LKQ vs Nissan: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: LKQ and Nissan side by side

1. 1914Nissan

   Creation of the DAT Car: Masujiro Hashimoto creates the DAT passenger car at Kaishinsha in Tokyo, establishing the engineering roots of Datsun and Nissan.

2. 1933Nissan

   Founding of Jidosha Seizo in Yokohama: Yoshisuke Aikawa establishes Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. in Yokohama, renamed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in 1934.

3. 1958Nissan

   Mobilgas Round Australia Trial Victory: Datsun 1000 captures class honors in the 10,000-mile endurance trial, launching Nissan's international export offensive.

4. 1966Nissan

   Merger with Prince Motor Company: Nissan absorbs Prince Motor Company, acquiring top aeronautical engineering talent, royal coachbuilding prestige, and the well-known Skyline and Gloria nameplates.

5. 1969Nissan

   Launch of Datsun 240Z and Skyline GT-R: Nissan releases the affordable inline-six Datsun 240Z sports coupe in the US and the dual-overhead-cam Skyline 2000GT-R in Japan, shattering European performanc…

6. 1989Nissan

   Infiniti Luxury Division & R32 GT-R Debut: Nissan launches Infiniti in North America with the Q45 flagship sedan and revives the R32 Skyline GT-R featuring ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive.

7. 1998LKQ

   LKQ Founded with First Three Acquisitions

   Donald Flynn founded LKQ Corporation in February 1998 through the combination of wholesale recycled products businesses in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

8. 1999LKQ

   Ford Enters Recycled Parts Business as GreenLeaf

   Ford Motor Company entered the recycled parts business as 'GreenLeaf,' validating the market opportunity but also creating competition. LKQ responded by accelerating its acquisition strategy, reaching 35 acquisitions by year-end.

9. 1999Nissan

   Formation of Renault-Nissan Alliance: Facing $20B in corporate debt, Nissan forms an equity alliance with Renault S.A.; Carlos Ghosn launches the Nissan Revival Plan to rescue the company.

10. 2003LKQ

    Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ

    LKQ went public on the Nasdaq in October 2003, raising capital to keep acquiring salvage and distribution businesses.

11. 2004LKQ

    Entry into Aftermarket Parts and Self-Service Retail

    LKQ entered the aftermarket parts business with the acquisition of Action Crash Parts, enabling the launch of aftermarket programs in new markets. The company also entered the self-service retail business in Florida and Central America.

12. 2006LKQ

    Entry into Wheel Restoration with Transwheel Acquisition

    LKQ acquired Transwheel/Transmetco, gaining the ability to restore aluminum wheels to like-new condition. Transmetco also operated a furnace that melted excess wheels into ingots and sows sold back to OEM wheel manufacturers.

13. 2007LKQ

    Acquisition of Keystone Automotive Industries

    LKQ acquired Keystone Automotive Industries, then the largest North American distributor of aftermarket collision parts. The deal gave LKQ national scale in aftermarket bumpers, lights and body panels alongside its recycled parts.

14. 2008LKQ

    Entry into Heavy-Duty Truck Recycling

    LKQ entered the heavy-duty truck recycling business with the acquisition of Texas Best Diesel, which supplied fuel pumps, used transmissions, and engine parts. Many additional locations followed in subsequent years.

15. 2009LKQ

    Acquisition of GreenLeaf Auto Recyclers

    In October 2009, LKQ acquired its largest recycled parts competitor, GreenLeaf Auto Recyclers, adding 17 auto salvage operations. This was the second-largest acquisition LKQ had completed through 2009, significantly consolidating the recycled parts market.

16. 2010LKQ

    Entry into Engine Remanufacturing with PROFormance

    LKQ acquired PROFormance, an engine rebuilder in Springfield, Missouri, entering the remanufacturing space. This acquisition facilitated geographic expansion and provided entry into the engine remanufacturing industry.

17. 2010Nissan

    Commercialization of 100% Electric Nissan Leaf: Nissan releases the Leaf, creating the modern mass-market electric vehicle segment and selling over 650,000 units globally.

18. 2011LKQ

    Entry into UK and Europe with Euro Car Parts Acquisition

    LKQ entered the UK market with the acquisition of Euro Car Parts, the largest aftermarket hard-parts distributor in Britain, with nearly 90 branches and a national distribution center.

19. 2013LKQ

    European Expansion with Sator Beheer Acquisition

    LKQ acquired Sator Beheer (now Fource), a vehicle mechanical aftermarket parts distributor based in the Netherlands with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. This acquisition expanded LKQ's geographic presence into continental Europe.

20. 2014LKQ

    Entry into Specialty Aftermarket with Keystone Automotive Operations

    LKQ entered the specialty aftermarket equipment and accessories business with the acquisition of Keystone Automotive Operations, the leading distributor and marketer of specialty automotive equipment and accessories in North America.

21. 2016LKQ

    European Expansion with Rhiag and Entry into Automotive Glass with PGW

    LKQ acquired Rhiag-Inter Auto Parts Italia, a leading pan-European B2B distributor of aftermarket spare parts, expanding into Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, and Spain.

22. 2016Nissan

    Acquisition of 34% Controlling Stake in Mitsubishi Motors: Nissan invests $2.2 billion to purchase a controlling 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, creating the three-way Alliance.

23. 2017LKQ

    Dominick Zarcone Becomes CEO

    Dominick Zarcone, CFO since 2015, became President and CEO in 2017, succeeding Robert Wagman.

24. 2018LKQ

    Acquisition of Stahlgruber and Launch of 1 LKQ Europe Program

    LKQ acquired Stahlgruber GmbH, a wholesale distributor of aftermarket spare parts with operations in Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Switzerland, for approximately $1.8 billion.

25. 2019LKQ

    Entry into Vehicle Services with Elite Electronics

    LKQ acquired Elite Electronics, specializing in automotive diagnostic and repair services. This acquisition launched LKQ North America into the vehicle services market, converging parts distribution with diagnostic and repair services.

26. 2020Nissan

    Unveiling of Nissan NEXT Turnaround Plan: then-CEO Makoto Uchida unveils Nissan NEXT, rationalizing global capacity by 20% and focusing core investments on e-POWER and EVs.

27. 2021LKQ

    Creation of Elitek Vehicle Services

    LKQ created Elitek to provide mobile, on-site vehicle services to automotive collision repairers, mechanical repairers, and national fleets, expanding beyond replacement parts into automotive diagnostic and repair services.

28. 2022LKQ

    Sale of Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW)

    LKQ sold Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW), the automotive glass manufacturer acquired in 2016, as part of a portfolio simplification strategy. The sale removed a non-core manufacturing asset and allowed LKQ to focus on distribution.

29. 2024LKQ

    CEO Transition: Justin Jude Succeeds Dominick Zarcone

    Dominick Zarcone retired as President and CEO on June 30, 2024, after nine years in the role.

30. 2024Nissan

    Historic EV Collaboration with Honda: Nissan and Honda sign a strategic partnership to co-develop electric vehicle drive platforms, standardized core components, and automotive software OS.

31. 2025LKQ

    FY2025 Revenue and Strategic Review

    LKQ reported $13.651 billion in FY2025 revenue, $993 million in operating income, $607 million in net income attributable to stockholders, and about 44,000 employees; after selling its Self Service segment, the board began a strategic alternatives review in Ja…

32. 2025Nissan

    Honda merger talks end in February; Ivan Espinosa becomes CEO on April 1; Re:Nissan recovery plan announced in May.

33. 2026LKQ

    Strategic Review and German ERP Disruption

    In January 2026 the board launched a review of strategic alternatives including a sale of the company.

34. 2026Nissan

    FY2025 results show ~$80.4 billion (¥12.0 trillion) revenue and a ~$3.57 billion (¥533.1 billion) net loss; Q1 FY2026 operating profit returns to ~$522 million (¥77.9 billion).

Acquisitions

Questions about LKQ vs Nissan