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Since the inception of Kirkham Auto Parts we have always strived to go above and beyond the call of duty.

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KAPS Warehouse History

Company History

KAPS found its official beginning at Blackfoot, Idaho in December of 1945. Though Reed and Ruth Kirkham started the first store at that time, their involvement in the automotive parts business goes back even further than that.

Reed Kirkham originally started in the parts business when he was hired by Frank Bradshaw of the Bradshaw Auto Parts Co. in Provo, Utah. He worked there for nine years and was manager of the store. A short nine month stint was also spent with Koepsel and Love who later became AMWARE in Salt Lake City, Utah.

From that small store on Main Street in 1945, Kirkham Auto Parts has grown into a chain of fourteen stores and two warehouses.

In 1959, at Blackfoot, KAPS Warehouse Inc. was born. KAPS was the first automotive parts warehouse distributor in Idaho. The warehouse took its name from the first initials of Kirkham Auto Parts Service, but serviced independent as well as captive parts stores in the state.

Twenty years later on May 1, 1979, in Boise a second warehouse was opened and called KAPS Automotive Warehouse Inc. Forty-five days later on June 15, 1979, the Nordling Parts Co. chain of six stores was purchased. The 1979 expansion nearly doubled the volume of the corporation.

On October 1, 2000, Bill and Lynda Kirkham Sponenburgh purchased the vested interest of the other family members. Bill has managed to grow the volume of the business even more. In the past few years he has aquired another store and changed the business model drastically by changing the program group from Auto Value to Parts Plus. A move that has proven critical in growing the size and volume of KAPS Warehouse.

Today, KAPS Warehouse/Kirkham Auto Parts is the largest auto parts retailer/wholesaler in the state of Idaho. And, was ranked by the magazine Automotive Aftermarket as the 46th largest auto parts chain in the United States.

 

The nice young man came out to my car and helped me put on my wiper blades, and he wouldn't accept a tip. What great customer service!

Donna C.