Advance Auto Parts recently opened its 3,000th corporate store in Salina, KS. The Salina store is part of the company’s Western area, which spans from the Great Lakes to Texas and west to Colorado. This particular region has experienced significant organic growth, according to the company, with more than 170 new stores opening since 2004. Advance currently has more than 600 stores that employ more than 6,000 team members in this region.

Since 1995, Advance has added more than 2,000 stores to its operations through new store openings and strategic acquisitions. Since 1995, sales have grown at a 21.6 percent compound annual growth rate from $603 million in 1995 to $4.3 billion in 2005.

“As we celebrate our 3,000th corporate store opening, I want to extend my personal thanks to Advance’s more than 43,000 team members on a job well done as they remain focused on serving our customers, building our brand and growing our company,” said Michael Coppola, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “With this store opening, we are now halfway to our goal of operating 6,000 stores nationwide. We are also on the cusp of celebrating five years as a public company and 75 years of serving our customers. The year ahead holds many opportunities for the Advance Auto Parts team to celebrate our history and accomplishments, and to get even more excited about our future opportunities and achievements.”

The Salina store opened under the company’s new 2010 store format, which features updated lighting, new signage and new product displays. The Salina store also offers a variety of free services, available at all Advance Auto Parts stores, including windshield wiper installations, electrical system checks, battery installations and motor oil and battery recycling. In addition, the store offers fast parts delivery to local garages and automotive repair centers.

For more information about Advance Auto Parts, go to: http://www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.