A new AutoZone opened recently at 16605 E. Palisades Blvd., on the far right of the Bashas’ shopping center.

Bill Papadopoulos has headed up a handful of AutoZone stores over the years and is now managing the Fountain Hills location.

Papadopoulos has worked for the company for 10 years, starting out as a manager in training before moving up to a store manager. He’s run three other AutoZone stores before throwing his hat in the ring to serve as manager at the Fountain Hills location.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Papadopoulos said. “It wasn’t just walking into an existing store and managing it, but actually starting from the ground up, working with a blank slate and going through that whole process.”

For those who have yet to drop by an AutoZone, Papadopoulos said it’s the number-one auto part store in the country, “offering all automotive parts for most vehicles” including alternators, starters, water pumps and the like.

“Because we’re a DIY store, we also have things like wiper blades, wash and wax products, custom upholstery and a multitude of other things for your vehicle,” he continued. “We also offer batteries, free battery testing, free check engine light checks. We’ll install batteries, wiper blades, light bulbs and things like that, too.”

Open for about a month, Papadopoulos said business has been good. The biggest task in these early days has been getting the store organized and staff members trained.

“AutoZone is a customer service orientated business,” Papadopoulos continued. “We take customer service as a very, very high priority on the list. If a customer comes in, we’re there to give our knowledge and experience.”

He added that, while the staff can handle some light installation work, they are not mechanics. They aim to help customers pinpoint issues and can test certain parts, but they do not handle the heavy lifting typically associated with a repair garage.

AutoZone’s business hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 480-333-5980 or go online to autozone.com.