JEGS Automotive Hits Landmark 60th Anniversary With Pride, Reflection|

From the humblest of beginnings threescore years ago, to the worldwide loftier-operation parts powerhouse it has become, JEGS Automotive will be celebrating its 6th decade in concern this yr with a variety of themed racecars competing on the NHRA elevate racing circuit.

Hall of Fame member Jeg Coughlin Sr. could take hardly imagined the success his small-scale speed shop would obtain when he started information technology all in a non-descript little building on 11th Avenue in downtown Columbus. He was just a young kid at the fourth dimension, thrilled past all things hot rodding, and his atypical idea of making his car faster with improve parts speedily blossomed into helping others accomplish the same goal. Equally the only supplier in the region, and with his willingness to share, JEGS quickly became the go-to place for local racers.

"Dad has ever been the best teacher I've ever known," said John Coughlin, the oldest of iv brothers that at present ain and operate the family business. "He is an exceptional father and a wonderful man of affairs and counsel and although he likes to give credit to anybody else, without him none of this would be possible.

"He had a simple philosophy very early on and we've pretty much but stuck to it. He always says, 'Keep it simple. Give the customers what they desire, when they want information technology, at a great price, and back information technology upwards with the all-time customer service in the business organisation.' Through all the growth, nosotros've kept to that line of thinking."

It's certainly worked well. JEGS Automotive now ships out more than than a million packages a year to customers around the world. There are more than 400 assembly working at the company headquarters in Delaware, Ohio, manning the massive 225,000-square-human foot warehouse and distribution eye and 2 land-of-the-art telephone call centers. Their client service department scores the highest marks in the manufacture.

"I look to our assembly and credit them with our growth," Troy Coughlin said. "We have 1 person celebrating l years with the states very soon and a bunch more have passed the 40- and 30-yr mark. My blood brother John only passed 40 years himself correct earlier Christmas.

"Dad always told the states to environment ourselves with proficient people that take great values and integrity. We have a saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen working with ladies and gentlemen.' Nosotros know if you treat people correct they will work hard for you and that has proven to exist true and then many times. Our assembly believe in the same virtues we do. None of us feel like this is a job, per se, information technology's a large extended family and we all honey coming in every twenty-four hour period."

John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr. purchased JEGS from their male parent 30 years agone and are credited with transitioning the visitor from primarily a catalog-based entity to an Internet platform that has drastically improved response and delivery times. Virtually items ordered through JEGS.com are shipped the same day.

Equally for marketing, the aforementioned basic ideals put in place by family patriarch Jeg Sr. still hold true today — perform well on the racetrack and share your engineering science with your customers. In the past 20 years, JEGS has developed its own line of products that now numbers more 20,000 items to go with the 1M parts they already offer.

A vast majority of JEGS parts are "Rail Tested" in the very racecars driven by numerous members of the Coughlin family unit. No one has done more to farther that cause and bring attention to the yellow-and-black through racing than Jeg Jr., a vi-fourth dimension world champion who has collected 82 of the family unit'southward combined 125 national event titles.

"The bones idea of showing our customers what diverse loftier-operation parts can do to make them quicker, faster and/or more consequent by using them ourselves comes from our father," Jeg Jr. said. "Nosotros're yet doing information technology to this solar day and information technology remains a very effective sales tool. These efforts, along with constant feedback from the racing community, allows united states of america to stay at the forefront with our products and communication.

"It's such an award to keep my father'south legacy and it should be noted he remains a very large function of the company. We all know he's just a phone telephone call abroad, whether nosotros need advice on the concern or on our racecars. 9 out of 10 times, he'southward already encountered whatsoever problem we are facing and has a quick answer."

Coming off his third Division 3 championship run, Mike also boasts an enviable record on the quarter-mile, just like his male parent did back in the visitor'south infancy.

"JEGS started when Dad began ordering parts from the dorsum of hot rod magazines from guys out on the westward coast," Mike said. "That was the just way you could become stuff back so. He'd put those parts on his machine and get out on weekends and shell anybody and pretty soon they started asking what made him and so fast. Instead of keeping information technology to himself, he started ordering actress parts and selling them to his friends. It spread from at that place and now look at what it'due south become. It'due south remarkable.

"It's nonetheless a lot of fun to walk through the original building on 11th Avenue, which is still in operation, expect at the old photos, and see what Dad started 60 years ago. I am very thankful and proud to be a part of something he created. I love what I do. I think we all exercise. Dad's passion has turned out to be our passion as well."