If you’ve noticed something different about the packaging of your NAPA oil filter, you’d be right. NAPA, one of the most trusted auto parts stores, is a staple for getting good quality replacement auto parts for cars and trucks.
Since 2012, they’ve been going through some changes with the process of the Genuine Parts acquisition of the NAPA brand and stores.
So, who makes NAPA oil filters? NAPA’s oil filters are made by a company called WIX, and this company has also experienced some changes over the past few years. However, NAPA distributes parts across their 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores and over 16,000 NAPA AutoCare centers throughout the United States.
They also offer an online store, with free delivery on over 160,000 parts across their range.
Table of Contents
Who is NAPA?
In 1925, a group of independent auto parts sales agents met in Detroit City and formed the National Automotive Parts Association, paving the way for the NAPA AutoCare and NAPA Auto Parts stores that are the recognized brand.
Today, NAPA stores and Autocare centers are well-established, offering genuine customer service, knowledgeable staff, and high-quality parts for a wide range of automobiles and trucks.
NAPA distributes parts across their 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores and over 16,000 NAPA AutoCare centers throughout the United States.
They also offer an online store, with free delivery on over 160,000 parts across their range.
Read also: Who Makes Wix Oil Filters (Real FACTS To Consider)
Genuine Parts Company
In 2012, Genuine Parts Company (GPC) began to acquire some of the NAPA stores, and today owns over 1,000 NAPA stores across the US, with the remaining stores of NAPA being independently owned.
GPC now supports the NAPA brand of automotive parts, sharing its expansive global supply and distribution channels.
Read also: Who Makes Fram Oil Filters – Synthetic (Real FACTS To Consider)
NAPA Auto Parts and Oil Filters
Nowadays thanks to GPC, NAPA has a distribution system that has over 500,000 part numbers cataloged, and one of the most successful products is NAPA’s range of oil filters, specialized for cars and trucks.
NAPA has three main tiers of filters, all catering to different driving conditions:
- NAPA Silver – This is their entry-level oil filter. For Auto or Truck drivers, ideal for daily driving or highway driving conditions.
- NAPA Gold FIlter – A mid-tier filter made for auto or truck drivers who have varied driving conditions, from stop-and-go, short trips, on-and off-roading, to driving interstate.
- NAPA Platinum Filter – Their premium filter is designed for auto or truck drivers who push their vehicles to the limit. Ideal for driving conditions that include highway driving, extreme idle, lower gear mountain climbing, or towing and driving in harsh conditions.
NAPA Silver vs NAPA Gold vs NAPA Platinum Oil Filters >> Check out the video below:
Who Makes NAPA Oil Filters?
The main company responsible for manufacturing and supplying oil filters to NAPA has been WIX, which for over 80 years, has been a trusted manufacturer of oil filters and products with over 16,000 products in their catalog, for cars, buses, trucks, and industrial applications.
As a world leader in filtration devices, WIX filters are produced in over 10 countries and span 5 continents.
WIX has supplied oil filters to NAPA and has been branded as NAPA oil filters for many years. They also make the Purolator brand of oil filters.
New NAPA Oil Filter Branding
If you’ve bought a NAPA oil filter recently you may have noticed something different in the way they are packaged.
It’s likely that your oil filter purchased from a NAPA AutoParts store had Mann+Hummel packaging. But, who is Mann+Hummel and what do they have to do with WIX and NAPA oil filters?
Mann+Hummel
Mann+Hummel Gruppe is a German-based global company with its headquarters in Ludwigsburg, that has over 80 years of filtration technology experience.
They produce high-quality filters for various industries, including the automotive industry.
In 2016, the MANN+HUMMEL Gruppe completed the incorporation of the global brand WIX, resulting in the largest filtration technology company in the world.
It’s also worth noting that Purolator oil filters are also supplied by Mann+Hummel.
The Slippery Supply Chain of Oil Filtration
So, bear with us for this next explanation, things are going to go all over the world.
If you’ve purchased an oil filter from NAPA in the USA at any time in the past few years, it would have been manufactured by WIX, who is now part of the Mann+Hummel Gruppe in Germany, who then supplied the oil filter to NAPA for distribution and sale in one of its stores, owned by Genuine Parts Company or by an independent owner.
Final Thoughts
There you go, who would have thought that buying an oil filter from your local NAPA auto parts store would have led us all the way to a small city in the southern part of Germany?
Supply chains are often very tricky to pin down, but in this case, you’re still receiving the same oil filter quality and performance that was made for over 80 years by WIX.
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References
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