In 1963, Charlie Ossenkop was the first State Farm Claims Agent to ever set foot in the Last Frontier. He handled all the damage claims for the entire 49th state. Supplied with a company car he spent a lot of time on the road. He handled claims from Chicken to Fairbanks and down to Homer. After a decade of repairs, he realized acquiring parts to repair vehicles was extremely difficult. Parts were plentiful in the lower 48. In Alaska, repairs were expensive, slow, and often ordering new was the only option. He mentioned the problem to his gainfully employed son Chuck. The idea was born! Chuck quite his desk job a few years later and put all his eggs into the recycling industry. In 1981 he purchased a small scrap pile on a modest 5 acres and set the footprint for the future. Times were tough at first but progress was made. He built a heated warehouse to protect product, then bought a computerized inventory system and was the first in the state to use electronic bar coding to track parts. Ten years later Northwest Auto Parts was the leading “Green” auto parts supplier in Alaska. By 2014, Northwest Auto Parts has grown to 15 acres and Chuck’s three sons have helped to shape the business model of Quality, Affordability, and Service. Northwest Auto Parts now boasts state of the art equipment, 4 quality control checks, internet locating, network partners, top of the industry accreditation and sustainable practices. The quest for an affordable quality part and excellent service started with an idea and ended with Northwest Auto Parts!