Our Story
75+ Years of Family Ownership in Flint & Fenton
Brown & Sons Automotive started in 1949 with one man, a Chevy station wagon, and a bet that the automobile was going to change America. Three generations later, that bet paid off — the family that started it is still running the business today.
It Started With a Vision
In the late 1940s, Jack Brown walked away from his partnerships in a bakery, a nightclub, and a restaurant in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. He moved his family to Flint, Michigan — a city he believed was about to become the center of America's automotive future.
In 1949, he founded Brown & Sons Automotive Supplies out of the family garage, driving a Chevy station wagon to sell parts and chemicals to shops across Genesee County. By the early 1950s, demand had grown enough to move into the company's first warehouse and retail facility on Lewis Street.
Three Generations, One Family Business
Jack's sons — George, Jim, and Pete — eventually joined the business, and the Brown family name carried it forward for decades. The surname later shifted to Branoff, starting with George's sons Nick and Pete — and Nick's son, Alexander, represents the family's fourth generation in the business today.
Growing With the Industry
In 1970, Brown & Sons moved to a new warehouse and retail facility on Davison Road in Flint — the location that's been home ever since. As the business grew, so did the product line: Brown & Sons became a specialist in ACDelco, GM's factory-trusted parts brand, building one of the deepest ACDelco inventories in the area. In 2022, Brown & Sons became a shareholder in Automotive Parts Associates (APA), a trade buying group, and Nick Branoff now serves on APA's board of directors.
The brands and the inventory have grown. The approach hasn't changed.
Part of the Neighborhood
Brown & Sons' roots in Flint go beyond the counter. The company has renovated and now maintains the Davison Road Fire Station, the AC Spark Plug building, the Davison Road Glass building, and reclaimed green-space lots nearby — and employees regularly volunteer for cleanup around the surrounding freeway on/off-ramps. It's part of why staff turnover here is unusually low: this has always been a place people stay.
Two Locations, Same Family
Today, Brown & Sons operates two locations — Flint and Fenton — serving independent shops, GM dealership service departments, DIY customers, and marina and boating customers throughout the area. Same family. Same commitment. 75+ years and counting. Want to know what Brown & Sons offers today?