A lot of work and reaching out to people has kept one Norwich business going for over 100 years. Word of mouth helps too, owner Rich Chaluto said.
Norwich Auto Parts opened in 1923, and is currently located at 567 East Main St. Over its 101 years of business, it’s always been an auto parts and machine shop business.
“It’s a fun business and we enjoy being here every day,” Chaluto said.
Chaluto started working for the shop in 1989. He had been working at the Mallon Chevrolet dealership. He went to Norwich Auto one day, and then owner Garland Brown was interested in hiring him, so he left the dealership. After a decade or so, Chaluto became the owner.
“They treated me very well, so I stuck it out,” he said.
The history of Norwich Auto Parts
The repair shop was started by the Friedman family. The business was first in The Marguerite Building, selling used parts. The main shop was then on Franklin Street. The business first used the current building for the machine shop in 1966, before moving there in 1991, Chaluto said.
The Friedman daughters married Brown and Aaron “Eddie” Kanter. The business stayed in the family until the mid-1990s.
Norwich Auto Parts still has a family atmosphere. Chris and Kyle Chaluto, Rich’s sons, work at the shop. They do a little bit of everything.
“Not many people (get to work with their parents),” Chris Chaluto said. “It’s awesome.”
While chains like Advanced Auto Parts and O’Reilly Auto Parts are in Norwich, Norwich Auto Parts has held on due to its wide variety and expertise in parts, including old parts. This gives the shop an “old-school” feel, Rich Chaluto said.
“It’s more personal, I think,” he said. “People ask questions about things they can’t get from a regular chain.”
Hot rods and the future
Rich Chaluto is also part of the Dream Machine Classic Car Club. The classic car scene is big in this area, often supporting local charities. He gets business from all the different clubs. Some are looking for faithful restoration work, while others want customs, with chopping tops and channel jobs, Chaluto said.
The machine shop is increasingly busy as people order parts for their hot rods, Chris Chaluto said. “We’re getting bigger and bigger all the time.”
If you asked Rich Chaluto about the coolest car he’s worked on, he would say there’s too many to list, from GTOs and Roadrunners, to a ’63 Impala Convertible 409 and Shelby Cobras.
Electric cars are becoming more and more common, and the shop will need to adapt. Rich Chaluto said electric cars are a new thing and “you’ll have to cross that bridge when you get there.”
“As long as the gas stays available and people can still drive those cars, hopefully it keeps the business going,” he said.
