O’Reilly’s Auto Parts opens

• Inside the store

Inside the new O'Reilly's Auto Parts Store on Seventh Avenue. LaReesa Sandretsky

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After two or three years of planning, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts opened last week. The store offers parts for almost anything with an engine, including cars, semis and boats. O’Reilly’s is a national company based in Springfield, Mo. There is a warehouse in Brooklyn Park, Minn. and one in Des Moines, Ia., meaning that special-order parts can be shipped quickly, John Seidel, store manager, said. There are also three O’Reilly’s stores in Duluth, he added, so sometimes employees can get the part from only 30 miles or so away, saving customers the drive.

“The response so far has been excellent,” Seidel said.

They’ve hired five employees so far and are trying to keep it local. Locals tend to understand the surrounding market in ways outsiders don’t, explained Seidel.

“They know the ins and outs of the area,” he said.

O’Reilly’s is the third auto parts store in Two Harbors, joining Napa Sterling Auto Parts and Auto Value Parts Store. Seidel and Jim Trieschmann, regional field trainer for the company, said they hope to coexist with the other auto parts stores in town rather than overpower them.

“A little bit of competition is a healthy thing,” Trieschmann said. “We’re just making sure the customers are served.”

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