By Paula Brewer
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — A local auto parts retailer with four locations in Aroostook County is looking a little different these days and even has a new name.
Customers familiar with Carquest in Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Fairfield and Houlton will now see some major facelifts and the name Advance Auto Parts adorning the businesses. The changes come following the 2014 acquisition of Carquest’s parent company, General Parts, by the Virginia-based Advance.
The four local stores are being given a new, fresh look to go with the new name.
Presque Isle’s store, located at 634 Main St., has a freshly detailed building inside and out; however, the same familiar faces will be inside, along with a few new ones.
Store Manager Jamie Daigle explained Monday that the facelift came about through Advance’s purchase of Carquest in 2014. As part of the renovations, the outside of the building has been completely repainted and new signage added. Inside, all the fixtures have been changed, including shelving, new flooring and a redesign of the showroom.
“It’s pretty much a complete overhauling,” Daigle said. “We’re still in the middle of it.”
He noted all the current employees will be retained, and three to four more are expected to be added as well, initially part-time with the potential to become full-time.
The store has remained open throughout the renovation process. “The fixture crew worked through the night,” Daigle noted. “When we were leaving, they were coming in, and vice-versa.”
He said customers will notice a brighter showroom with some added graphics, and the store plans a grand opening in the near future.
According to Advance’s website, the company operates more than 5,200 stores in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with more than 1,400 independently owned branded stores.
