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McKenzie Auto Parts Celebrates 50 Years of Business

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McKENZIE — June 15 marks 50 years since Marvin Newman and Charles Hudson began McKenzie Auto Parts on 15385 Highland Drive. 
 
Marvin Newman was born and raised in Huntingdon. He joined the Army after graduating from Huntingdon High School. After leaving the Army in 1963, Marvin began working at Standard Auto in McKenzie with Charles Hudson. In 1971, the two men began contacting other parts distributors and opened McKenzie Auto Parts on June 15 of the same year. Marvin was in charge of management and sales, while Charles was a salesman on the road. 
 
When McKenzie Auto Parts opened, it was the fourth automotive parts distributor in McKenzie. The business first distributed with Goldstar and converted to Carquest in 1974. 
 
Marvin Newman bought Charles Hudson’s share when Hudson retired in 1984. Since then, McKenzie Auto Parts became a Newman family business. Marvin is married to Mary Newman, and they share five children: Rusty, Nina, Amanda, Carey and Joseph. Carey Newman will continue the business when Marvin retires. 
 
Marvin Newman has always actively supported summer youth activities. McKenzie Auto Parts sponsored T-ball teams from 1980 to 2019. Marvin was a member of the Rotary Club and on the Chamber Board. 
 
In 1999, McKenzie Auto Parts began providing electronics through Radio Shack. Today, the company sells cables, batteries, computer mouses, keyboards and more sourced from various suppliers after the Radio Shack corporation’s closure. 
 
Marvin reflected on the changes he has seen in the business over 50 years. Today, most orders are made online through the McKenzie Auto Parts website rather than in-store. Five nights a week, shipment deliveries are made to the store.
 
 Marvin and Charles opened McKenzie Auto Parts before the height of UPS trucks and FedEx, so any deliveries made to them were through the Greyhound. He has also seen a large change in prices, saying, “If you saw one of our old invoices, you’d be surprised [by the prices].” 
 
Marvin and staff at McKenzie Auto Parts are hosting a 50-Year Appreciation Day Lunch June 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. He is proud to have made this milestone with his family by his side, saying, “We’ve always been a family business. We have been blessed by all of the customers we’ve had.”
 
McKenzie Auto Parts is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays.