Four strategically located warehouses, over 125 full-time employees, 575,000 square feet of combined floor-space packed with inventory supporting 12 full-color catalogs. In the world of restoration parts, National Parts Depot (NPD) stamps quite a large footprint, arguably the largest in the industry. But tracing back through NPD’s growth and history, you find a fascinating tale involving a car crazy kid, a 1928 Ford Model A, and a basement.
Hinkley, Ohio, 1957: At age 14, NPD founder Jim Schmidt’s dream was to restore a Ford Model A. Eventually giving in to his son’s appeals, Jim’s father allowed him to purchase a “running-but-rusty”1928 Sport Coupe from a nearby junkyard for 50 bucks. In Jim’s words, “It was so rusty you could hop into the trunk…and walk to the dashboard.” Jim immediately tackled the project, soon discovering that most of the hardware and fasteners on the car were too rusty to re-use, some having to be destroyed just to remove. Seeing a vacuum in the market, and assisted by his father’s engineering/machinist background, Jim researched and launched his own business of complete/correct hardware kits for Model A restoration. In short time, Jim had all of the major restoration parts houses on his customer list, most notably Warshawski & Company (J.C. Whitney) in Chicago. By age 16, Jim was well along with his Model A restoration, filling the family barn with old car parts and cars, driving to high school in his own dual-quad equipped 1957 Thunderbird, and operating a thriving business. Not your average teenager.
Following graduation, Jim chose to work within his father’s business during the day, manufacturing pneumatic cylinders, valves and related tools. Nights and weekends were dedicated to his hardware business and various other auto-related exploits.
Gainesville, Florida, 1976: After years of running his father’s business, including a relocation to Florida, Jim resigned his position to follow his personal goals. He saw opportunity in the restoration parts business, but the Model A market had begun to decline. He sold his Model A fastener company, and in the basement of his home, with 3 rows of home-made shelving, he began National Parts Depot, a mail-order catalog business catering to 1955-1957 T-Birds that he was immensely familiar with. His choice of name was intentionally generic, “I didn’t wish to limit myself within a name”, which in today’s context was a very wise move.
As his T-Bird business began to succeed and gain momentum, Jim recognized something bigger on the horizon… the Pony car. People were starting to collect them, fix them up, even restore them. He began to research and stock Mustang parts, and it’s from that decision forward that NPD’s tale begins to take on a blur of expansion and extension.
Gainesville, Florida, 1979: Construction is completed on a 21,000 sq.ft. facility on I-75, combining parts sales with restoration services. Restoration business was brisk, but Jim’s strict quality standards caused more stress than he could weather. He ceased all restorations in the mid-1980s.
Ventura, California,1982: NPD opens its first branch, a West Coast warehouse, managed by Jim’s cousin Sue Smith.
Livonia, Michigan, 1984: NPD opens yet another branch, purchasing the assets of what had been known as “The T-Bird Parts Store” in Livonia.
1985: NPD launches its first foray into the GM world, the 1967-1981 Camaro catalog. Although this story reads “Ford” up to this point, Jim had been an enthusiast and owner of many GM vehicles through the ’60s and ’70s, and saw the Chevy Camaro as the next logical step to expand NPD.
1987: Jim’s son Rick commits to NPD on a full-time basis (he had worked part-time through much of his youth), spending a year in Michigan, and soon after taking control of purchasing for the company.
Ventura California,1989: NPD purchases and moves into new 6,300 sq. ft. warehouse/store.
1990: NPD follows up its Camaro effort with a Chevelle/El Camino catalog.
Charlotte, North Carolina, 1991: NPD opens its fourth branch in Charlotte, a distribution hub and hotbed for GM enthusiast activity.
1995: Rick Schmidt is promoted to Vice President C.O.O. of National Parts Depot.
Ventura, California,1996: NPD purchases adjoining building, expands to over 15,000 sq.ft.
Ocala Florida, 1999: NPD constructs and moves into 160,000 sq. ft. warehouse/store facing I-75 in Ocala.
2001: NPD launches its 1967-1981 Firebird catalog.
Charlotte, North Carolina, 2002: NPD purchases and moves into new 76,000 sq. ft. warehouse/store with high-cube capacity and wire-guided pullers.
2003: NPD launches its 1948-1996 Ford F-Series Truck and Bronco catalogs.
Canton, Michigan,2006: NPD constructs and moves into 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse/store facing I-275 in Canton.
Ocala, Florida, 2010: NPD expands its main Ocala warehouse by 200,000 sq. ft., for a total of 360,000 sq. ft. of air-conditioned warehouse and office space.
2010: NPD launches its 1979-1993 Mustang catalog.
2013: NPD launches its 1964-1972 GTO/Tempest/LeMans catalog.
2015: NPD launches its 1947-1998 C/K Chevy Truck catalog.
2015: NPD launches its 1967-73 Mercury Cougar catalog.
2016: NPD adds the 1994-2004 Mustang line, creating a new 1979-2004 Mustang catalog.
Today, with all those locations, and all that square footage, NPD’s #1 challenge continues to be floor space…“We’re inventory-intensive, more than any other restoration parts company I know” says VP Rick Schmidt. “That’s because we hate backorders,and we refuse to allow our sometimes eccentric chain of 1000+suppliers dictate what the fill-rates will be to our customers. So we stock everything, in excessive, overkill amounts, such that most supply interruptions are buffered and never result in a back ordered part.
Ask around, and you find Jim Schmidt’s quotes, mantras, and ethics embedded into every corner of the operation. And when you walk out in the middle of the Schmidt’s vast 200+vehicle car collection, you find the very same 1928 Model A Sport Coupe that Jim saved from that Ohio junkyard at age 14. “It’s our monument”says Rick. “The entire operation traces back to that little car, and having it here keeps us humble and focused every day.”
And now, in 2026,National Parts Depot is celebrating 50 years of Passion, Quality and Service!
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