Ernesto Monaco

Ernesto’s Journey: From Southern Italy to an Automotive Parts Legacy

Ernesto immigrated to Canada from Southern Italy in 1951, arriving in Montreal during the difficult post-war economic period. Like many immigrants of his generation, he came to Canada with little more than determination, hope, and a desire to build a better life.

After settling in Montreal separately, Ernesto was reunited with the love of his life, Maria. The couple married in 1952 and went on to build a family, raising three children together.

Although employment opportunities were relatively accessible at the time, Ernesto quickly realized that working for someone else did not satisfy his natural entrepreneurial spirit. He wanted to build something of his own.

After several years of saving, Ernesto took his first step into entrepreneurship in the late 1950s, purchasing a service station with a business partner. It was through this experience that he developed a deeper understanding of the automotive industry and the importance of serving customers well.

In 1960, Ernesto took a defining step in his career: he acquired his automotive parts supplier and founded Jarry Auto Parts. 

What followed was more than six decades of steady growth and expansion. Ernesto built the business around a simple but powerful philosophy: have the right people, maintain strong inventory, provide personal and reliable customer service, invest in the infrastructure needed to support growth, and always remain open to new opportunities.

That vision led to the development of a growing network of stores, warehouses, and businesses across Quebec and Ontario:

• 1967 – Opened the second Montreal store.
• 1971 – Established Jarry Automotive Warehousing, a separate business serving local jobbers.
• 1978 – Opened the third Montreal store.
• 1986 – Established Entrepôt de Montréal.
• 1990 – Expanded into Ontario with World Automotive Warehousing in Toronto.
• 1994 – Further expanded with Regional Automotive Warehousing, serving the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
• 1999–2010 – Continued expansion of stores, warehouses, and supporting infrastructure throughout the Greater Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa-Gatineau markets.
• 2016 – Added Motorcade Industries in Toronto to the growing automotive enterprise.

Behind these milestones was Ernesto’s belief in relationships: relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, business partners, and the communities in which he operated. His entrepreneurial vision was matched by a strong work ethic and a personal commitment to building a business that could endure for generations.

Yet Ernesto’s life was about much more than business.

Alongside his dedication to his work and his family, he was a generous philanthropist with a genuine desire to give back. He also had a deep appreciation for nature, the outdoors, authentic cuisine, and, later in life, golf. These passions reflected the many dimensions of a man who valued both hard work and the enjoyment of life.

For Ernesto, family, work, and the pursuit of a meaningful life were never separate. Together, they formed a life defined by love, entrepreneurship, perseverance, and community.

Perhaps one of the greatest reflections of Ernesto’s legacy is that the work he began continues through his family. His son, Dominic Monaco, remains an integral part of the companies Ernesto built, and Ernesto’s two grandchildren are also actively involved in the family businesses. Together, they represent a new generation carrying forward the values, relationships, and entrepreneurial spirit that Ernesto established more than six decades ago, while continuing to move his vision forward in their own way. His journey—from an immigrant arriving in Canada in 1951 to the founder of a business legacy spanning more than six decades—is a testament to what can be built through vision, determination, and a commitment to people.

Today, Ernesto’s legacy lives on not only through the businesses he founded, but through his family, the people he inspired, and the next generation who continue to build upon the foundation he created.