Pep Boys
 Logo used from 2013-present
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| Private | |
| Industry | Specialty retail and automotive repair and Tires |
| Founded | August 1, 1921 (as Pep Auto Supplies) 1923 (as Pep Boys) |
| Founders | Maurice (Moe) Strauss Emanuel (Manny) Rosenfeld W. Graham (Jack) Jackson Moe Radavitz |
| Headquarters | 3111 West Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A |
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Number of locations
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804 (2016) |
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Key people
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Brent Windom (CEO) |
| Products | Auto parts, service and tires |
| Parent | Icahn Enterprises |
| Website | www.pepboys.com |
The Pep Boys: Manny, Moe & Jack, (branded and commonly abbreviated as Pep Boys) is an American full-service and tire automotive aftermarket chain.
Originally named Pep Auto Supplies, the first store was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1921 by Emanuel (Manny) Rosenfeld, Maurice L. (Moe) Strauss, W. Graham (Jack) Jackson, and Moe Radavitz.
Currently headquartered in the Philadelphia neighborhood of East Falls, Pep Boys operates over 800 stores and approximately 7,500 service bays in 35 states and Puerto Rico. Along with its wide range of vehicle maintenance and repair capabilities, the company also serves the commercial auto parts delivery market. It is also a seller of replacement tires in the United States and in 2005, it was named one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
The original "Pep Boys" were Emanuel "Manny" Rosenfeld, Maurice "Moe" Strauss, Graham "Jack" Jackson, and Moe Radavitz, four friends who in August 1921 chipped in $200 apiece to open a single auto parts store. They dubbed it Pep Auto Supplies after noticing a shipment of Pep Valve grinding compound on the shelves.
That name was changed because of a policeman who worked near the store: Every time the officer stopped a car for not having an oil wick burning during nighttime hours, he would tell the driver, "Go see the boys at Pep" for a replacement. In 1923 on a trip to California, Moe Strauss noticed that many successful West Coast businesses used their owners' first names. One he liked in particular was a dress shop called "Minnie, Maude and Mabel's". As soon as Strauss returned to Philadelphia, the store's name was officially changed to "The Pep Boys — Manny, Moe & Jack". (Radavitz had cashed out the previous year.)). Soon, the partners had commissioned the Manny, Moe and Jack caricatures that still serve as the company's logo. When Jackson left in 1925, his caricature was replaced with that of Moe's brother, Isaac (Izzy) Strauss. (The company name's reference to "Jack" remained unchanged.) No further changes were made to the logo until 1990, when Manny's cigar was removed.
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Wikipedia