AutoZone, Inc.?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. was founded in 1929 — 50 years before AutoZone, Inc., which was founded in 1979. Advance Auto Parts, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger AutoZone, Inc..
How many employees does Advance Auto Parts, Inc. have compared to AutoZone, Inc.?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. employs approximately 54,007 people, while AutoZone, Inc. employs approximately 130,000. AutoZone, Inc. has the larger workforce at 130,000 employees, compared to Advance Auto Parts, Inc.'s 54,007. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Advance Auto Parts, Inc. and AutoZone, Inc. headquartered?
Both Advance Auto Parts, Inc. and AutoZone, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Advance Auto Parts, Inc. and AutoZone, Inc.?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. was founded by Arthur Taubman. AutoZone, Inc. was founded by J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III.
Which company has a longer operating history — Advance Auto Parts, Inc. or AutoZone, Inc.?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. has been operating for approximately 97 years, making it the more established of the two companies. AutoZone, Inc. has been in operation for around 47 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Advance Auto Parts vs AutoZone overview