NAPA change ends relationship lasting nearly a century with Lacy family in Medina

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 1 May 2021 at 7:19 pm

Photo by Ginny Kropf: NAPA operated out of this historic building on North Main Street for nearly a century.

MEDINA – Friday was the last day for the NAPA store on North Main Street in Medina, after corporate Genuine Parts Company based in Atlanta took it over. They also acquired CarQuest and moved operations there in Tops Plaza.

Retiring wasn’t in Craig Lacy’s immediate plans, he said Friday in a phone call from his Florida home.

Lacy confirmed his Medina Parts store on North Main Street has been taken over by corporate Genuine Parts Company from Atlanta.

Lacy said he knew he would some day sell them the business, which has been owned by his family for 95 years. His sons are the fourth generation to run the business, started by his grandfather M. Cady Lacy in 1921.

Early last week, Craig said he got a call from NAPA headquarters saying they were moving up their purchase and Saturday would be his last day. He flew home from Florida on Thursday to break the news to his employees, all of whom are being allowed to stay with the business, except Craig.

Genuine Parts Company has also taken over CarQuest in Tops Plaza and are in the process of moving everything to that location, according to Craig.

The Medina Parts building at 345 North Main St. is a historical building, listed on the National Register. Built in 1833, it burned in 1861 and was replaced by owner Botsford Fairman. There were numerous changes of ownership, including Jonathan A. Johnson of Lyndonville in 1869, who converted it into a hotel in 1873. Another fire in 1923 destroyed the top floors of the building, which had been the White Hotel.

M. Cady Lacy and Charles Haak had lost their jobs when the Central Foundry closed in 1921, and they needed a job. They bought the burned building in 1925, reduced the walls to two stories and rebuilt the building. They added a section on the canal side for their machine shop, Medina Cylinder Grinding, and started selling auto parts.

Craig said originally the auto parts business was just a little corner of the building, but they gradually expanded and were the first NAPA jobber in all of Western New York, and probably New York State. NAPA itself started in 1925, and Medina’s store was the first in the Buffalo area.

“We were in on the ground floor,” Craig said. “It’s sad it’s going to end like this. But we had a nice run.”

Initially it was reported that NAPA had taken over stores in Albion, Batavia, Brockport and Warsaw. However, Dan DeCarlo, the owner of Arnold’s Auto Parts NAPA store in Albion, said Saturday morning they have not taken his store. He will be conducting business as usual.