Walter’s Auto Specialties began in 1958 by Ken Walter Sr. selling automotive batteries out of a single car garage that he built. Ken Sr. believed that providing good service and going beyond the customer’s needs would be fundamental to succeed. He was right. Within two years Walter’s had two delivery trucks and had outgrown the garage. In 1960, the business moved to a warehouse off of Federal Blvd. It was not much bigger than the garage but the business continued to grow as Ken Sr. started selling wheel covers & portawalls. In 1964, Walter’s purchased its first warehouse on 1023 W Dartmouth, with the added space started carrying detail supplies.
The business continued to grow through the 1970s adding more trucks and inventory over time. The 1980s saw some tough times with the recession, but Ken Sr.’s service motto keep the business going. In the late 1980s Ken Sr. began to think about retirement and on January 1, 1991, Ken Jr. purchased the business from his father.
In 1992, with the widening of Santé Fe Drive, the Dartmouth location was in the path of the construction and Walter’s was forced to move. A new warehouse was constructed at 2200 S Fox St. It was just what was needed to accommodate the growing business, but the location was hard to get too and walk in traffic was dying off. It was then decided by Ken Jr. and Sr. to build a new location that offered better access and visibility.
In the summer of 1999, the new warehouse opened at 1998 W Hamilton Place where the Sheridan branch is located today. The building had everything, 6000 square feet, a modern battery charging room, lots of space for the business to grow, which it did. Having the ability to carry more inventory helped with the “I Need it Now” philosophy of the new decade.
In 2010, a second location was added in Colorado Springs. In that same year Walter’s purchased Automotive Equipment Service. In 2011, 2340 square feet was added to the existing building in Sheridan for even more capacity. The business now owns or rent more 11,740 square feet of warehouse space and has a fleet of 10 trucks. The small business in the single car garage has done well for itself.
"I think the business has done well because we haven’t strayed from the things that got us here. Good service and going beyond the customer’s expectations it what keeps the business going." - Ken Walter Jr.
