J&N is a warehouse distributor specializing in the starter and alternator rotating electric segment of the automotive, heavy duty, industrial, agricultural and marine aftermarket.

John Kuechly began J&N in the summer of 1954 as a general automotive repair shop in a basement of a building at 4030 Reading Road in Cincinnati, Ohio. Whenever possible, John took electrical work in preference to the many other areas of automotive repair.

After one year, the company moved to a Mobil gas station located at Tennessee Avenue and Reading Road. J&N remained there for the next three years. During the last year at this location J&N entered the parts business and began doing detached unit service work. John added two full time employees during this period of time.

In 1958, John negotiated to build a store above the basement that J&N had previously occupied at 4030 Reading Road. During the next six years J&N developed a reputation as a specialized service distributor. John added Delco Remy in 1960 and other automotive electrical related lines became our major lines. In 1964, J&N added Prestolite on a direct basis covering southern Ohio, northern Kentucky and western West Virginia. From 1964 to 1968, J&N added other lines such as Motorola, Westinghouse, Ideal and Weatherhead.

In 1964, John and his father, Nicholas C. Kuechly, formed a partnership. Nick provided financial assistance and supervised bookkeeping.

During the summer of 1968, the “Big Move” took place. J&N moved from Reading Road to a 13,000 square foot building located at 10520 Chester Road in Woodlawn, a Cincinnati suburb. During this time, the company employed approximately fifteen people.

From 1968 to 1972, the business continued to grow. By 1972, sales had doubled the 1968 figures and employees numbered about twenty-seven. J&N added Cole Hersee and Leece Neville during this time.

When a second floor above the entire parts department and pallet racks around the service department failed to provide the necessary space required, J&N expanded further by leasing a 17,000 square foot warehouse in May of 1972 on Spartan Drive. J&N enlarged the service department on Chester Road and Spartan Drive became the warehouse.

The partnership came to an abrupt end when Nick Kuechly died suddenly on September 22, 1972. Words cannot express the loss we felt for him as well as his deep commitment to the ideals of honesty, integrity, fairness and doing the right thing for which he constantly strove.

On November 1, 1973, J&N became incorporated in the state of Ohio.

On March 1, 1974, J&N moved into a new 29,000 square foot building at 10280 Chester Road, designed and constructed specifically to accommodate the growing business and provide the necessary facilities for greater efficiency and ease of operation.

In April of 1981, J&N expanded into the southeast United States with the acquisition of IPM’s warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia. Team Auto Electric became the name of the new, wholly owned subsidiary of J&N which operated until 1986.

July of 1981 marked the beginning of production on J&N’s line of remanufactured units. The line eventually became known as JanNco (short for J&N Company).

In December of 1987, J&N again moved around the corner into a new 65,000 square foot building at 1201 Glendale-Milford Road. The new facility supported the growing J&N, with additional space in practically all areas and departments, employing over fifty people. The facility was specifically designed to support vehicle service operations, dedicated remanufacturing space, and ample warehouse facilities.

On December 31, 1987, J&N changed its corporate form to a Sub-chapter S-Corporation.

J&N published the first J&N Wire & Terminals Catalog on September 1, 1990. The black and white, plain paper catalog included 28 pages. J&N published its first printed Rebuilders Electrical catalog, “Solenoids” on February 8, 1991. It was only 14 pages long and cataloged 51 solenoids. This later evolved (along with the J&N line of parts and units) into future editions of a comprehensive catalog of J&N’s entire aftermarket parts offering.

On July 16, 1996, John A. Kuechly retired as president of the Company, while maintaining his position of Chairman of the Board. At this time, Thomas J. Kuechly & David W. Blocker became President & Vice President, respectively.

Recognizing changes in the market place, JanNco built its first all new units in May of 1997 in order to take advantage of the demand for all new units.

On December 31, 2001, Nicholas C. Kuechly & Thomas J. Kuechly purchased the stock of the Company from their father John in order to ensure a smooth transition for the Company, its employees, customers and suppliers. John continued to provide insightful guidance and direction.

The founder of J&N, John A. Kuechly passed away on June 22, 2004. He will be missed by many and his influence will help shape the future for those who knew him. His dedication, wisdom & experience will be greatly missed. While this marks the end of his life, his unwavering adherence to do the best that you can in all areas of life will continue to guide us as we move forward.

Shortly after John’s death, J&N celebrated its 50th Anniversary in August of 2004 with just over seventy-five employees. There was much to be thankful for, including a life well lived.

In an effort to handle the changing needs of the business, J&N expanded the hours of operation in the warehouse until 8:30pm on November 29, 2004.

After nearly three years in development, J&N re-launched the J&N website as a new web catalog on April 6, 2005. This new catalog offers on line web ordering, parts look ups, bills of material, unit breakdowns, links to OEM and accessory suppliers and an industry first “Product Category” look up tool.

J&N now distributes for many OEM manufacturers including Bosch, Delco Remy America, Denso, Electrodyne, Hitachi, Iskra, Leece Neville, Magneton, Marelli, Mitsubishi, Niehoff, Nikko Denki, Penntex, Prestolite, Powerline and Valeo. In addition to these OEM lines, J&N developed its own branded electrical aftermarket line of new and remanufactured parts and units in the early 1990’s.

J&N complements the starter and alternator offering with a number of other heavy duty electrical accessories such as gauges, switches and lighting. The accessory lines include Associated Equipment, Bussman Fuse, Cole Hersee, Datcon Instruments, Dynatex, Ecco, Eiko, Facet Fuel Pumps, Grote, Klixon, Perma-Coil, Pertronix, Pollak, Powerline, Seymour, Stewart Warner, Streamlight, Sure Power, Unity, Vanner, VDO, Xantrex and Zenith.

Thanks to the continuing support of loyal customers, employees and suppliers, J&N moved in December, 2008 to the current facility at 10995 Canal Road. J&N now focuses on parts distribution and unit service and remanufacturing. The new location provides room for future expansion as well as more efficient operations as we seek to continuously improve our level of service to our valued customers.