Hust Brothers turning 100
‘This is a one-stop shop’
Any business that’s been open as long as Hust Brothers, Inc. in Marysville is bound to have gone through a few transformations.
Under Roy Lanza for the past 49 years, Hust Brothers has changed many times. But the auto parts store – what Lanza likes to call a “one-stop shop” – for all cars, trucks and tractors, is alive and kicking and about to turn 100 years old.
Founded in 1919, Hust Brothers moved around Marysville. Currently, the business is anchored at 710 Third St. right across from Adventist Health/ Rideout Hospital. There are about 60 employees, working in several of the warehouses and shops, selling the parts for Lanza’s customer base.
“We expanded the machine shop, welding store, put in a driveline shop,” Lanza said. “This is a one-stop shop. You can come in get a bearing, get it pressed on, get your welding supplies, driveline fixed and go back out to farm.”
Lanza bought the property in 1970 after an old tractor supply store relocated to Natomas.
“This was an abandoned tractor place,” Lanza said. Lanza transformed it and enlarged it. Cliff Laffond, who’s been working for Lanza for 46 years, said that at one point there was a Hust Brothers parts stop on 26 different U.S. Air Force Bases.
“We had a Hust Brothers store on every base and they supplied parts for the military vehicles,” said Laffond, who started in the stock room and is now a general manager. “It slowed down a little
bit (but) we’re still holding on.”
Currently, Laffond said, Hust Brothers supplies parts to seven stores but no bases. He said the military personnel go elsewhere for their parts. It’s a transformation that companies typically go through over the years.
Both Laffond and Lanza remain optimistic about the company’s future. Lanza, 78, is grooming his son, David Lanza to succeed Roy Lanza as owner one day.
Roy Lanza feels Hust Brothers still has a lot of value for the Yuba-sutter region.
“You get four or five items in one spot, as opposed to going four or five different places,” he said.