Centric Parts® is North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake and chassis components for passenger vehicles, medium duty trucks, fleet vehicles, high performance vehicles and race cars under the Centric®, C-Tek®, PosiQuiet® and StopTech® labels among others. The company was founded in Southern California in 2000 and has enjoyed solid growth every year since. With an unparalleled level of research and development in North America, Centric continually innovates significant improvements to brake technology for the street and track, having earned multiple patents and numerous other industry honors along the way. Originally focused on replacement parts for everyday use, Centric Parts has aggressively expanded into OE, armored vehicle, racing and performance markets through its StopTech brand. Today the company operates multiple warehouse and manufacturing facilities totaling over one million square feet and employing over 850 workers. Centric is led by a management team composed of skilled and seasoned experts from across the industry. Their all-encompassing knowledge is bolstered by Centric’s dedication to research and development, making Centric the industry leader in replacement and aftermarket brakes. Known for having one of the industry’s best programs for tracking and cataloging original equipment, Centric has earned a record-setting 14 consecutive FMSI awards for friction identification dating back to the award’s inception. Centric’s catalogs, a practical standard in the industry, now boast over 145,000 brake and chassis parts supporting nearly every make and model of passenger vehicle and medium duty truck manufactured since 1937.
StopTech is the high performance and racing brand from Centric Parts - a leading innovator of world class brake components and systems for production-based race cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech was the first to offer balanced brake upgrades for production cars and remains the worldwide leader with over 800 platform offerings that dramatically improve overall braking performance.
StopTech was founded in 1999 with the singular mission of becoming the leading aftermarket manufacturer and supplier of high performance brake components and systems. The company founders sought to challenge the status quo in known brake technology, and set new paradigms for brake system upgrades. United by their passion for racing and high performance vehicles, the company quickly earned a reputation for quality and performance both on and off the track.
StopTech’s industry-leading technologies and materials - from rock solid calipers to ingeniously efficient heat handling rotors - have earned the company four patents and numerous industry honors over the years. In 2013, StopTech earned full ISO/TS 16949:2009 Quality Management System certification for the design and manufacture of automotive brake systems and components, allowing the company to supply OEM vehicle assembly plants directly in a Tier 1 relationship.
StopTech Racing was born to service dedicated race markets. The StopTech Racing division provides the stiffest calipers and best airflow rotors to race teams in several production-based racing series, as well as top-level competitors in circle track and off-road competition.
StopTech Racing sales and engineering support is unparalleled in the industry, with personalized service available to customize winning race solutions for all drivers and teams.
Whether it's in the professional ranks of SCCA Pro Pirelli World Challenge, TUDOR Continental Tire, Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, NASCAR, World of Outlaws, TORC or others; or in grassroots, NASA, SCCA, Time Attack and drifting competition, StopTech Racing offers championship-winning systems and components to cover virtually every racing discipline.
Import Vehicle Community - Best Performance Product
Turn14 Distribution - Supplier of the Year
FMSI - Award for New Assignments & Applications
Pronto - Partnership Award
NPW - Million Dollar Vendor Club
APA - Approved Vendor of the Year
AIA - Best Catalog
AIA - Person of the Year - VP Steve Hughes
AutoBild Magazine - StopTech voted Best Big Brake Kit in comparison test
FMSI – Award for New Assignments & Applications
Mackenzie Warehouse - Distinguished Service Award
NPW – Million Dollar Vendor Club
Turn14 Distribution - Supplier of the Year
StopTech Racing:
ROAD RACINGPirelli World Challenge Championships - Official Brakes & Friction
GT - Overall and class win St. Petersburg
TC - 2nd and 3rd in Championship
GTS - 3rd in Championship
Trans-AmTA2 - 2nd and 3rd
TA3 - 1st
US Touring Car - 2nd
TUDOR
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
CIRCLE TRACKNASCAR Whelan Southern Modified Tour - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
NASCAR Whelan Modified Tour – 2nd & 5th
ROC Asphalt Mod – 2nd & 4th
Bowman Gray Series - 2nd, 3rd, 4th
World of Outlaws Sprint Cars – 1st, 3rd, 4th
Lucas Oil Late Model - 1st & 5th
OFF-ROADTORC
LOORRS – Several wins in multiple classes
Best In The Desert
4 Wheel Parts Nitto National Championship - 1st
Wins – Hundreds of wins at professional and amateur levels of road racing, circle track racing, off-road racing, drifting, hillclimb and more; including NASCAR, SCCA, Grand-Am, LOORS, NASA, and Time-Attack, among others
Las Vegas, Nevada (November 4, 2014) – Centric Parts, North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components, has once again been awarded Best New Catalog of a Product Line for Import Cars or Trucks by the Auto International Association (AIA) for its 2015 Brake Systems Catalog. The award was presented by AIA Executive Leadership Council Member, Martin Gold, and Chairman, Stephen Bearden, during the opening day of the industry’s annual AAPEX Show in Las Vegas.
In announcing the winner of the award, Gold stated that, “the award should be renamed the Centric Award because of the excellent job this company does in producing the industry’s finest catalogs. They are the hands-down winner every time they enter this category. Every company should use them as an example of how to do it right.”
This year’s award was accepted by Centric Parts President/CEO, Dan Lelchuk, and Director of Catalog and Product Management, Brian Griffin III.
“We are honored that our efforts have once again been recognized by AIA,” stated Griffin. “Our entire team works diligently to research and produce the most complete and accurate catalogs every year, so this is a great compliment to all of us.”
“Thanks to our R/D and catalog teams,” stated Lelchuk, “we continue to be recognized for our catalog superiority. This is the third time we have received this award, and this year, 8 other companies were considered as well.”
The recently released 2015 Centric Parts Brake Systems Catalog (2010-2015) details the complete range of Centric Parts brake pads and shoes, rotors and drums, hydraulic cylinders, remanufactured loaded and semi-loaded calipers, caliper kits, wheel cylinder kits, hardware kits, adjusters, brake hoses, hubs, bearings and seals under the Centric, C-Tek, Posi Quiet, Fleet Performance and StopTech brands.
This is the third time Centric Parts has won the award for best catalog, having claimed the honor in 2005 and 2012 as well. Centric Parts has earned twelve AIA product awards overall, as well as two people awards. In 2013 the company was honored for best marketing campaign and best performance product.
Industry, Calif. (June 12, 2014) – Centric Parts, North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components and systems for import and domestic cars and trucks in all driving conditions, today announced that it has once again been awarded a Friction Materials Standards Institute (FMSI) Award for contributions to the automotive industry. This is the twelfth year in a row that Centric Parts has been so honored by FMSI, continuing an unbroken streak dating back to the award's inception in 2003.
FMSI once again honored Centric Parts for New Assignments & Applications in 2014, acknowledging Centric’s ongoing status as the single largest contributor to identifying new applications for the FMSI system.
FMSI President, Patrick Healey presented this year’s plaque to Centric Parts Product Manager, Mario Figueroa. Figueroa leads a group of researchers, engineers and technicians at Centric that is responsible for gathering and examining new model year vehicle components to identify carryover parts and to catalog new ones to be entered into the FMSI registry. This year alone the Centric Parts team was responsible for adding over 260 new numbers to the FMSI database.
“I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of the whole team at Centric Parts,” stated Mario Figueroa. “This is for everyone in our research department. It’s really a group effort – all of us working hard to help keep Centric first to market with new applications every year.”
The Friction Materials Standards Institute, the organization behind the FMSI Award, was founded in 1948 to maintain a standardized part numbering system used by the automotive aftermarket friction industry, and to disseminate to its members scientific, engineering, technological, statistical, and other relevant information. The FMSI Award program was started in 2003 to recognize companies that excel in actively contributing information and research to support the system. Centric Parts has been identified as an industry leader every time.
Industry, Calif. (Sept. 22, 2014) – Centric Parts, North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components and systems, has once again been named Supplier of the Year by National Pronto Association. The award was presented on Sept. 18 at the National Pronto Shareholders Conference in San Francisco, by Pronto Executive VP, Mike Mohler and President, Bill Maggs. In presenting the award, which is voted on by shareholders, Mr. Mohler noted that this was not the first time that Centric had been so honored, earning the award “for outstanding performance across all aspects of our business” in 2009 as well.
“We are grateful to receive this prestigious award from National Pronto shareholders,” said Charlie Kirkland, Centric Director of Sales for Program Groups. “The management and employees of Centric Parts work hard day in and day out to deliver world class products and services to our customers. Working with Pronto makes us a better company and we are very proud to be recognized in such a way.”
“This is a great honor,” said Centric Parts President and CEO Dan Lelchuk. “We greatly value our partnership with Pronto. And we truly enjoy the personal member relationships. Thank you.”
The Pronto Supplier of the Year Award represents just the latest honor for Centric Parts, which has garnered dozens of industry and customer awards since its founding in 2000.
Pirelli World Challenge - Official Brakes & Friction
Trans-Am
US Touring Car - 1st, 3rd, 5th
TORC
LOORS – Several wins in multiple classes
Wins – Hundreds of wins at professional and amateur levels of road racing, circle track racing, off-road racing, drifting, hillclimb and more; including NASCAR, SCCA, Grand-Am, LOORS, NASA, and Time-Attack, among others.
NPW – Million Dollar Vendor Club San Gabriel Valley Training Center - Ten Year Partner Awards
Industry, Calif. (February 4, 2014) – Centric Parts, North America’s leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components and systems under the Centric, Posi Quiet, C-TEK and StopTech labels among others, has today announced the addition of 100,000 square feet of new warehouse and office space adjacent to its existing City of Industry facility. This brings Centric’s total square footage in Industry to 470,000, and to a combined 650,000 square feet between the company’s three Southern California facilities.
“As our product range continues to grow and we continue to add new applications for every product line we offer, we have decided to add another building to our City of Industry facility," said Dan Lelchuk, President of Centric Parts. “This new warehouse allows us to house an even larger inventory of parts so we may continue providing the highest fill rate in the industry – and it provides the additional space required for our upcoming product line expansion.”
The new space expands Centric’s existing City of Industry campus, which handles sales and customer service, as well as shipping and receiving of finished goods within several adjacent structures. This expansion is just the latest for Centric Parts, which has continually grown over the fourteen years since it was founded in 2000. Other Centric Parts facilities in Southern California are responsible for research & development, engineering, manufacturing, cataloging and assembly duties for the award-winning range of Centric, Posi Quiet, C-Tek and StopTech products.
St. Augustine, Florida (March 16, 2013) - Centric Parts, a leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake and clutch components and systems under the Centric, C-Tek, Posi Quiet and StopTech labels among others, has been named Branded Supplier of the Year by Automotive Parts Associates (APA) for the fifth time in a row and sixth time overall, extending Centric’s record-setting streak. The award was presented during APA’s 32nd Annual Shareholders’ and Manufacturers Conference in Florida on Saturday morning, March, 16, 2013.
“It’s an unbelievable honor to be recognized once again by APA,” said Centric Parts Vice President of Sales, Mike Musso (above right), who accepted the award from APA board member, Gene Bochinski (above left) of G&H Auto Parts in Oak Lawn, IL. “This relationship between Centric and APA has been a special one for Centric, and it makes us proud to see that our efforts are helping APA succeed as well. Centric has always striven to be the best - and it’s recognition like this that make us know we are succeeding in meeting our own high standards as well as those of our customers. A big thank you to APA for this honor.”
“It’s an unbelievable honor to be recognized once again by APA,” said Centric Parts Vice President of Sales, Mike Musso (above right), who accepted the award from APA board member, Gene Bochinski (above left) of G&H Auto Parts in Oak Lawn, IL. “This relationship between Centric and APA has been a special one for Centric, and it makes us proud to see that our efforts are helping APA succeed as well. Centric has always striven to be the best - and it’s recognition like this that make us know we are succeeding in meeting our own high standards as well as those of our customers. A big thank you to APA for this honor.”
(Industry, Calif. - June 2012) – Centric Parts, a leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components and systems for import and domestic cars as well as light and medium trucks in all driving situations, has once again been awarded a Friction Materials Standards Institute (FMSI) Award for contributions to the automotive industry. This is the tenth year in a row that Centric Parts has been honored by FMSI dating back to the award's inception in 2003.
Centric once again received the award for New Assignments & Applications in 2012, indicative of Centric’s ongoing status as the single largest contributor to identifying new applications for the FMSI system.
This year’s plaque was presented to Mario Figueroa on behalf of Centric Parts. Mario leads a group of researchers, engineers and technicians at Centric that is responsible for gathering and examining new model year vehicle components to identify carryover parts and to catalog new ones to be entered into the FMSI registry. This year alone the Centric Parts team was responsible for adding nearly 200 new numbers to the FMSI database.
“We are once again extremely grateful for this latest honor,” stated Dan Lelchuk, President of Centric Parts. “Ten in a row is just amazing. FMSI’s continual recognition of Centric is a tribute to all of the hard work that Mario [Figueroa] and the rest of our team does every year in discovering and sharing new information that benefits the whole industry. We pride ourselves on being the first and the best, and this recognition by FMSI is a wonderful acknowledgement of our efforts.”
The Friction Materials Standards Institute, the organization behind the FMSI Award, was founded in 1948 to maintain a standardized part numbering system used by the automotive aftermarket friction industry, and to disseminate to its members scientific, engineering, technological, statistical, and other relevant information. The FMSI Award program was started ten years ago to recognize companies that excel in actively contributing information and research to support the system. Centric Parts has been identified as an industry leader every time.
StopTech Earns ISO/TS16949:2009 Certification
Certification of the performance brake manufacturer assures automotive customers that StopTech’s processes and products meet the industry's expectations and standards.
(Industry, Calif. - March 10, 2013) – StopTech®, the high performance and racing division of Centric Parts®, today announced that it has recently earned full ISO/TS 16949 certification, for the design and manufacture of automotive brake systems and components, expanding on the company’s commitment to providing the best high performance brakes in the world.
This is just the latest recognition for Centric Parts and its StopTech brand, which has already earned a string of braking technology patents, and has been repeatedly recognized by the Friction Materials Standards Institute for its substantial contribution to the development of new application references supporting the entire industry. In addition, Centric has garnered numerous industry and program distribution group awards for vendor of the year, best catalog, best website, best new products and more.
Stoptech engineers, manufactures and supplies a wide range of high performance brake components and systems for thousands of street car, armored vehicle and race car applications. Operating from a 71,000-sq-ft. facility and employing 100, StopTech supplies its brake components and systems to several OE manufacturers with both StopTech and private branding.
“With the ISO/TS16949 Quality Management System certification, Centric Parts’ StopTech division can now supply OEM vehicle assembly plants directly in a Tier 1 relationship,” said Greg Woo, Vice President of Performance Operations. “Virtually every car manufacturer around the world recognizes the ISO/TS16949 certificate, so this is a global validation of StopTech OEM brake system design, development and production capabilities.”
(LAS VEGAS, NV- October 30, 2012) – During the opening day of the aftermarket industry's annual AAPEX show in Las Vegas today, Centric Parts, a leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake and clutch components and systems, received the Best Overall Import Aftermarket Product Award as well as the Best New Catalog of a Product Line for Import Cars or Trucks Award by the Auto International Association (AIA).
AIA, the import segment of AAIA, promotes trade in automotive products between the international automotive community and the North American aftermarket. The AIA judges selected the new Centric Parts Posi Quiet with Hardware Included program as the Best Overall Import Aftermarket Product for 2012. The award was presented to Centric Parts President Dan Lelchuk, who also accepted the Best Catalog Award for the 2013 Centric Parts Brake Systems Catalog.
“We are honored that AIA has again recognized Centric Parts and our products,” said Lelchuk. “We have always been very proud of our Posi Quiet pads, and with the addition of complete application specific hardware kits in every box, we've made them an even better solution for technicians and consumers. And our catalog continues to deliver the industry's best and most comprehensive coverage out there.”
(Industry, Calif. - October 25, 2012) Centric Parts today announced that it was named a recipient of a Toyota Quality Alliance (TQA) Gold Supplier Award for 2012. This award was presented to representatives of the company's StopTech brand during the annual Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Supplier Award Ceremony held at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California on October 24, 2012.
The Gold Supplier Award is presented to top Toyota parts and accessories suppliers who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to product development, product quality, operational quality and product support.
During the ceremony, Toyota Accessory Purchasing Manager David James presented the award to Greg Woo, StopTech VP of Performance Operations.
In presenting the award James said, “StopTech is a supplier who has been with Toyota for over 6 years and continues to work with us to develop new and exciting products for the TRD and FSport programs.”
“We are honored to be recognized by Toyota,” said Woo, “As a technical partner of theirs for several years, we have had the great pleasure to work with Toyota on numerous projects and have strengthened that relationship year after year. This is a great testament to our whole team who work diligently to engineer and produce the highest quality OE and aftermarket brake solutions.”
Rhys Millen and Team RMR set NEW World Record at the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb using StopTech brakes.
Nothing can describe what it takes to conquer America's Mountain. After a week of little air to breathe, early mornings and a Hyundai that did not skip a beat, Rhys Millen and team RMR set a new world record with a time of 9:46.164 at the 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs, Colorado - using StopTech brakes.
"With the newly paved section of the course and the hot weather conditions, a lot of people failed or crashed. Our car's balance remained the same from practice to race day using these Hankook F200 Tires this entire run. Even on a slick tire and torrential downpour in the last mile and a half, with the heat we were able to achieve in the tires the grip was still adequate and we were able to produce a new world record,” said Rhys Millen after Sundays victory from the summit.
2010 Le Mans Champion Romain Dumas and his Porsche 997 GT3-R were Millen's closest competition with Dumas completing the course in 9:46.181.This marks a back to back victory over Porsche factory supported drivers for RMR in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
AIA – Person of the Year for President Dan Lelchuk
LAS VEGAS, NV - The Auto International Association (AIA) hosted its 13th annual awards luncheon on Wednesday afternoon at the Venetian Hotel, where more than 350 attendees helped to congratulate the winners of its prestigious AIA People Awards. Among the honorees in this 30th Anniversary celebration for AIA was Centric Parts President and co-founder, Dan Lelchuk, who was awarded the AIA Person of the Year Award, given to an individual in recognition of his or her outstanding contributions to the industry, and to the AIA in particular, over the prior 12 months.
Steve Bearden, AIA chairman, opened the program with welcome remarks, and provided an overview of AIA’s initiatives and its various programs and services, before naming the award winners. Joining Mr. Lelchuk in receiving an AIA People Award this year were:
In choosing Mr. Lelchuk for the Person of the Year, Bearden noted that Lelchuk was the passion driving the AIA’s actions in most of the issues facing the industry this year:
“It’s not uncommon for a board member to win the AIA Person of the Year, and this year follows that pattern.”
“In my opening remarks I mentioned the AIA’s fight against hub bearing duties, our strong disapproval of the Know Your Parts campaign and other legal battles we have waged this past year, and with his passion for free and fair trade and his belief that the industry should be responsible for its own products and should therefore be self-policing, it was only natural that we would ask Mr.Lelchuk to be on this year’s board. His passion for these issues had a huge impact on the AIA’s actions in these matters and he was therefore very deserving of this award.”
AIA Person of the Year Award: Dan Lelchuk, Centric Parts
Dan Lelchuk, president, Centric Parts, has been part of the aftermarket since 1976. He held positions with Beck/Arnley, Brembo and Autospecialty before co-founding Centric in 2000.
Starting as a very junior counterman and driver at age 16, Lelchuk worked at parts stores through high school and college. He joined Barry Breslow at International Parts Service in 1984. As the import aftermarket consolidated, he moved on to Beck/Arnley, Western Automotive Warehouse Distributors, Autospecialty and Brembo North America. In 2000, he teamed with Dino Crescentini as co-founder and president of Centric Parts.
Lelchuk has helped grow Centric Parts into one of the largest aftermarket brake manufacturers and suppliers. Centric’s catalogs, a practical standard in the industry, now boast more than 40,000 braking system parts supporting nearly every make and model from passenger cars to medium-duty trucks. The company has earned a string of braking technology patents, has been repeatedly recognized by the Friction Materials Standards Institute, AIA and multiple program distribution groups for catalog and program excellence, and has earned the highly coveted TÜV approval on several products.
AIA Mission
NEW YORK (May 2010) – Centric Parts, a leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components and systems for import and domestic cars as well as light and medium trucks in all driving situations, has been named Supplier of the Year by The Parts Authority.
"It is always gratifying when the Centric Parts philosophy of right part, right place, right time shines through and earns the company accolades," stated Dan Lelchuk, President of Centric Parts. "We value The Parts Authority as a partner in the automotive aftermarket business and look forward to providing continued award-winning customer service and support."
The honor was announced as part of The Parts Authority annual meeting and expo. This year the event was titled "2010 A Parts Odyssey" and gathered more than 5,000 attendees at Citi Field in New York.
Founded in 1973 as Clearway Automotive, The Parts Authority today offers hundreds of thousands of different parts, in more than 250,000 square feet of warehouse space, available at 15 locations around New York.
Centric Parts continually innovates significant improvements to brake technology for the street and track, having earned five patents along the way, providing superior performance, quality and value. Centric Parts offerings include Posi Quiet premium Metallic, Ceramic and Extended Wear formulas, an OE product line, plus C-TEK standard grade materials. StopTech, Centric’s ultra performance division, is a leading innovator of world class brake components and systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. Power Slot, Centric’s performance division, focuses on entry level brake upgrade solutions and pioneered direct fit performance rotors for trucks, SUVs and severe duty vehicles.
LAS VEGAS (November 2009) – The Auto International Association (AIA) has inducted Dino Crescentini, CEO of Centric Parts, into the organization’s Hall of Fame at an event held during AAPEX in Las Vegas. The honor was bestowed upon Crescentini in recognition of an exceptional achievement and service to the Automotive Aftermarket and its people. Election to the Hall of Fame represents the highest honor bestowed by AIA, a segment of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association which promotes trade in automotive products between the international automotive community and the North American aftermarket.
“It’s a real honor to have an organization like the AIA recognize my efforts, commitment and participation in the automotive aftermarket community,” stated Crescentini after being inducted at the AIA Awards at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas during AAPEX .
Introducing him as “The industry’s catalog and product guru,” Brian Cohn, the Chairman of AIA, praised Crescentini’s “outstanding accomplishments, creativity and integrity representing everything that is best about our industry.”
The AIA Hall of Fame award honors outstanding individuals in the import automotive industry who have enhanced the stature of, and significantly contributed to, the import industry segment and its overall growth and progress.
Crescentini founded Centric Parts, a Southern California company that includes StopTech and Power Slot, in 2000. The company has experienced solid growth every year since and now operates multiple warehouse and manufacturing facilities totaling nearly half-a-million square feet and exceeding 500 employees.
Centric Parts continually innovates significant improvements to brake technology for the street and track, having earned four patents along the way, providing superior performance, quality and value. Centric Parts offerings include Posi Quiet premium Metallic, Ceramic and Extended Wear formulas, an OE product line, plus C-TEK standard grade materials. StopTech, Centric’s ultra performance division, is a leading innovator of world class brake components and systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. Power Slot, Centric’s performance division, focuses on entry level brake upgrade solutions and pioneered direct fit performance rotors for trucks, SUVs and severe duty vehicles.
AIA – Best New Performance Product
The Auto International Association (AIA) segment of AAIA presented the 20th Annual AIA Industry Awards last week during AAPEX in Las Vegas. The awards recognize manufacturers and marketers for excellence in products and marketing programs for import cars and trucks.
AIA Awards Committee Chairman Marty Gold presented the following 2008 awards:
“New vehicle sales may be plunging,” said Gold. “But, thanks to the innovation, creativity, quality and overall value of the great aftermarket brands represented in these display cases, and throughout AAPEX itself, consumers can economically keep, maintain and repair their current vehicles for added years of enjoyment and value.”
The award recipients also were honored at the AIA Luncheon and Awards Program last week, attended by some 300 AIA members and guests.
Company Founded