Walker Spotlight: Allison Martin
When Walker Auto & Truck says it’s a family business, you may think it’s referring to the three generations of Walkers who have been involved in the business. But the definition is much broader than that. Walker is a family-operated business – both by the Walkers but also by the countless multi-generational “parts” families that work with Walker-NAPA today. Allison Martin, our Whiteville Store Manager, and her family are part of that same family business legacy.
Allison has been a part of Team Walker for more than a year but has been immersed in the auto parts business her entire life. Her grandfather started the parts store she now manages in Whiteville and owned it for 55 years. In the late ’90s, her father took the reins and Allison grew up working at the store, spending quality time with her grandfather and father.
"It was the family trade and what I grew up in” she said, “We eat, sleep and breathe NAPA, there’s nothing else. I would be at the store with my family everyday day.”
Her dad really taught her the trade – even working together on her first car as a project to share. Because of his guidance, Allison realized she was capable of being a female in the auto parts world.
Allison really realized her love for their business after Hurricane Florence devastated Whiteville, and with it, her family’s store back in 2018. For Allison, it was very hard to be the one to check on the store during the storm.
“To watch your whole family's life be sabotaged like that was heartbreaking,” she said. “It took us three days to finally get into the store and clean everything up. Just watching merchandise be thrown away from the flooding was devastating.”
After getting back up on their feet, Allison was grateful to partner with Walker and keep the NAPA name.
Walker Auto & Truck purchased the Whiteville NAPA location the following February, giving her father a well-deserved retirement. And after 16 years of working in the store with her dad, Allison took over as Store Manager as part of team Walker – continuing her family’s legacy in Whiteville.
“The Walkers have been awesome to work with. As long as you are still growing and improving your business, they let you do your own thing. Since partnering with the Walker’s, my family and I have gotten to keep the feeling of a hometown, family business since they appreciate those values also.”
Allison mentions that she is close to everyone she works with. Even her customers are family. With both groups, Allison can not only talk shop but also family and life. She always feels at home when she's working and creating memories with her team.
One of those best memories was last fall when there was a company wide tool competition for who could sell the most jacks. The prize? The opportunity to pie Walker CEO, Lee Walker in the face. Sure enough, Allison and her Whiteville team rose to the challenge, taking first place company-wide.
“There’s not many times you get to pie your CEO in the face,” she said, “I was wondering do I even have a job after this, it was a little nerve wracking, but he was a good sport about it!”
Allison plans to stay with her family’s original location for a while and is excited to see how she can grow personally and professionally while working with Team Walker.
What does Walker Mean to You?
“Extended family. They have all been very welcoming, every single one of them. Everyone is willing to help, and they never make you feel inferior. It really is just another big family.”
