FAST vs CPRT Comparison

Fastenal opened its first fastener store in 1967 in Winona, Minnesota. Since then, it has greatly expanded its footprint as well as its products and services. Today, Fastenal serves its 400,000 active customers through approximately 1,600 branches, over 2,000 on-site locations, and 15 distribution centers. Since 1993, the company has added other product categories, but fasteners remain its largest category at about 30%-35% of sales. Fastenal also offers customers supply chain solutions, such as vending and vendor-managed inventory.

Based in Dallas, Copart operates an online salvage vehicle auction with operations in 11 countries across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, facilitating over 3.5 million transactions annually. The company utilizes its virtual bidding platform, VB3, to connect vehicle sellers with over 750,000 registered buyers around the world. Buyers primarily consist of vehicle dismantlers, rebuilders, individuals and used vehicle retailers. About 80% of Copart's vehicle volume is supplied by auto insurance companies holding vehicles deemed a total loss. Copart also offers services such as vehicle transportation, storage, title transfer, and salvage value estimation. The company primarily operates on a consignment basis and collects fees based on the vehicle's final selling price.