Vice Chairman CARQUEST Former Regional Vice President General Parts, Inc. – Lakewood, Colorado
Peter and Lorraine Kornafel share a passion for the automotive parts business and for helping young minds achieve their greatest potential. From 1970 to 1996, the entrepreneurial couple grew Hatch Grinding Company’s distribution centers for automotive parts in Denver and Albuquerque which served more than 100 CARQUEST Auto Parts stores. With Peter serving as President and Lorraine as Vice President, the company grew from fifteen employees to over 225. That growth earned Hatch Grinding the recognition of Small Business of the year by the city of Denver and the state of Colorado in 1984. The next year, Peter was the Small Business Person of the year for the State of Colorado. Both Peter and Lorraine served as Chairmen of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association; Peter in 1986 and Lorraine in 1994. They have also served as members of numerous other associations and boards in the automotive industry. After selling Hatch Grinding Company in 1996, Peter Kornafel served as president of CARQUEST from 1996-2001, and was responsible for products, advertising, marketing, and training programs for its members. Today he serves CARQUEST as Vice Chairman. Lorraine went on to work as Vice President of General Parts, Inc., and has now retired but remains active as an investor, renovator, and property manager for twelve residential and commercial rental properties. The couple’s “hobby” is giving college scholarships, and currently twenty students are receiving the honor. There are seven endowed scholarships offered at several universities including Northwood. In addition, they are helping other students who are relatives of former employees, and they are assisting with the Global Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Fund.
