Radcliff, Kentucky --- Arthur Westover doesn't sit down much. When you do business in a military/civilian community that experiences population swings from 60,000 personnel at Fort Knox down to 6,000 you don't dare. Especially when three of your largest accounts are behind the main gate of what is probably this nation's most famous military reservation.

The Fisher Auto Parts store manager has watched Desert Storm come and go and he has watched the number of permanent military personnel come and go. Ditto that for the town of Radcliff, just 2.5 miles from Fort Knox, the town Westover calls home every working day.

Westover has also kept close tabs on what has happened to the business health of Radcliff, Kentucky. "To do business with Fort Knox is to do business with Radcliff," he said. "That's because two out of every three people in the area surrounding Fort Knox are in some way connected with the military."

That is probably the first and most valuable lesson he learned when he took charge of the Radcliff auto parts store in 1990. Undoubtedly it is why he will turn in a performance well over seven digits for 1998 and it is why he has increased his store's business or kept it at status quo for each of his eight years as man-in-charge.

"From a business point of view, separating Fort Knox from Radcliff isn't possible because the military community is just that... a community," he said. "Whether that's in Radcliff, where many officers and non-commissioned officers reside, or at Fort Knox, it makes no difference. We are dependent on Fort Knox and we are dependent on Radcliff."

"While it's true that there have been major drops in the population at Fort Knox and in Radcliff, we have not only stayed in business through it all, we have thrived." Exactly what adjustments did Westover initiate? Would you believe none?

You heard it right. Zero change. In fact, Westover's solution to changing market conditions is almost too simple to be believed. "There are lots of people in the auto parts business and anyone can sell auto parts'" he said. "But not everybody can sell service and that's what we do best! We sell service."

So serious is Westover about the concept that he dispatches six delivery trucks daily averaging 250 miles a day, including at least 20 trips to Fort Knox. He is guilty of making an 85 mile round trip for a 54-cent gasket.

"As a former body shop manager I know what an installer feels like when an upset customer wants his car. There have been times at the store when all six phones were ringing, all six drivers were out and I was on the counter with one other man when the parts order came in.

"In that situation I will always send my remaining counterman to deliver the part in his personal car," he said. "We do whatever it takes."

That is the centerpiece of Arthur Westover's business plan. Selling service. It is a formula the local K-Mart, Krogers and too many store fronts to count could not execute. They are closed... boarded up.

The rest of his business strategy is just as basic. "All nine of us here at Fisher Auto Parts work on customer relationships every day; we sell quality parts and we offer a competitive price." If you think this sounds corny, think again. When Arthur Westover says it's how all nine men feed their families he isn't kidding.

Ron Grubbs, project manager for Cobb's Automotive on Fort Knox, confirms the point. "We're civilian contractors responsible for a fleet of 800 military cars (including military police cars and officers cars), pickups, buses and tractors," he said. "Because this job is up for government bid every five years, we can't afford any delays.

"Our seven technicians handle 25 to 30 jobs a day in our seven bays," he said. "We count on people like Arthur Westover and on his employees, particularly Billy Farmer, to provide the service we demand."

"We call Billy as many as 10 to 12 times a day and expect him to keep us straight in the parts number department. There is a difference in the parts numbering system between military and civilian vehicles. Billy is the one who tells us we need a bigger seal than the one we just ordered. He knows our needs and that matters."

Jody Exler, manager of the 42-bay Fort Knox Autocraft Center, sees about 1000 vehicles a month, all of them owned by active military, retired military, reservists, national guard or family members of any of the above.

"We are equipped to let these personnel do the work themselves or we can do it for them," said Exler. The busy manager and his staff are prepared to conduct engine analysis, wheel alignments, brake jobs, tune-ups, air conditioning service and oil changes, to name a few.

That means automotive parts and while both Exler and Grubbs are obligated by the military to shop the best price, it isn't easy to shop for service. That's where Westover has the edge. He has the parts and nobody is going to beat him to the job. The man is dedicated, a point not lost on either Exler or Grubbs.

Westover's third account at Fort Knox, Creative Dimensions, is in the business of creating and maintaining U.S. army exhibits, the kind that show up at high school career days across the country. "Paint is their biggest need," said Westover, who added that this account is off limits to civilian personnel.

Does that mean the Kentucky auto parts professional can rest easy? Not on your life. His other customers on the busy Fort Knox to Elizabethtown Rt. 31W corridor are just as important. They too service the military and civilian populations.

"To tie our installer base into our national advertising, I have placed five large illuminated Federated Car Care signs at their businesses on Rt. 31W. I also constantly monitor our drivers who service these account," he said.

"Some of them must make 22 deliveries on their way to the farthest stop. If there has been any mistake or if additional parts have been ordered, we work quickly to get the needed parts in the hands of the installer." The veteran auto parts man also knows the value of a well-trained driver.

"These people are my problem solvers and my public relations staff," he said. "To my 80% professional installer base, my drivers serve as a direct connection to me and the store. That's vital to a working relationship."

In that spirit, Westover has installed a business management computer system in the garages of 12 of his accounts.

"Instead of making two phone calls to me for pricing and order placement, they can write an estimate on their computer, prepare the work order, hit a button and the ticket shows up on my computer. All I have to do is get the parts to him and the invoice. It's clean, it's fast."

And, yes, that's a TV on his counter. "We show NASCAR tapes and automotive training tapes all day long," he said. "I was amazed the other day when a technician stood there and watched a 30-minute training tape. That inspired me to add a popcorn machine for fun."

Although Westover offers heavy praise for his veteran staff, he challenges them and himself every day. A mirror in the restroom says "Do I Look Professional?"

Vigilant best describes the crew at Fisher Auto Parts, not to mention diligent. They have watched their walk-in trade go from 100% male to a mix that now includes women. "This has always been a clean store," said Westover, "but we must constantly remind ourselves to take care of every customer's needs. We want them coming back to our store and we work hard to make that happen."

Put it all together and you begin to see how Westover has found happiness in Radcliff. He has carefully broken down the complexities of his environment and has taken control. He is getting a bigger piece of a smaller pie and much of it hinges on something his father taught him years ago.

"Dad said that to be successful you must have desire, discipline, dedication and defense." said Westover. "He told me to always be aware of my surroundings and that it is always better to act than to react." Indeed. Wherever you are, Dad Westover, you must be proud of the outcome.