In 1981 Fay Boles and his step-father Buster Harding purchased Coastal Auto Parts, a NAPA store located on High Street in Ellsworth. Over the next several years Coastal Auto Parts added a second location in Milbridge, moved their Ellsworth location to larger facility, opened a third location in Southwest Harbor and then a fourth location in Blue Hill.
After experiencing dynamic organic growth over the next decade, the Ellsworth store was relocated to its current 15,000 sq. ft. location. Today Coastal Auto Parts has stores as far east as Machias, as far north as Caribou, and south as Auburn. Coastal Auto Parts has stores dotting the 95 Highway and along coastal Route One.
Coastal Auto Parts has built its business by focusing on superior customer service, through a deep inventory, quality people, and building meaningful relationships with their customers. Coastal Auto Parts is a Family business deeply rooted in the Ellsworth Community. Fay Boles and his wife Patricia Morrison Boles are both Ellsworth High School graduates. As are their four kids who are involved in the business, Michael began working full time in the business in 1998, Marcia Jude began working in 2000, Christopher Boles 2003, and Matthew Boles 2005. Several people have helped shape the company to what it is today.
From a single store in 1981, today Coastal Auto Parts has 29 stores and more than 270 employees. The company has transitioned to the next generation by selling the company to their four children who work together to operate it. The future plans of the company are to continue store growth, and explore spinning niche segments of the Auto Parts Business, into full-fledged businesses of their own.