Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance - Fall 2020 | Page 5

CONTINENTAL AUTO PARTS
CONTINENTAL AUTO PARTS:
REFUSES TO BACK DOWN
BY: GWENYTH P. LUU, CLCS , DIRECTOR - COMMERCIAL LINES, JGS INSURANCE
Jeffrey Lee, second generation
manager of Continental Auto
Parts, says his father dove into the
industry after making the decision
to become his own boss in 1997.
To avoid a conflict of interest, Jeffrey’s
father entered an industry separate from
the company he had worked for and
started from scratch. Thankfully, he had
a few connections in Taiwan and ample
experience importing and exporting
products to and from the United States to
get him started. The company grew from
there.
The operation began with a small
warehouse in Newark, New Jersey, and
a couple of employees. In the beginning,
Jeffrey and his brother were employed to
perform data entry for incoming parts.
Jeffrey describes the competitive
environment as a “David and Goliath”
situation, with Continental Auto Parts
portraying David. He relates that the
company’s only real competitor is a large
public company in the same industry, which
has made it difficult for his family-owned
business to succeed.
THE WAY THAT
CONTINENTAL STANDS
OUT AGAINST THE
CORPORATE GIANT IS
TO ADD A PERSONAL
TOUCH TO ALL OF ITS
SERVICES.
In contrast to the heavily automated
processes typical of public companies,
Continental sends personalized updates on
orders and provides customers with a direct
contact who can be reached consistently
with any questions. Continental also prides
itself on the speed of service that surpasses
its leading competitor.
When COVID hit, like many businesses
Jeffrey faced an unprecedented challenge
of getting employees into work. Jeffrey and
the remainder of his team adapted their
strategy everyday throughout the pandemic.
Each day they would plan based on how
much work was on the table against the
number of people they had and adjusted
their workflows and delivery schedules as
needed. Jeffrey is thankful to have a very
good employee base to keep the business
running. The silver lining in the pandemic
is the way it has catalyzed changes for
continuous improvement in identifying
our value to our employees and customers;
increase efficiencies in our process flow; and
give us persistence for perfection.
Jeffrey is thankful to have a good employee
base to keep the business running and fulfill
customers orders.
JGS has kept Jeffrey informed about the fluid
regulations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
New York which he has found immensely
helpful. The JGS team are always readily
available to answer any new questions that
arise. JGS connected Jeffrey to several local
groups that he could join to get the latest
information and resources for how to best
handle business during this time.
Not only is this the story of an underdog
winning the battle against a giant to
dominate the auto parts aftermarket, it’s
also a tale of this company’s transformation
and thirst for success throughout an
economic crisis. Whatever giants come his
way, whether it be Goliath, COVID, or the
next unknown, Jeffrey will be a force to be
reckoned with. +
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