sept-2017

48 49 FCP EURO EUROPEAN CAR PARTS ONLINE AT A GLANCE FCP EURO WHAT: An online, foreign car parts dealer WHERE: Milford, Connecticut WEBSITE: www.fcpeuro.com F CP Euro, in Milford, Connecticut is an online auto parts store, specializing in gen- uine replacement parts for the following European brands: Volvo, BMW,Audi,Volk- swagen,Mercedes, Porsche, and Saab.It operates out of a 25,000 square-foot distribution center that maintains $1.5million in inventory; its online cata- logue features over 350,000 SKUs,and its database contains information on over 400,000 customers. “Our consumer is a do-it-yourself enthusiast,”says CEO,Scott Drozd.“They’re European car owners who fixandmaintain their own vehicle,and purchase directly through us,via our onlinewebsite.” FCPEurowas originallyestablished as a small, automotive brick-and-mortar store in 1986,byHarry and KathyBauer,in the town of Groton.“It wasmy best friend’s parents’company,”Drozd recounts.“My friend,NickBauer, came out of college in 2001 and decided hewanted to take his parents’ brick-and-mortar auto parts store,online.He knewthereweren’t a lot of automotive replacement products being sold online,and therewas an opportunity to take some of the inventory that was on his parents’shelves and list themon EBay-backwhen theywere onlydoing auction-style listings.That’s where the origins of the online business began.” “I came aboard shortly after, in 2002, and that’s when we really start-