Knox Auto Parts

What Knox Auto Parts does

Knox Auto Parts is a privately held, family-founded regional auto recycler and used auto parts supplier headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1995 by Joe and Tom Denton and their father Joe Sr., the company sources, dismantles, tests, and resells quality-guaranteed used automotive parts pulled from salvage vehicles, with every part carrying a warranty. It operates three physical salvage yards serving the Southeast U.S. — Knoxville TN (headquarters), Nashville/LaVergne TN (acquired 2015), and Birmingham AL (acquired 2018 as B&D Auto Parts) — and employs more than 95 people across dismantling, inventory, warehouse, delivery, and sales functions.

The company sells primarily through a phone-led, sales-driven go-to-market model supplemented by the AESOP Auto Parts online inventory search platform (aesopauto.com), which enables nationwide sourcing and delivery of parts. Pricing is quote-based and transactional, determined per part inquiry rather than via published tiers or subscriptions. Its primary customer segment is SMB auto repair facilities, with secondary demand from individual vehicle owners and auto dealerships seeking affordable warranty-backed alternatives to new parts. In March 2022, Knox was acquired by AESOP, a multi-yard U.S. auto parts operator, and now operates as an Aesop Auto Parts location while retaining the Denton family's operational leadership.

Knox's core technology is a parts inventory management and sourcing system integrated with the AESOP network rather than a proprietary software platform; it has no disclosed patents, APIs, AI/ML capabilities, or app presence. Its distribution moat rests on three Southeast yards, AESOP-affiliated national delivery, and industry positioning through Team PRP founding membership and ARA Gold Seal certification. No revenue, funding, or financial metrics are publicly disclosed.

Name

Knox Auto Parts

Legal name

Knox Auto Parts

Website

https://knoxauto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Knox Auto Parts is a privately held regional auto recycler that sources, dismantles, and resells warranty-backed used auto parts from three Southeast U.S. yards in Knoxville TN, Nashville TN, and Birmingham AL, primarily serving SMB auto repair facilities and dealerships through phone-led sales and the AESOP network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Auto Parts Retail

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Parts (Used) Merchant Wholesalers (42314)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Used Auto Parts Recovery & Resale (Salvage/Yard Parts, Rebuilders) (EUAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Dismantling & Auto Shredding (ASR) (IMAKAMAD)

Keywords

• Used auto parts
• Auto salvage parts
• Salvage yard operations
• Auto recycling
• Vehicle dismantling

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Used Auto Parts Sales: Sale of quality-guaranteed, top-tested used auto parts sourced from salvage vehicles. Parts include warranty for reliability and long-lasting performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Knox Auto Parts operates three salvage yard locations across Tennessee and Alabama that dismantle wrecked vehicles and resell quality-tested used auto parts to repair shops, dealerships, and individual consumers. Every part carries a warranty and is sourced through its own inventory and the AESOP network's nationwide search platform, with parts delivered across the U.S.

Product overview

Knox Auto Parts operates as a regional used auto parts supplier with a unified service model centered on providing quality-guaranteed salvage auto parts to customers. The company offers a single integrated product line consisting of used auto parts, supported by delivery services, vehicle dismantling operations, and parts inventory management. As part of the AESOP Auto Parts network, Knox Auto Parts leverages shared resources including the Aesopauto.com parts search platform, while maintaining its own three-location footprint across Tennessee and Alabama. The company is also a founding member of Team PRP, an industry collaboration network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Auto Parts

Quantifiable outcome

• Warranty coverage on every part for customer peace of mind

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AESOP (Auto Parts)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022AESOP acquired Knox Auto Parts in March 2022, strengthening the company's market position. Knox Auto Parts operates as an Aesop Auto Parts location, integrating into their network of salvage yards across the United States.
• B&D Auto PartscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Acquisition of B&D Auto Parts in 2018 to enter Birmingham market, further solidifying presence in the industry.
• Nashville Facility (Denton family expansion)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Acquisition of Nashville facility in 2015, led by Jim and Kyle Denton, marking significant milestone in company's expansion.
• Team PRPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnox Auto Parts is a founding member of Team PRP, demonstrating commitment to collaboration and industry leadership in the auto recycling sector.
• URG (United Recycler Group)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation membership providing ecommerce solutions and website services for members.
• ARA (Auto Recyclers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association membership with ARA Gold Seal certification for auto recycling excellence.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Copart is a leading online salvage vehicle auction platform that supplies wrecked/donor vehicles to recyclers like Knox Auto Parts. While not a direct competitor on parts sales, it is the upstream supplier feeding the salvage inventory Knox dismantles and resells.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): IAA operates the largest salvage vehicle auction network in North America, supplying donor vehicles to recyclers such as Knox Auto Parts and competing indirectly for end-customer mindshare through its buying-and-selling ecosystem.
• Hollander Parts / Hollander interchange: Hollander supplies recycled and aftermarket auto parts via an online interchange platform used by salvage yards and repair shops. It serves the same SMB repair-shop buyer as Knox Auto Parts and competes for recycled-parts distribution share.

Emerging players

• Car-Part.com: Car-Part.com is an online marketplace aggregating used auto parts inventory from hundreds of recyclers, with parts-search functionality analogous to the Aesop platform Knox Auto Parts uses — making it a comparable digital channel for recycled auto parts discovery.

Direct peers

• U Pull & Pay: U Pull & Pay is a self-service auto salvage chain offering used parts at fixed prices across multiple U.S. locations, competing with Knox Auto Parts in the recycled-parts segment serving DIY and small repair-shop customers.
• LKQ Corporation: LKQ is the largest North American distributor of recycled OEM and aftermarket auto parts, directly competing with regional recyclers like Knox by offering nationwide inventory, e-commerce platforms, and warranty-backed used components to repair shops and consumers.
• Pull-A-Part: Pull-A-Part operates a chain of self-service and full-service salvage yards across the U.S. selling recycled auto parts from dismantled vehicles, directly overlapping Knox Auto Parts' model of regional yard-based used-parts sales with warranty support.
• Pick-N-Pull: Pick-N-Pull runs a network of self-service auto recycling yards with online parts search and delivery options, making it a direct multi-state peer in the recycled and salvaged auto parts retail market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KnoxAutoParts
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knox-auto-parts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knox Auto Parts