Toledo Automotive
offers automotive expertise,
solid customer service
STORY AND PHOTOS BY LEON ALDRIDGE
T
oledo Automotive Supply opened their
doors for business at 120 Nacogdoches
Street on September 14, 1967.
That new venture opening on the west side
of the square was to be the beginning of what
is today, a long running and successful family
business. At that time 53 years ago, it was the
result of Center native and 1956 CHS graduate,
Cecil Watlington, knowing exactly what he
wanted to do.
“I got out of the Navy in 1960,” Cecil said,
“and went to work part-time at Scherzer and
Slayden Parts Store in Center with plans to go
school at SFA in the fall.” As it turned out, that
part-time job led Cecil to realize, “I knew that
was what I wanted to do.” After a short time at
Stephen F. Austin State University, classes were
put on hold and Cecil remained at Scherzer and
Slayden for five more years before opening his
own business.
Also during that time working in the parts
store, Cecil married his wife of 58 years, Virginia,
in 1962. Two new family members followed, a
son, Jasen, and a daughter, Hope.
Shortly after that 1967 opening on the square,
the new business had outgrown the downtown
location and in 1974 another grand opening was
conducted, this time in a new larger facility at
601 Louisiana Street that included a machine
shop and auto repair business. Through those
same years, new locations were opened with
partners in San Augustine, Hemphill, Timpson
and Carthage.
Following graduation at Center High School in
1981, Jasen attended Panola College in Carthage
before traveling the same path his father had
taken earlier. “Working in the store, I just knew
this was what I wanted to do,” said Jasen.
Jasen’s wife, Peggy, joined the business
recently as office manager. She had previously
worked 31 years as a legal secretary.
By 2000, increased business and expansion of
parts and services meant another grand opening
was on the horizon for Toledo Automotive
Supply. This time, the move was to their even
larger present location at 808 Hurst Street. “We
either sold or closed the other locations,” said
Cecil, “concentrating on the Center location.”
Part of that concentration was toward variety
and selection. “We offer services that others
don’t,” said Jasen, “things like making our own
hydraulic hoses, stocking an inventory of truck
parts as well as a larger and better selection of
automobile parts, plus tools and accessories to
choose from.”
“Those things set us apart from the
competition,” Jasen added. “Plus, we are locally
owned with a really good staff of people who
know their customers and are knowledgeable in
the industry. That includes a number of people
who have been with us for a long time—some as
long as 35 years, like John Halstead and store
manager, Mike Johnson. In fact,” Jasen said
with a pause, “I think Mike started about the
same time I did. Between all of our staff, there
is a range of knowledge that is not available
anywhere else.”
“The auto industry is constantly changing,”
Jasen continued. “You have to change with it to
stay ahead in the business. That’s something we
work hard at doing in order to be ready to meet
the needs of repair shops and individuals who
work on their own cars.”
“Changes started in the late 70s,“ Jasen
added, “when at that time you could memorize
three part numbers and know what set of points
a customer needed for their application—Ford,
Chevy, or Chrysler. Today, cars don’t even use
points and there are 100s of part numbers to
research to make sure that the customer gets the
exact part they need.”
“Mechanics had to increase their knowledge
when cars moved into the computer age and we
have to be ready to know what the next change is
and what our customers will need,” Jasen said.
“The newest thing now is electric cars,” he
AT A GLANCE
WHAT:
NAPA Auto Parts
Toledo Automotive
Supply Inc
WHO:
Owned by
Cecil Watlington
WHERE:
808 Hurst St,
Center, TX 75935
WHEN:
Monday-Friday
7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday
7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday - Closed
PHONE:
(936) 598-2746
WEBSITE:
www.napaonline.
com/en/tx/center/
store/28046
Business MATTERS | 2020 Spring Edition
9