O'Reilly Automotive

Charles F. O’Reilly had become manager of Link Motor Supply in Springfield, Missouri, where his son Charles H. (Chub) O’Reilly also worked. When Link planned a reorganization that would have retired the 72-year-old Charles F. and transferred Chub to Kansas City, the two formed their own company. It opened for business on December 2, 1957, with one store and 13 employees, and its sales totaled $700,000 in 1958, its first full year.⁠[1]

In 1978, O’Reilly developed its dual-market business strategy. In 1989 it opened its 100th store, in Barling, Arkansas.⁠[2]

In April 1993, O’Reilly became a public corporation through the initial public offering of its stock.⁠[3]

Its common stock has traded on Nasdaq under the symbol ORLY since April 22, 1993.⁠[4]

In 1998, O’Reilly spent $47.8 million, or $4.35 per common share, to complete the acquisition of Hi/LO Auto Supply, which gave it 189 stores in California, Texas and Louisiana. In April 1998 it sold Hi/LO’s seven California stores to Auto Parts Wholesale.⁠[3]

Greg Henslee became chief executive officer and co-president in 2005.⁠[5]

The Mid-State acquisition on October 1, 2001, added five states to O’Reilly’s sales footprint, and it acquired Midwest on May 31, 2005.⁠[2]

O’Reilly’s exchange offer for CSK Auto expired at midnight New York time on July 10, 2008, with each CSK share exchanged for 0.4285 of a share of O’Reilly common stock plus $1.00 in cash. After the offer, O’Reilly held about 90.5% of CSK’s outstanding common stock and planned to complete the merger later that day.⁠[6]

The acquisition was completed on July 11, 2008. At that date CSK had 1,342 stores in 22 states under four brand names: Checker Auto Parts, Schuck’s Auto Supply, Kragen Auto Parts and Murray’s Discount Auto Parts. At December 31, 2008, O’Reilly operated 3,285 stores in 38 states.⁠[7]

On December 15, 2008, O’Reilly announced that it had been added to the NASDAQ-100 Index, effective with the market open on December 22, 2008.⁠[8]

O’Reilly acquired VIP Auto Parts on December 31, 2012, Bond Auto Parts in 2016 and Florida’s Bennett Auto Supply in 2018.⁠[2]

On December 1, 2016, 51 California district attorneys announced a settlement with O’Reilly. The lawsuit alleged that more than 525 O’Reilly stores in the state unlawfully handled, transported and disposed of used oil, used oil filters and other hazardous wastes over a five-year period. An Alameda County Superior Court judge ordered the company to pay $9.86 million, including $6.0 million in civil penalties.⁠[9]

Greg Johnson became co-president in 2017 and was promoted to chief executive officer and co-president in 2018.⁠[10]

On November 29, 2019, O’Reilly completed the acquisition of Mayoreo de Autopartes y Aceites (Mayasa), an auto parts retailer headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico, which operated six distribution centers and 21 Orma Autopartes stores.⁠[10]

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued O’Reilly Automotive Stores, alleging sexual harassment of female employees by a supervisor and male co-workers at an Orlando, Florida, store, and retaliation. On March 29, 2021, a federal court approved a two-and-one-half-year consent decree under which the company agreed to pay $165,000 to three former female employees.⁠[11]

On July 26, 2023, O’Reilly announced that CEO Greg Johnson would retire effective January 31, 2024, to be succeeded as CEO by Co-President Brad Beckham, a team member since 1996, while Co-President Brent Kirby would be promoted to president. Greg Henslee served as executive chairman of the board.⁠[12]

On January 22, 2024, O’Reilly completed its acquisition of Groupe Del Vasto (Vast Auto) of Canada. At the time, Vast Auto operated two distribution centers, six satellite warehouses and 23 company-owned stores serving independent and professional customers in Eastern Canada. At December 31, 2024, the company had 26 stores in Canada.⁠[13]

Speaking as CEO in April 2024, Brad Beckham said, “We remain excited about the future opportunities we have before us in the Canadian market.”⁠[14]

On March 13, 2025, the board approved a 15-for-1 split of the common stock, to be effected as a one-time special stock dividend, subject to shareholder approval of an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation at the May 15, 2025, annual meeting. The company said the split would let team members buy whole shares rather than fractions through its payroll-deduction stock purchase program, which offers a 15% discount.⁠[15]

The company completed the 15-for-1 forward stock split on June 10, 2025.⁠[4]

For the year ended December 31, 2025, O’Reilly’s sales rose 6% to $17.78 billion from $16.71 billion in 2024, net income rose 6% to $2.54 billion, comparable store sales increased 4.7%, and the company opened 207 net new stores.⁠[16]

At December 31, 2025, the company operated 6,447 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, 112 in Mexico and 26 in Canada; it employed 92,923 team members as of January 31, 2026.⁠[4]

Washington’s Attorney General’s Office sued O’Reilly Auto Enterprises, LLC in August 2023, alleging that it failed to provide pregnant and postpartum workers with reasonable accommodations. On March 4, 2026, the office announced a $5.6 million consent decree compensating more than 50 workers. O’Reilly admitted it had not trained its Washington managers on the state’s Healthy Starts Act.⁠[17]