In today’s society, when you think of staying safe on the road, distracted driving topics like refraining from texting while driving, using a hands-free device instead of your cell phone behind the wheel, and entering a destination into your GPS before departing to prevent yourself from taking your eyes off the road may come to mind. But Ken and Lynn Capone, owners of Sam-Cap Auto Parts in Salem, NH, have been keeping drivers safe on the roads for more than 10 years in a different, more traditional way – by providing them with the parts they need to keep their vehicles operating effectively.
“We enjoy helping out customers and finding what they need to keep their vehicles running,” Lynn Capone said, adding that she and her husband Ken have been doing so since 2000 when they purchased the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) franchise from the company’s original owner.
Purchasing the store didn’t mark the beginning of the Capones’ careers in the auto parts industry. In fact, Ken Capone has been working at Sam-Cap Auto Parts since 1990, Lynn said.
An average day at Sam-Cap Auto Parts for the Capones includes supplying auto parts to local auto repair facilities and servicing their customers who call in need of parts.
“We have a store front, but most of the parts are delivered to the local garages,” Lynn Capone said.
When it comes to finding the proper parts for their customers, Lynn said the Capones have their own inventory at the store, as well as access to the Boston warehouse in Wilmington, Mass.
Today, the Capones are well-versed in business ownership, but back in 2000, owning a company represented unfamiliar territory for both Ken and Lynn, who relied on their insurance agent, Eaton & Berube, for advice getting started and help securing the necessary types of coverage, from NH workers’ comp insurance and a business owner’s policy to commercial auto insurance and a business umbrella policy.
“Eaton and Berube has been a lifeline for us!” Lynn Capone said. “We were both new to store ownership and have had many questions along the way! I’ve never felt that any question was a dumb one.”
With drivers on the road from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day, the Capones have also depended on their agents at Eaton & Berube to help handle the few claims the business has experienced over the years, and minimize losses.
“Eaton and Berube has been a tremendous help in helping to keep our insurance costs reasonable!” Lynn Capone said.
Sam-Cap Auto Parts is located at: 157 Main Street, Salem, NH, 03079. For additional information, please call 603-893-5700.