Automotive

Incoming ARA President & Secretary • The Big Give • Employee-Service Connection
Recycling
Automotive
November-December 2010
Official Publication of the Automotive Recyclers Association
Buying Large
Equipment
Big equipment purchases are easy if you
follow certain steps. There is no better
time than now to leverage current tax
credits to pay for equipment purchases.

Automotive
Recycling
November-December 2010 | Volume 30 Number 6
In This Issue
Columns
President’s Comments | 4
Editor’s Notes | 6
International
Auto Recycling | 51
Final Thoughts | 62
Depar tments
At a Glance | 7
Environmental Recycling, Inc.
ARA Action | 8
Marketing 101 | 10
Insure This | 11
Green Scene | 12
Advice Counts | 13
Lessons Learned | 14
Doing Business | 15
That’s My Opinion | 16
Net Profits | 17
Certified News | 55
Capitol Connection | 58
Crossword Puzzle | 60
Industry Calendar | 61
Advertiser’s Index | 61
Cover: iStockphoto.com/Andy Gehrig
Automotive Recyclers Association
9113 Church Street
Manassas, VA 20110-5456 USA
(571) 208-0428 / (888) 385-1005
Fax (571) 208-0430 / www.a-r-a.org
ARA Leadership
Guard Change 18
Two auto recyclers step into new roles of leadership
in the Automotive Recyclers Association; neither
lacks experience or vision. By Caryn Smith
Special Repor t
Making the Equipment
Commitment 23
Buying large equipment is
easy if you follow certain steps.
And there is no better time than now to leverage recent tax credits
made available for equipment purchases. By Lynn Novelli
Paying for Upgrades 29
You have a large equipment order ready to go, now here are a few smart ways to pay
for it through the Jobs Act 2010. By Mark E. Battersby
Charitable Contributions
The Big Give 33
Generosity runs deep through the people of the
automotive recycling industry. Several companies
share how they serve their communities.
By Caryn Smith
▲
▲
Focus on the Workforce
Is the Grass Really Greener
Men Want it All too 36
Studies are proving that fathers seek to balance
work and family too. With more women taking leadership roles in the auto recycling industry, the
question remains if either one can have it all.
Let’s look at both sides of the fence. By Gayle Vassar Melvin
Employee-Service Connection 42
Employee loyalty can be found in customer service values. By Peter Gurney
Spotlight on Excellence
Eiss Brothers Auto Parts 45
Determination Goes a Long Way. By Caryn Smith
▲
ARA Convention Pictorial
Cowboy Up 49
Photos highlights from the 67th Annual
Automotive Recyclers Association Convention
& Exposition in Austin, Texas.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 3

President’s
Comments
By Doug Reinert, ARA President
Tackling Challenges Head On
Many of you have just returned from Austin, Texas, and helped to make the ARA
67th Annual Convention & Exposition a huge success. Thank you! I would also
like to thank Bill Tolpa for his enthusiastic leadership and promotion of ARA. I will have
to work on my YouTube video production skills to match his ARA and industry updates
delivered in the past year through various electronic media. We are so fortunate to have
Bill, as well as the other past presidents, to help guide us and our industry.
With my acceptance speech complete, I am anxious to begin a great new chapter
in ARA. Every year produces many unplanned issues for our industry to face, but there
are three items that I want to challenge myself and ARA to improve upon in 2011.
The first challenge is the acquisition of salvage. Our industry faces this dilemma in every
type business from the self-service facilities that depend upon ELVs to late model fullservice
operations requiring the availability of total loss vehicles. We all passionately
work hard to invest time and capital into our employees and operations to provide
a GREEN RECYCLED PRODUCT for our communities and consumers. We must continuously
look for opportunities to create a level playing field for those competing
for salvage. We all love a challenge so let’s get after it!
The next challenge is to continue to enhance member benefits. ARA CEO Michael Wilson
and the ARA staff are bringing us programs that will have a minimum 20 to 1 value
for our members. The work, information, and legislative attention that ARA staff
achieves for us far exceed a 20 to 1 value for our dues. However, it is ARA’s intention
to also create a $20 return for every $1 of our money invested in ARA. Programs for
you to take advantage of include Wells Fargo business insurance, First National credit
card processing, APPI energy buyers program, Infotrac and ARA PRO airbag programs,
UniFirst uniforms, and ARA University. We ask you to shop each program.
Opportunities for savings are available, whether the benefit leads you to switch to a
preferred ARA vendor or you are able to negotiate a better deal with your current
program. Please forward any benefit recommendations you have to Kelly@a-r-a.org.
The third challenge involves the ability our forefathers gave us to influence and contribute to
our government. We have the right and privilege to contact our legislators and make
them aware of how their actions can positively or negatively affect our businesses.
ARA’s governmental affairs staff, including Elizabeth Vermette and Betsy Beckwith,
along with Michael Wilson and the Governmental Affairs and State Legislative committees
all work to monitor government activity concerning our industry. ARA continues
to speak on our behalf but only as one voice. As an industry we have tremendous
numbers, and we can make a difference by simply sending a fax, e-mail, or phone call
when asked to by our association. It is our responsibility as citizens, business people,
and employers to make our passion known to our legislatures.
Taking our mission globally, ARA representatives recently attended the 5th International
Round Table (IRT) meeting held in Canada. The meeting consisted of 122
people from eight countries with 26 presentations on auto recycling issues throughout
the world from salvage acquisition and reduction of shredder residue to government
regulation and programs. It was very evident that the issues and challenges that
ARA encourages its staff, officers, regional directors, committees, and members to discuss
not only make a difference in the United States but truly in the world economy.
I look forward to visiting with many of you as I travel this year. Together we can make
a difference as our ARA family grows in numbers.
Proud to be a recycler,
Doug Reinert, ARA President
Officers
PRESIDENT
Doug Reinert
Chuck’s Auto Salvage, Inc.
Douglassville, PA
dougchucks@aim.com
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Randy Reitman
Reitman Auto Parts
Melbourne, KY
randy@reitmanautoparts.com
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER
Chris Wright
Capitol Auto Parts
Thomasville, GA
chris@capitalautoparts.com
SECRETARY
Ed MacDonald
Maritime Auto Salvage, Ltd.
Truro, NS Canada
edmacd@maritimeauto.com
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Bill Tolpa
Tolpa’s Auto Parts
Remsen, NY
bill@tolpa.actual-america.com
ARA Staff
PUBLISHER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Michael E. Wilson
michael@a-r-a.org
DIRECTOR, MEMBER SERVICES
Kelly Badillo
kelly@a-r-a.org
DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Elizabeth Vermette
elizabeth@a-r-a.org
MEETING & EXPOSITION
Kim Glasscock
kim@a-r-a.org
AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING EDITORIAL,
ADVERTISING, DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Caryn Smith
Suko Creative Communications
ARAEditor@comcast.net
For advertising information or to submit
article ideas or member news, e-mail
Caryn Smith at ARAEditor@comcast.net
Or call (239) 225-6137
www.a-r-a.org
AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING (ISSN 1058-9376) is published bi-monthly by the
Automotive Recyclers Association, 9113 Church Street, Manassas, VA 20110-
5456 USA, (571) 208-0428 / (888) 385-1005, Fax: (571) 208-0430, Internet:
www.a-r-a.org. Periodicals postage at Manassas, VA, and additional mailing offices.
Additional member subscription are $15/year. Non-member subscriptions
are $40/year U.S. Non-U.S. mailing address subscriptions are USD$55/year surface
mail or USD$85/year airmail. $20 libraries and non-profits. Copyright ©
2009 ARA. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the publisher. Statements of fact and opinion are
the responsibility of the authors alone and do not necessarily imply any opinion
on the part of the officers, directors, staff, or the members of the Automotive Recyclers
Association. Postmaster: Send change of address to Automotive Recycling
magazine, 9113 Church Street, Manassas, VA 20110-5456 USA
4 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Editor’s Notes
By Caryn Smith ARAEditor@comcast.net
The WOW Factor
Iam now on my way back from the 67th
Annual ARA Convention & Exhibition,
in Austin, Texas, and the one word
that comes to mind is WOW! If the energy
generated at this event could have
been harnessed into electricity, attendees
could have kept Austin powered for the
duration of the convention.
Now, obviously I am an advocate of
ARA, but I speak to a lot of people as part
of my coverage of the event, both vendors
and recyclers. I am speaking from
their perspective here. Everyone I spoke
with was having a great time from beginning
to end. Vendors mentioned over
and over that it was the best show they’ve
participated in as far as booth traffic and
solid leads. One said, “I feel like the real
buyers are here, not just lookers.”
Attendance broke the 1,000 level for
the first time in ten years, and expectations
for 2011’s event (Charlotte, North
Carolina, Oct. 11-15) are extremely high.
Several ARA past presidents have a goal
to recruit attendees in order to break the
1997 attendance record of 1,566.
Launched at the convention, be sure
to check out ARA’s recently redesigned
website. Also keep an eye out in the coming
weeks for even more member savings-benefits
that include major companies
like Fedex, Staples, etc. (See the ARA
convention wrap-up in the January-February
2011 issue.)
For me, the best compliment came
from a non-ARA member convention
attendee who also subscribes to the magazine.
He said very excitedly, “Your magazine
is terrific, it is the only one I read
cover to cover.” I hope you like what we
do as well! If you do, tell your non-ARA
member colleagues to subscribe to
Automotive Recycling. For only $15.00, any
non-ARA member can get a year’s subscription.
Spread the word, this special
offer won’t last long! Then, tell your
favorite vendors to advertise!
As for this issue, articles include interviews
with ARA’s incoming President
and Secretary; how to buy large equipment
and pay for it; balancing family
and work life; customer loyalty; and charitable
contributions.
Overall, it is clear that this industry,
and ARA, is headed towards exciting
times. As always, you can e-mail your
thoughts to ARAEditor@comcast.net. ■
6 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

At a Glance
By Caryn Smith
ASSOCIATE MEMBER
Environmental Recycling, Inc.
In 1993, H.C. Morris saw a window of
opportunity to start a new business processing
scrap. “When laws changed in
Kentucky concerning the disposal of
Freon-containing appliances in landfills,
we saw a business opportunity,” says
Shawn Morris, president of Environmental
Recycling, Inc. (ERI). His father,
H.C. Morris, now vice president, started
the company initially to process these
items for the local Central Kentucky area.
“The business was initially focused on
helping communities set up white goods
recycling drives, where people could
drop off old appliances and metal scrap
at designated locations.”
Together the father-son team has made
ERI the largest contract baling services
provider in the United States with a focus
on the Eastern portion of the country.
ERI is primarily engaged in offering
scrap metal recycling services to private
and public companies; county, city, and
state governments; and in Federal disaster
cleanup efforts in the event of a natural
disaster.
“We handle scrap metal recycling of all
kinds. About 25 percent of our business
is for the automotive recycling industry
for which we bale, haul, and process vehicles
with our mobile balers. Those customers
are scrap metal and U-Pull-It
facilities. When a customer has enough
cars or metals for us, we travel to them
and recycle their material for them. We
currently have machines in Texas,
Oklahoma, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi,
Virginia – it is all spread out,” says Morris.
To work with ERI, the fees are structured
by the ton, or they will buy the
material from a customer at a negotiated
rate.
ERI has plenty of experience processing
the metals. They do their fair share
of the disaster clean-up in the United
States. “After Hurricane Katrina, we did
a majority of the baling of appliances at
“We bale, haul, and process vehicles
with our mobile balers. We travel to clients
and recycle their materials for them.”
the rate of 1,000 tons a day, 7 days a week,
for 3 months straight. We also did work
after Hurricane Ike in Galveston and for
many of the recent Florida Hurricanes,”
Morris comments.
For the automotive recycling industry,
this family-owned business provides valuable
services to facilities that do not have
their own baling equipment or who need
help with extra metal that has accumulated.
They operate a fleet of Al-jon
mobile scrap balers to collect and process
many types of recyclable materials,
including automobiles, white goods, tin,
copper, aluminum, wire, construction or
demolition debris, and steel beams.
Their individual services range from
simply providing a baler at any location
in the United States to bale scrap metal
to providing full processing services,
including handling, separating, torching,
baling, and hauling of the metal.
Ancillary services include Freon recovery
from any Freon-containing appliances or
scrap and fluid-removal from automobiles.
“Depending on each customer’s need,
we can simply provide a baler to bale
scrap autos, or we can offer a full line of
services, including the handling of the
autos in the yard, the removal of fluids
from the vehicles, baling the vehicles,
and the subsequent hauling of the bales
to their next destination. We tailor our
service based on each customer’s need,”
says Morris. “We frequently bale 150 cars
per day for our customers, which often
frees up an enormous amount of space
in the customer’s yard, even if they aren’t
ready to move the bales at that time. This
allows the customer to keep operating
their core business while still holding on
to the metal if they wish.”
To discuss your scrap removal needs,
contact Environmental Recycling, Inc. at
(859) 293-0167 or visit www.envrecycling.
com for more information. ■
Caryn Smith is the editor of Automotive Recycling magazine.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 7

ARA Action
Latest News and Reports from ARA
ARA Calls for New Data
for NHTSA Vehicle Importation
Program
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) governs
the importation of motor vehicles and
motor vehicle equipment subject to the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, bumper,
and theft prevention Standards (FMVSS).
Its focus under this vehicle importation
program, established in 1990, is to both
ensure that vehicles that were not originally
manufactured conform to FMVSS
and to guarantee that nonconforming
vehicles and equipment items imported
on a temporary basis are ultimately
either exported or abandoned to the
United States.
As part of this program, NHTSA has to
collect information on the types of
imported vehicles and parts declared
and filed with the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection. This information collection
process is reviewed periodically
and is open for public comment to
ensure that the data elements gathered
continue to be necessary and relevant to
the program.
ARA took advantage of an opportunity
to comment on this program and
requested that new data elements be
recorded. Specifically, ARA suggested
that NHTSA track the final destination
of imported vehicles designated for salvage
or as total loss and ensure that they
are de-titled and/or processed legally.
ARA further requested that this information,
once collected, should be shared
with the U.S. Department of Justice
– the department in charge of NMVTIS.
In the comments, ARA explained that
it is concerned with the period after
which vehicles defined as salvage or total
loss are imported and registered. ARA
noted that some of these imported salvage
vehicles could end up amongst the
five million total loss/salvage vehicles
sold through auction pools; these pools
are often unregulated, vulnerable to
fraud, and pose a public safety hazard
when vehicles are sold without appropriate
papers, such as titles and accident
histories. ARA encouraged NHTSA to
track these vehicles so that the vehicle
importation program can better ensure
the proper and safe handling of imported
vehicles.
ARA PAC Update
The ARA PAC contributed to two campaigns this
election cycle – Pat Toomey’s campaign for U.S.
Senate in Pennsylvania and Nathan Deal’s campaign
for Governor in Georgia. Both won in the November
2nd election.
Top right: U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey, second from left, discusses issues with auto recyclers at an election campaign event. Bottom left: Auto recyclers
and ARA representatives stand with Toomey for a photo at a rally in Pennsylvania, and bottom right, incoming ARA President Doug Reinert, right, poses with
his family and Toomey at the event.
8 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

ARA Comments on EPA
Strategic Plan
In its comments to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) on the
Agency’s five-year strategic plan for
2011-2015, ARA highlighted current
industry-led pollution prevention/environmental
stewardship programs and
offered descriptions of how individual
automotive recyclers are crucial members
of healthy communities. The ARA
believes that this stated commitment to
the environment provides the membership
with a unique perspective to
offer to EPA.
After a careful review of the draft
plan and several conversations with
other interested industries, ARA
believes that EPA should include the
following seven recommendations in
its final strategic plan:
■ Expand the conversation of environmentalism
through partnerships
with relevant industries;
■ Continue to support compliance
assistance centers;
■ Increase commitment to education,
certification, and established Best
Management Practices in environmentally
challenging industries/practices;
■ Assign a lower inspection/audit
priority to those entities who submit to
a regular third-party certification process;
■ Strengthen its workforce capabilities
and work more closely with the
Department of Justice (DOJ) to allow
for direct bulk reporting to NMVTIS;
■ Endorse and recognize those initiatives
designed to combat fraudulent
practices and unregulated purchasing
at salvage pools; and
■ Develop partnerships with countries
interested in green communities
and in appropriate trade practices.
ARA will continue to work with EPA
through its strategic plan and other
avenues to ensure that the Agency supports
and recognizes those industries
that expand the conversation of environmentalism,
adapt innovative management
methods, and develop international
partnerships.
ARA and AAA Auto Salvage
Host Consumer Summit in
Minneapolis
ARA and AAA Auto Salvage hosted a
meeting for representatives of
national consumer advocacy groups and
state consumer affair’s offices at the AAA
facility in Rosemount, Minnesota.
Attendees were briefed on issues related
to unregulated buyers at salvage
pools, titling, branding, interstate transfers,
and NMVTIS by Howard Nusbaum
from the National Salvage Vehicle
Reporting Program (NSVRP). Attendees
toured the AAA facility and were clearly
impressed with the facility, the scope of
work at the facility and the skill of the
employees. After lunch attendees were
given a presentation by Dwight Howard
on recycled parts, and their role in the
collision repair process, as well as a presentation
on modern repair challenges by
Shawn Collins from AAA Auto Salvage.
Participants left the meeting with a
greater understanding of the challenges
and dangers facing consumers and a
commitment to work with ARA on these
issues. ■
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 9

Marketing 101
By Mike French mike@mikefrench.com
What Does Your Customer See: Knowing This Will Be Profitable to You!
Abig mistake made by many
advertisers is the failure to see
things from the customer’s viewpoint.
What does your customer
really want You might think the
answer is obvious. And you’re
right. The answer of what he
wants may be obvious to him, but
is it obvious to you Sad to say,
business owners rarely think
things through from their customer’s
viewpoint.
In order to sell effectively it is
important to get involved with the
conversation already going on in
the mind of the customer. How
does he see things What moves
him to buy What do you have
that is the answer to the problem
that keeps him awake at night
Knowing the answers to these
questions will help you know how
you should prepare your ads.
I was asked recently by a client
to design and print two separate
mailers, one to reach body shops
and one to reach general repair
shops. The person requesting the two
mailers was told by an expensive consultant
expert that a single mailer would
not do and would be confusing if sent to
both body shops and repair shops. He
was told that two mailers must be
designed, one mailer to show only metal
parts to body shops and one mailer to
show only mechanical parts to general
repair shops.
Doing two separate mailers would be
very expensive compared to doing just
one. There would be two separate
setups, and each printing would be
smaller because they would be going to
only part of the list. Designing and printing
only one mailer would involve only
one setup and the larger combined
printing quantity would make the perpiece
cost less, which would make a big
difference in overall project cost.
What do you see
Probably, if you are like most
recyclers, you see a 2003 Envoy
with lots of great parts to sell.
That’s because you’re looking at
the wrecked vehicle from your
standpoint as a parts seller.
People see what they’re
interested in.
My answer is different than that of the
expert consultant. It’s based on understanding
how the customer sees things.
I’ll give my opinion in a moment, but
before I do, take a few seconds to look
at the photo on this page of a wrecked
vehicle, which is a recent salvage arrival
to ARA member, Airport Auto Parts,
Swanton, Ohio. What do you see
Probably, if you are like most recyclers,
you see a 2003 Envoy with lots of great
parts to sell. That’s because you’re looking
at the wrecked vehicle from your
standpoint as a parts seller.
But, if you were to show the same
photo to a five-year-old child, what would
he see He’d probably say, “Oh, what
happened to that car It’s all messed up!
And look at the tire in the back window
Why is that there” He would only see a
wrecked car with a tire in the back window.
He would never say, “Wow, look at
all the great parts on that Envoy that I
can sell!” It would just never occur to
him to think that way. He is a child, and
he’ll see things as a child sees things,
period.
Now, if you show the same photo to a
body shop man what would he say Well,
he’d say, “That wrecked Envoy has a perfect
front end with lots of perfect metal
parts.” He sees the metal parts because
that’s what he’s used to thinking about
all day long. That’s his perspective.
Finally, if you show the car to a
mechanical repair shop person, he’d say,
“That car is wrecked in the back, it still
has a great engine and tranny.” It’s highly
unlikely that he’d think about the
hood or fenders. He’s a mechanic, and
he’ll think about mechanical parts.
In other words, people see what
they’re interested in. Take a bunch of
teenagers to the beach and the guys will
notice the girls, and the girls will notice
the guys, it’s all common sense and very
important to understand.
Now, my answer about whether you
should do two separate mailers rather
than one is to do only one mailer! If
designed correctly, it will bring excellent
results from both kinds of shops, body
shops and general repair shops. It will be
less expensive, and each type of person
will see what they want to see when they
look at it. If you show a row of wrecked
cars in your ad, body shop people will
see metal and repair people will see
mechanical.
Therefore, always look at your ads
through your client’s eyes and try to see
what they see. This will make your ads
more effective and may also save you
some money! ■
Mike French, president of Mike French &
Company, Inc., can be reached toll free at 800-
238-3934, or visit his company’s Web site at
www.MikeFrench.com.
10 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Insure This
By Wells Fargo
Offerings from Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA,
Inc. – the new ARA-endorsed agent
chosen to be the exclusive representative
to assist ARA members with all of their
business insurance needs – was built in
part on the acquisition of many independent
insurance agencies throughout
the United States.
We have been actively working with
many businesses in your industry for
almost 30 years and with all types of
We Offer More Than Just Insurance!
The new insurance program endorsed by ARA has much more to offer ARA members than
“just insurance.” With over 30 years of experience insuring firms in your industry, we have learned
to look for coverage gaps and “misunderstandings” and how to avoid or eliminate them. However, offering
a superior product being sold by an agency that has over 30 years of experience properly insuring
businesses just like yours is not the only advantage of the new ARA program.
With Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, ARA did not endorse an individual insurance company
to handle the insurance program when they endorsed us at the beginning of 2010. We are not
an insurance company – we are an insurance broker. We represent most of the major insurance
companies in the country as well as many regional insurance companies. Unlike previous programs
that were limited to only having one insurance company program, this means you now have access
to many carriers that routinely write insurance for your industry, including but not limited to Travelers,
Chubb, CNA, General Casualty, Western National, Secura, Allied, Harleysville, Cincinnati, Navigators,
and ACE. We are constantly in discussions with other insurance companies that have
expressed an interest in participating in the program. If one of our companies decides they no
longer want to participate, we have a full complement of companies to fill the void.
Another advantage of the new ARA Program is the size and experience of Wells Fargo Insurance
Services USA, Inc. as well as the diversification of services available to ARA members. We also offer
a wide range of products and services that bring more value to you, such as:
Professional Risk Group – We are experts in the area of Directors and Officers Liability Insurance
and Employment Practices Liability Insurance. It has been our experience that it is not a matter
of “if” you are going to be sued for an employment-related wrongful act, but “when” it will occur.
We have noted that the vast majority of the ARA members we speak with do not have this coverage.
Employee Benefits – We are one of the largest health insurance brokers in the country. We are
answers for the problems small businesses are facing in the area of employee benefits.
Human Resources – We work with businesses like yours every day, and we know most of you do
not have large professional Human Resource departments. Our Employment Law Helpline is a 24-
hour per day telephone service (toll free) staffed by HR professionals whose sole purpose is to answer
your employment-related questions.
Risk Management and Loss Control – Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. is one of the
few brokers nationally that has a “back room” of Risk Management and Loss Control professionals.
These are employees of our company who are trained to provide assistance to our customers in the
areas of safety, loss control, building replacement cost analysis, claims follow-up, and OSHA training.
They are currently working closely with ARA to assist in the development of training modules
for ARA University.
automotive dismantling and recycling
facilities, including those with “U-Pull”
operations, used car sales, salvage operations,
etc.
With direct access to several insurance
carriers that are participating in the program,
Wells Fargo Insurance Services
USA, Inc. is uniquely qualified to bring
ARA members the solutions they seek for
their members efficiently, effectively, and
with the breadth of service their members
need to remain competitive in
today’s business environment.
The professional services they can
provide include but are not limited to:
■ Ergonomic studies in material handling
techniques
■ Evaluation of liability exposures and
potential claims
■ Loss analysis and workers compensation
claims
■ Operating and maintenance procedures
assessment
■ Review of potential property losses
and recommendations
■ Water supply design, testing, and analysis
Specifically, we are prepared to conduct
surveys in the following disciplines:
■ Premises and General Liability
■ Safety and Compliance
■ Security
■ Life Safety and Emergency Evacuation
■ Property and Fire Protection
■ Conduct employee and supervisory
training and general consulting with
regard to the risks specifically associated
with the auto recycling industry.
■ Assess existing safety standards and programs,
including current equipment
conditions, inspection programs, and
to develop acceptable improvements
where necessary.
Wells Fargo Insurance Services’ professionals
know and understand the unique
risks and potential liabilities associated
with the automotive recycling industry.
Additionally, we have over 50 Risk
Control professionals nationwide who
are certified safety inspectors and are
experienced in Loss Control.
Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA
risk consultants will work in partnership
with you and your staff where appropriate
and assist in the development of new
policies and programs where necessary.
Please feel free to contact us at any
time with any of your insurance-related
questions or problems. ■
For more information on how Wells Fargo Insurance
Services can benefit your business,
contact Bill Velin at 800-328-6311, ext. 3039,
direct 952-830-3039, or e-mail bill.velin@wells
fargo.com.
For more information, visit https://secure.mybenergy.com/login/
processlogin.aspusername=arainsurance&password=ara.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 11

Green Scene
By Mike James mjames@jamesenvironmental.com
Connecting the Salvage License to the Storm Water Permit: A Growing Trend
To level the playing field,
many states are turning
to a more clever method of
increasing equality and
fairness in the regulations,
at least for the auto
recycler, by the linking
of the Salvage License to
the Storm Water Permit
and other permits.
One of the single most common complaints
that we hear from recyclers
about environmental regulation in this
industry is that the guy at the yard down
the street, who has never done anything
to comply with the regulations, never
seems to get inspected. People wonder
what the point is of investing energy,
time, and money into complying with the
regulations when there are so many others
who don’t bother. The fact is that, in
most states, agencies simply do not have
the resources to go out regularly and
inspect every facility and typically the
agencies inspect based on complaints.
The result of this is that responsible, compliant
facility operators feel slighted as
though they are the only facilities that
ever get visited by the inspectors.
The state governments are aware of the
problems that this creates for the recyclers
and for the environment, and they
are beginning to respond in different
ways. In some states, they are stepping up
enforcement, and city governments are
following in kind. The city of Phoenix,
for example, has declared that they plan
to inspect every auto recycling and scrap
facility within ½ mile of the Salt River
every year. Several facilities in Houston
have contacted us recently about surprise
inspections.*
Warnings for violations noted during
inspections are getting scarcer, while
fines are on the rise. Whether the violation
was based on not having taken a
sample or simply improper documentation
of sampling, they are handing out
fines on a regular basis these days. However,
many states are turning to a more
clever method of increasing equality and
fairness in the regulations, at least for the
auto recycler, by the linking of the Salvage
License** to the Storm Water Permit
and other permits.
The idea behind this connection is that
it levels the playing field, so to speak. In
order to get a salvage license (which is
not issued by the environmental agency)
you must provide proof that you have a
current, valid stormwater permit. In some
states, proof of a Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Plans is also required. Without
the salvage license, you cannot, in most
states, sell used auto parts or purchase
vehicles from auctions. While this regulation
may seem like a big inconvenience,
it is the most successful way for states to
address the fairness concerns of the compliant
auto recycler. The owner of the
auto salvage yard down the street may
decide not to get a stormwater permit,
but under this regulation they would no
longer be able to sell parts or buy cars and
are subject to enforcement by agencies
other than the environmental agencies.
Technically, most states require compliance
with environmental laws as a condition
of the salvage license, but so far
only a handful of states have begun to
require proof. Wisconsin linked the
stormwater permit to the salvage license
as far back as 2000. Since then, California,
New Mexico, Virginia, and most
recently, Texas have followed, and the
idea is on the table in several other states.
The point is that this is a growing trend
and one to which auto recyclers will need
to pay attention in the coming years. ■
*A list of common findings by state environmental
inspectors can be found in the
September issue of the James Environmental
Management newsletter, The Environmental
Guide.
**The term “Salvage License” may not be
used in all states. In some states, it may be
known as a Salvage Buyer License, a Vehicle
Dismantler License, a Used Automotive Parts
Recycling License, or by other names, depending
on the state in which a business operates.
With over 25 years experience in pollution prevention,
Mike James, President of James Environmental
Management, Inc., specializes in
environmental compliance assurance and
serves over 1,200 facilities in the Unites States.
12 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Advice Counts
By Jim Counts jimcount@wans.net
Are You Chasing Sales
Ithink everyone can agree that a sale
without profits is a bad thing. However,
most recyclers are constantly trying
to get more sales without buying more
inventory. This is what I call “Chasing
Sales.” On the surface this sounds like a
good idea as long as you don’t measure
the cost of getting these sales.
While many decisions are based on
feelings, the facts tell the real story. Let’s
see what a few facts can tell us. Very few
recyclers can sell a part without using $50
in overhead to make the sale. Now consider
that an extraordinary low cost of
goods would be $30 per $100 of sales and
we discover that even these exceptionally
few with almost unheard of expense
control do not make a profit on sales of
less than $80. Then ask yourself how
much advertising it takes to get these
extra sales that don’t make money. Now
you should understand what I have been
preaching for years – low end sales often
keep us from growing.
One of the current fads, in my opinion,
is chasing sales on eBay. Up to a few
months ago LKQ, who has the largest
inventory in the United States, was selling
about 1 million dollars worth of parts
on eBay every month. Now before you
fall over drooling, consider that this company
does 2 billion dollars in sales per
year. Do the math. All the programming,
pictures, and sales efforts they have put
into selling on eBay has only produced
a 6 tenths of one percent (.6%) increase
in sales. You can bid one additional large
salvage pool each week and lower your
cost of goods by that much with almost no
additional cost.
Now consider that LKQ’s eBay sales
have dropped to about $500,000 per
month in sales. This means all their
efforts on the largest inventory in the
United States has now dropped by half to
three-tenths of one percent of sales
(.3%). So why would this happen when
the economy is quite bad and people are
driving less and keeping their vehicles
longer
I have a theory that is based on some
figures and not just feelings. Used parts
sales make up about 9% of the auto and
truck parts sales nationwide. Of that,
body shops and garages make up about
70% or 6.3% of the 9%, which leaves
2.7% as retail or end users. Now let’s consider
that body shops and garages are not
likely to be on eBay looking for parts. So
we are left with the 2.7%.
We bring up the issues
and evaluate them and
state what we find.
Let’s take a minute to think about who
these people are. I think you know or
have at least dealt with these customers.
Exactly how many of them do you think
have a computer with Internet access and
know how to search for auto parts on
eBay Use your own estimate.
My point is there is a very limited number
of people who will even consider buying
our parts, and of those, very few are
likely to be on eBay looking for them.
Now obviously there are a good number
or LKQ could not sell one million dollars
worth a month.
So back to my theory. With this limited
customer base, eBay worked quite well as
long as there was a very limited number
of people listing parts there. However,
just over a year ago, Hollander announced
an agreement with eBay that allows
their customers to list their inventories
on eBay electronically. This of course
greatly increased the supply or availability
of used parts while the demand remained
almost constant. Result, LKQ is
now selling ½ of what they were selling
previously. I believe logic and numbers
indicate that the more people who list
their parts the smaller the sales per recycler
will be. The pie simply got split several
hundred more ways.
The next thing to consider is what the
average sale on eBay amounts to. One
recycler who is very proud of his eBay
sales told me his average sale was $70 to
$80. (Please refer back to paragraph 2 of
this article). Consider that the sale fee on
these parts is about 17%. (Would everyone
who has a net profit of more that
15% please stand For that matter would
everyone with a net profit of more than
10% please stand) How do you make
money when you pay more than your
profit percentage in commissions
Now, I’m not picking on Hollander.
They just provided what recyclers ask for.
I’m afraid those recyclers thought there
was infinite customer demand on the
Internet. I wonder if they were chasing
sales without evaluating the marketplace
or realizing what the increased supply
would do to sales.
So what do we see now Other inventory
management systems are now
spending invaluable programming time
modifying their systems so their clients
can push their parts up on eBay so we
can split the pie even more.
By the way, there are other ways recyclers
spend time and money chasing sales
without any consideration of how or
whether they will be profitable. We are
constantly pointing these out to our customers
and helping them convert their
efforts to more profitable sales. Recyclers
who use our sales and purchases evaluation
systems know they already sell everything
they buy. You know them; they are
the people who keep outbidding you at
the auction.
As always these are just my opinions.
But then I have been rocking the boat in
this industry for over 20 years, and I think
our track record speaks for itself. If we
were wrong too often we would have
gone out of business like all the other
people who have tried consulting for
auto and truck recyclers.
We bring up the issues and evaluate
them and state what we find. You, of
course, have the option of agreeing or
not. ■
Jim Counts, Counts Consulting Ltd., provides
organizational and financial development for
dismantlers. He can be reached at 817-238-
9991 or visit www.countsconsulting.com.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 13

Lessons Learned
By Ginny Whelan ginny@araeducation.com
Rethinking
Let’s rethink conventional wisdom to
make sure each department in your
automotive recycling business operates
efficiently. Developments in automotive
technology must be balanced with
today’s workforce skills. It is possible to
create much higher levels of customer
satisfaction and drive more repair completion
with some changes.
Customers are responding at different
speeds to the accelerated changes in the
automotive recycled parts industry. What
will the customer buy Where will we get
the inventory to meet their demands If
you have the answer to both of these
questions, you can clearly define a more
profitable operation. But one question
that defines efficiency and profit is: who
will work for us
At a recent business conference, a
panel of automotive repairers discussed
the trends in vehicle repair and parts supplies.
The focus on identifying and
understanding the unique need of multiple
repairs and parts requires new intelligence
and tools.
With rapid changes in vehicle technology,
the repairer job has evolved from
being purely mechanical to including
electronic technology. Because today’s
vehicles possess complex computer and
electronic systems, repairers need to
have a broader base of knowledge than
in the past. The term mechanic is being
replaced with automotive service technician.
Service technicians with extensive training
and special tools will be able to fix the
new systems. A broader base of knowledge
and extensive training is imperative
for the future. And, automotive recyclers
are facing the same accelerated technology
environment that their service customers
are facing.
The automotive recycling market is in
a long-term green parts mode. Recyclers
should view their operations for the
longer term. It’s a challenging market,
but with adversity, there is opportunity.
Opportunities
ARA University’s (ARAU)mission is to
be what its tagline promises: “smart training”
for our members and for the industry
as a whole. ARA and the ARA Educational
Foundation (ARAEF) offer many
different services and programs for excellent
training and education – our challenge
is to clearly communicate about
these resources so that auto recyclers utilize
them to find solutions to their business
challenges.
The ARAEF communicates our many
offerings through ARA University, which
lists and delivers the array of training
options in a cohesive way through the
online Learning Center. We’ve invested
in state-of-the-art technology and trained
our people in new disciplines so they are
able to pass on the tools to succeed.
Awareness
Our primary objective, among all ARA
members, is to increase awareness of the
depth of resources and benefits available
as part of their membership in ARA and
ARAU. While we inform recyclers about
what ARA is accomplishing and provide
them with useful tips and tools they can
use to improve their operations, recyclers
are bombarded with communications so
it’s a challenge, even for ARA, to break
through that clutter and help recyclers
take advantage of what’s available.
Our continuing focus is the enhancement
of ARA University. Launched in
2007, additions to ARAU have significantly
expanded the education and training
resources available to auto recyclers.
Now, with an all-new online learning
management platform which computerizes
the delivery, administration, documentation,
tracking, and reporting of
training programs, auto recyclers have
one source to find online training, obtain
the driven management guides, and
track the progress of their employees’
professional development.
ARAU is in the unique position to
bring auto recyclers and automotive
recycling clients the most up-to-date and
comprehensive data and information
needed to run a successful operation. As
the industry continues to turn around,
we have the opportunity to build something
that is really great.
Now is the best time for recyclers to
refocus their teams on growth and to
ensure they have the knowledge, skills,
and confidence to seize growth opportunities.
ARA University industry experts
interact daily with all levels of staff and
provide the real-world, practical solutions
needed to increase job performance.
Challenges
Managing growth, staying focused on
fundamentals and embracing change is
a balancing act. Yet, the most important
thing we can do is make a personal connection
with people. For ARA, while
ensuring that our members are aware of
the tools and resources available, we also
need to remember that our relationship
with members, allied industries, and
OEMs must be focused on their needs.
We can help recyclers in today’s economy
to anticipate needed changes, adapt
their processes, and innovate to find new
opportunities. With ARAEF’s business
model of continuous improvement and
sharp new curriculum taught by talented
instructors, we can help recyclers in this
challenging time.
ARAU is the industy standard-setting
management tool to train people in new
disciplines and new approaches and outof-the-box
thinking. Once auto recyclers
enroll at ARAU, they are able to see an
array of solutions to their challenges.
Enroll at www.arauniversity.org. ■
Ginny Whelan, an ARA Past President, is Managing
Director of the ARA Educational Foundation
and founder of the ARA University, the
leading Web-based training resource in auto recycling
education. Visit www.arauniversity.org.
14 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Doing Business
By Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. rwarticles@bellsouth.net
Change Please
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not
exist in nature, nor do the children of men as
a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no
safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
– Helen Keller
These are the words of the woman who
became the poster child for overcoming
adversity, a woman who was isolated
into the two-dimensional world of
touch and smell at the age of 19 months
because of an illness and yet went on to
inspire millions around the world.
Sightless and deaf, Helen Keller resolved
to make something of her life. She lived
with a keen understanding that change
is inevitable, but growth is intentional.
Unwilling to give in to her blindness, she
chose to strive for a normal life.
Motivation is all about motion or
movement. In other words, if you are
comfortable, if you are happy and content,
then you do not move. You do not
change. Why would you On the other
hand, if you are uncomfortable, if you’re
unhappy, then you want to change. You
want to move back toward your comfort
zone.
There are millions of motivators in the
world and all of us at any one time are
being motivated by a dozen or more:
hunger, safety, wealth, love, enlightenment
to name just a few.
Interestingly, you can take all those
motivators and boil them down to a variation
of two basic emotions: fear and
desire. You are either moving toward
something you desire; or you are moving
away from something you fear.
Fear, however, can become paralyzing
and will keep us stuck there because we
fear the perceived discomfort that comes
with change. We fear that change could
open a Pandora’s Box of more and scarier
changes. I’ve seen this play out in business
all too often.
I know a small business owner who
watched his business shrink in the recent
recession. His self-esteem is closely tied to
his success, and his falling income triggered
fears of inadequacy. Frozen by fear
into doing the same thing over and over
again and expecting different results, he
has not adapted to the changes going on
in his market.
Helen Keller once again has wise
words for such situations, “When one
door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often we look so long at the closed
door that we do not see the one which
has been opened for us.”
For small business owners, a recession
is a great time to try out a new idea or
innovation. It attracts renewed interest in
the business and can even create new customers
and open new markets.
The trick is getting comfortable with
change a little at a time. Low-risk changes
will generate immediate rewards. To get
going, start engaging in simple changes
in your personal habits first. Here are a
few you can make that will help you get
into a habit of adapting to change:
If you drink coffee every day, switch to
tea for a week. If you always listen to rock
music on the radio, switch to country, jazz,
or classical for a week. Rearrange one
piece of furniture in your house. Read a
section of the newspaper that you’ve
never read before. Take a continuing education
class in a subject not related to your
career. Taste an ethnic food that you’ve
never tried before, or as an alternative
revisit a food you think you hate.
When you see yourself getting comfortable
with a few small personal
changes take it step further, try making a
few positive changes in your business and
see what happens. ■
Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational
speaker and humorist. He helps companies be
more competitive and people to think like innovators.
See www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.
“When one door of
happiness closes,
another opens; but often
we look so long at the
closed door that we do
not see the one which
has been opened for us.”
– Helen Keller
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 15

That’s My Opinion
By Ron Sturgeon rons@rdsinvestments.com
Getting to YES with Your Banker
iStockphoto.com/kutay tanir
No matter how much
or how little experience
you have with bankers,
you need to be proactive
in making sure that you
can get the lines of credit
and capital that you need.
For entrepreneurs looking to borrow,
the road to YES is more difficult than
ever and sometimes seemingly impossible.
I recently spoke at two conventions
on the topic of how we, as entrepreneurs,
can create the right kinds of relationships
with bankers to borrow when we need to.
Here’s a sampling of some of the
advice that I gave those attendees.
Lines of Credit – You may think you
have one, but in many cases when you go
to draw on it, you may find that it isn’t
“open” and getting it open requires additional
underwriting. If you aren’t sure, call
and get a small advance on it just to see!
Maturities on Lines Of Credit (LOC)
– If your line is open, it still may be up
for renewal. Typically, a LOC must be
renewed every 12 months. Once-routine
renewals are now being scrutinized. If
yours matures in the next year, call now
to learn what to expect. Ask your banker
for a 2-year maturity.
Advance rates on borrowing base – If
you have a borrowing base, the advance
rates are likely to decline at the next
renewal. So, if you used to be able to borrow
65 percent on your 60-day and newer
receivables, you may find the percentage
dropping or the terms getting tighter,
perhaps only to 30- day receivables.
Community banks vs. money center
banks – I am a huge advocate of entrepreneurs
creating banking relationships
at community banks. You’re only a number
at a money center bank. You should
be shopping for a community bank well
in advance of maturities.
I’ve been blessed with a lot of experience
with bankers. I’ve made my share of
mistakes and learned from them. As a
result, few people have borrowed more
on scrap and junk cars than I have. At
GreenLeaf and Schnitzer Industries, I
dealt with asset-based lenders and venture
capitalists.
Many in our industry tend to be conservative
about borrowing. In the present
conditions, they are shocked to find out
they can’t borrow or that the barriers to
YES are much higher than they were a
few years ago.
No matter how much or how little
experience you have with bankers, you
need to be proactive in making sure that
you can get the lines of credit and capital
that you need.
Because many of the questions in my
small business consulting practice relate
to working with bankers, I teamed up
with a community banker to write a book
to help you get the most from working
with your banker. My new book, Getting
To Yes With Your Banker, is packed with
tips, secrets, and traps to avoid on getting
your business funded as well as personal
tips on managing your credit.
Visit my website, www.GettingToYes
WithYourBanker.com, for more information.
Remember only you can make
business GREAT! ■
Since 2001, great ideas to improve your auto
recycling business have been found on Ron’s
website, www.autosalvageconsultant.com, the
definitive source for recyclers’ management
and training needs.
16 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Net Profits
By Dr. Peter J. Meyers peter@usereffect.com
Browserless Browsing: Apps and Actions
EJ ust veryone when you text think you have your web
search results figured out, things
change. text Web surfers these days are beginning
to bypass traditional Search Engine
Results endit. Pages ■ (SERPs) and are leaving
the browser completely behind. Much of
this has to do with advances in mobile
devices, which are becoming viable alternatives
for accessing information, but the
growth of IM, SMS, micro-blogging, and
other messaging platforms are also providing
unique venues for online actions.
Mobile Applications (apps)
I’ll try not to bore you with my iPhone
obsession, but Apple has turned mobile
applications from an interesting curiosity
into a viable market force. Although
the iPhone comes with a fully-functional
version of Apple’s Safari web browser,
many apps allow direct access to specific
information in a much easier-to-access
format. Consider the built-in weather
and 3rd-party Showtimes apps below:
If I want a weather report now, I can:
(1) turn on the Weather Channel and
wait for “Local on the 8s,” (2) fire up the
browser, go to my Weather.com bookmark,
and click through to the appropriate
city, or (3) pull up the iPhone
weather app in just two clicks. Whereas
mobile web access used to just be something
you used when you were away from
a computer, I find myself using mobile
apps even when I’m sitting next to my
desktop and laptop. This shift has profound
implications, and we’ve only seen
the tip of the iceberg.
Direct Actions and Txtful apps
Commerce has changed quite a bit in
the last century. There was a time you had
to physically go to a store to buy something
(or even do product research), but
then along came catalogs and phone
ordering. And then the web. Online
Search is Changing. Are You
There have been a lot of changes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – or the process of improving
the visibility of a website or a webpage in search engines – over the past couple of years. Should you
drop everything and become an expert in local search, mobile search, social networking, Mozilla Ubiquity,
Google Chrome, etc. In a word, no. But here are a few scenarios where you need to start adapting:
You’re a Local Business: Google Maps and the OneBox have changed the local search market dramatically,
and advances in mobile search have only accelerated those changes. If you are a local business,
you need to understand how local SEO is changing, and you need to do it now.
Your Customers are Mobile: If your customers are mobile search users or your product/service is
a good fit for the mobile market, it’s time to start evaluating the costs and benefits.
Competitors are Early Adopters: If your competitors have deep pockets or are typically early
adopters of new technology, you may risk losing out on new sources of traffic if you don’t change.
When You Should Wait
Financial Risks are High: Don’t let the allure of an untested technology or potential traffic source
make you throw away your money.
Customer Loyalty is High: As the saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Some sites have fiercely
loyal customers, which is great, but those customers can be resistant to change, especially if it disrupts
their normal ways of doings things. If you explore new ways of getting customers to find you, make sure
you don’t alienate your existing users.
Why Wait: Even if your industry isn’t a perfect fit for one of the new search technologies, if the risks
are low, why wait Being an early adopter and creating a new source of traffic may very likely turn out
to be a competitive advantage. Weigh the costs, but changes can present profitable opportunities.
shopping is a huge step, but using a company
website still shares something in
common with stores and phone ordering:
you have to seek out the company.
In this day of IM, SMS, e-mail, social
networks, and online payment processing,
why do I have to go to an e-commerce
website, find a product, add it to
my cart, and fill out a form Shouldn’t I
be able to take direct action in any way
that’s convenient to me This is the question
that starts-ups like Txtful are starting
to ask. With Txtful you can set up an
account with your favorite vendors and
then send simple actions, such as Netflix
Star Wars.
With three words, you’ve bypassed the
browser completely. Given the explosion
of mobile platforms, I expect this is only
the beginning of the direct-action revolution.
Txtful already allows you to add
items to your Peapod shopping cart, buy
a book from Amazon.com, and order a
sandwich at Potbelly, just to name a few.
Predictions and Implications
Of course, none of this heralds the
death of the browser, especially not any
time soon, but I do think that we’re
going to see more and more diversification
of how we access online information.
If checking the weather on my iPhone is
easier than checking it on the TV or PC,
I’m going to start wondering what else
might be easier and explore those
options. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of
the innovation in the next five years will
be driven by mobile devices. I think we’re
also facing the reality that each next generation
of the browser market will have
more bells and whistles than major functional
innovation. Look for real innovation
to happen beyond the desktop. ■
Dr. Peter J. Meyers, President of User Effect,
www.usereffect.com, works directly with businesses
to understand their goals and improve
their online return on investment.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 17

ARA LEADERSHIP
Two auto recyclers step into
new roles of leadership in
the Automotive Recyclers
Association; neither lacks
experience or vision.
By Caryn Smith
Getting to Know
Doug Reinert
ARA 2010-2011 President
Chuck’s Auto Salvage, Inc.
Dean Carr
When talking with Doug Reinert, you
can tell what drives him because he will
tell you straight up it is family.
“My family inspires me, having them
involved in the business,” Reinert says. “I push
myself to make them proud, and I am proud
to have them in the business.”
In fact, Doug’s parents, Chuck and Lois
Reinert, started Chuck’s Auto Salvage, Inc. in
1972 as a 24-hour towing and repair shop, with
the recycled parts business evolving and the
repair and towing business fading through the
years.
“My brother J.R. and I grew up in the business,”
Reinert said. “We went in different
directions for a while and I returned in 1989
to help Dad build the business.” Eventually,
Chuck Reinert retired and Doug became president.
J.R. returned in July of 2008. “It is a
breath of fresh air to have him back as general
manager,” Reinert says. Chuck’s Auto
Salvage is a full-service operation on seven
acres, and the tradition continues as Reinert’s
wife, Marianne, is involved in the business
along with their three young sons now being
raised in the business.
Reinert’s industry involvement was greatly
18 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

encouraged by his family. In fact, he credits his parents
as the biggest influence in his journey through
auto recycling. “They both have been in the recycling
business for over 35 years and each has taught me so
much on so many levels,” he says. “They are responsible
for exposing me to ARA and PARTS, our state
association, encouraging me to get involved in both.
“Growing up watching my dad start the business on
an empty lot, he had the foresight to get involved in
state and national associations. After only four years
in the business, in the 70s he traveled to Texas for his
first ARA convention with a thirst for knowledge. I
watched him bounce ideas off others at the industry
meetings. Because of that, I have been exposed to and
become part of this ARA family with opportunities to
watch and form relationships with successful people
in the industry.
“What motivates me the most is meeting people who
are motivated to be in this industry.
Everyone has their own passion in
their own business, a different driving
force, although they have the
same goal. It is invigorating.”
As ARA’s new President, Reinert’s
goals for his year at the helm are
expressed best in his acceptance
speech. Here are excerpts from it:
“I want to thank everyone for the
support I have received from the
time of my nomination as ARA
Secretary through to my new role as
ARA President. I will continue to promote our green
part industry and ARA industry positions to our members,
non-members, legislatures, consumers, and the
media.
“As many of you know, ARA traveled to Quebec
City, Canada, for the 5th International Round Table
(IRT) meeting in September. The group consisted of
122 people from eight countries with 26 presentations
on auto recycling issues throughout the world
from salvage acquisition, reduction of shredder
residue, to government regulation and programs.
The issues and challenges that ARA tackles not only
make a difference in the United States but truly in the
world economy.
“In the next year, I plan to focus my attention on
the following issues.
“First is the acquisition of salvage. We are all, in varying
degrees, battling the problem of acquiring total
loss and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). One of the challenges
we face stems from how ELVs can be acquired
by almost anyone who has interest in them rather
than those who can responsibly handle the vehicles,
Everyone has
their own passion
in their own
business, a different
driving force,
although they have
the same goal.
It is invigorating.
fluids, by-products, and proper paperwork. This is not
just a problem in the United States as was made clear
at the IRT meeting.
“There is no magic wand or a specific dollar
amount to help improve the current landscape, but
as an industry we are passionate about our businesses
and don’t mind getting our hands dirty. We will be
working hard to find steps to develop a more level
playing field. We don’t mind competition, we just
would like an opportunity to compete with an entity
or person who has similar economic and environmental
responsibilities to process ELVS and total loss
vehicles.
“Along with ARA’s Salvage Taskforce, the Executive
Committee and I will work to provide better opportunities
for our industry. We cannot do this without
your help. We want your ideas, and for you to make
us aware of any abuses that you may witness.
“We all passionately invest time
and capital into our employees
and operations to produce a green
recycled product for our communities
and consumers. A friend of
mine said to me: EMBRACE DIF-
FICULTY – the FEAR OF IT
SOLVES NOTHING. We all love a
challenge and with salvage acquisition,
we have one!
“My next focus is to continue to
enhance member benefits. ARA’s
CEO Michael Wilson and the ARA
staff are creating programs that will have a minimum
20 to 1 value for our members. While the work, information,
and legislative attention that the ARA staff
currently achieves exceed a 20 to 1 value for our dues,
it is ARA’s intention to create a minimum $20 return
for every $1 of our money invested in ARA.
“Programs for members to take advantage of
include Wells Fargo Insurance Services business insurance,
First National Merchant Solutions credit card
processing, APPI energy buyers program, Infotrac and
ARA PRO airbag programs, UniFirst uniforms, and
ARA University, among others. We are in negotiations
to add even more new programs in the coming weeks.
“I encourage you to shop each program. You may
be surprised what opportunities for savings are available.
If you have a great program already in place,
make us aware of it – we may be able to make it available
to your fellow members.
“The third challenge involves the ability our forefathers
gave us to influence and contribute to our government.
We have the right and privilege to contact
our legislators and make them aware of how their
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 19

ARA LEADERSHIP
actions can positively or negatively affect our businesses
worldwide. ARA’s governmental affairs staff
and the Governmental Affairs and State Legislative
committees all work to monitor government activity
concerning our industry. ARA speaks on our behalf,
but only as one voice.
“Wouldn’t it be powerful if within a short time after
an issue is recognized that we all notify our legislative
contact immediately and make them aware of how it
affects us. It is our responsibility as citizens, business
people, parents, and employers to make our passion
known to our legislatures. Our industry has tremendous
numbers, and we can make a difference by simply
sending a fax, e-mail, or making a phone call
when asked by our Association. ARA will continue to
have very important issues to comment on, and I challenge
each one of you to make your thoughts heard
when called upon to do so.
“When we are faced with an industry issue that
needs industry attention, we need to include everyone
possible to protect our industry. I recommend
that each of you create an e-mail group list that
includes both member and non-member facilities
you deal with. Use this list to forward important articles,
especially ARA Action Items, to all facilities you
know. At the end of the year, you may have inspired
a few members to become more engaged or added
one more new member to your Association.
“We have an amazing opportunity to continue to
mold not only our businesses but our industry, and I
look forward to working with ARA Staff, the Executive
Committee, Past Presidents, our committees, and all
of you this coming year. Only with your help can the
Association gather the momentum to encourage new
members, influence legislation, enhance member
benefits, and improve the salvage dilemma.”
Getting to Know
Ed MacDonald
ARA 2010-2011 Secretary
Maritime Auto Salvage, Ltd.
I am
passionate
about
growing the
recycling
industry
worldwide.
Ed MacDonald comes to the Automotive Recyclers
Association with experience, and not just a little.
Among his most notable accomplishments is that
he is a founding member and an honorary lifetime
member of the Automotive Recyclers of Canada
(ARC). He has been president of the organization
three times, totaling twelve years in all. MacDonald has
achieved other numerous industry awards and distinctions
during his twenty-plus years in the industry.
He is married to Lana, an equal partner in their fullservice
automotive recycling business, Maritime Auto
Salvage, Glenholme, Nova Scotia, Canada, and they
have three grown children. Ed and Lana purchased
Maritime Auto Salvage in 1988. (See the May-June
2010 issue of Automotive Recycling magazine, page 10,
for more on Mr. MacDonald.)
While taking on a new role as ARA’s incoming
Secretary, this is merely a continuation of MacDonald’s
ongoing work that he has cultivated throughout the
years. As a leader, MacDonald is a futurist and a
thinker with a global vision. His personal goals for
the industry include developing “a new protocol with
world recycling organizations within countries in
order to speak to the degree possible as one united
voice, while at the same time respecting the individuality
and uniqueness that each country brings to the
table. Perhaps this is the new way of thinking in order
that there is truly world representation and continuity.”
He accurately considers himself a “facilitator, mentor,
protector, and a driving force for all that is positive
in our industry.”
Dean Carr
20 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

In his role as ARA Secretary, MacDonald says, “Since
the position is a progression to the presidency, I am
here to observe, learn, and integrate. I feel strongly,
however, that we must work hard at developing a
global movement to enshrine professional automotive
recycling into the mainstream of society so that
the public, the insurance industry, and more importantly,
the manufacturers of the automobile recognize
the crucial role we play in each one. I am
passionate about the importance of nurturing and
growing the recycling industry worldwide, and this
can be achieved by developing stronger bonds with
the various associations within North America and
most certainly around the world.”
Within the realm of his industry experience,
MacDonald is witnessing that auto recycling is
changing to a global industry rather than smaller
individualistic and regional providers. “We have
larger multi-disciplined organizations realizing the
potential and profitability of our industry,” he says,
“so we have grown from a group of small individual
companies into a premier industry. We must
direct our energies to convince, and yes, prove to
the legislators, the public, and other related industries
that we are the necessary ‘go to’ business when
society needs effective environmental automotive
recycling.”
As for a source of personal inspiration to him in
the industry, MacDonald says, “I am inspired by many
people on a daily basis, but I am in awe over the
sheer dedication of many people in the industry,
especially the staff members who I have worked with
over the years. It goes from inspired to being thankful
and certainly appreciative of their support.
“I was inspired to come into the business by Alvan
and Allan Aumont – the twins from Anprior Auto
Parts, outside Ottawa, Canada, who remain dear
friends to this day. They are hard-working principled
people, true automotive recyclers. And then there is
Steve Fletcher, Managing Director of the Automotive
Recyclers of Canada. He is the true ‘wizard.’ I am
overwhelmed with his dedication and skills.”
Beginning his five-year term with the ARA, it will
be interesting to see where the industry is in 2015. If
MacDonald has his way, automotive recycling will be
a positive household term and a robust and thriving
industry. ■
Caryn Smith is the editor of Automotive Recycling magazine.
Save the Date!
ARA 68th Annual
Convention & Exposition
October 11-15, 2011
Westin Charlotte & Charlotte
Convention Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
2011 ARA Hill Days / Mid-Year Business Development Conference
March 16-18, 2011
Gaylord National • Washington, D.C.
Find out more at www.a-r-a.org • (888) 385-1005
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 21

MAKING THE
Commitment
Buying large equipment is easy if you follow certain steps.
And there is no better time than now to leverage current
tax credits made available for equipment purchases.
By Lynn Novelli
AUTO RECYCLERS AREN’T AFRAID OF
buying – they’re likely to spend
tens of thousands of dollars every
month on inventory – but when
it’s time to make a major equipment
purchase, such as a loader,
forklift, or a baler, that’s a whole
different ballgame. To buy on
impulse is never a good idea and
knowing that there is more to the decision than negotiating
a price is a must. It is crucial to know your company’s
wants and needs, do your research, and know
the right questions to ask. Use the Internet, talk to
salespeople, and check with other ARA members.
“These are major purchases,” says Gerry Krech, a
sales manager with Overbuilt, Huron, South Dakota,
“and it behooves you to do everything you can to
make a good decision.”
ARA member and Regional Director George Sapir followed the right steps
to buying new equipment and is glad he did.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 23

When ARA member
and Regional Director
George Sapir needed to
purchase a new all-wheel
drive articulated loader
for his automotive recycling
facility, Intercity Auto
Wrecking in Bedford,
Ohio, he started by researching
the equipment
available on the market.
“I hadn’t bought heavy
equipment in a while,” he
said, “so I wanted to see
what was out there. You
have to go into the deal
with knowledge.”
Sapir decided early on,
during his research, that
he wanted to purchase a
particular brand of loader
based on his own previous
experience with the
brand plus his confidence
in his local sales representative.
“Even though I
handle imports, I wanted to buy an American product,”
Sapir explains. “The other factor was my positive
experience with the brand, and I knew my rep
was a straight shooter from all the contact I have
had with him over the years.”
Sapir discussed his needs with his sales rep who
recommended a specific truck and named the price.
“I knew that was what I wanted, so I was ready to buy,”
Sapir says. “He offered me either three years interest-free
or six years at 3 percent.” Because Sapir had
a rapport with the sales rep and knew he was trustworthy,
Sapir was ready to sign on the dotted line.
“I don’t believe you as the buyer should try to suck
the last drop of blood from your salesperson,” he
adds. “You’ve got to leave something on the table
so he can make a profit and be able and willing to
service you.” Sapir took the six-year deal. The salesman
helped him sell his old forklift, and a few years
after the sale, Sapir continues to be satisfied with
his decision.
One way to research equipment is at the ARA Annual Convention &
Exposition. Large equipment vendors bring equipment to display
and operate, like OverBuilt (above) and Sellick Equipment Limited
(below) did this year at the Austin, Texas, convention in October.
Due Diligence
Sapir did everything right in making his major
purchase, according to heavy equipment sales reps.
ARA Past President and industry consultant Herb
Lieberman would add one more step to the decision-making
process –
when possible, buy from
an ARA associate member.
“That would be my first
thought once I have decided
I am going to buy,”
Lieberman says. “Knowing
that the company is an
ARA member and supports
the association gives
it instant credibility.” ARA
member companies can
be found in the ARA
Membership Directory or
online at www.a-r-a.org.
Options to research
equipment abound these
days. Most buyers start by
looking on the Internet
where you can access sales
brochures and other literature.
Some companies
even offer DVDs or You-
Tube videos of their
equipment in action.
Narrow down your choices and then contact the
company to talk to a salesperson. Depending on
how you like to do business, you should have the
option of handling everything by phone or meeting
with a salesperson at your facility. Either way, be
prepared with good questions.
Mark Eiss, owner of Eiss Brothers Auto Parts,
Watertown, New York, does research in a few different
ways before he makes a purchase. “We
bought a few pieces of equipment this year – a
loader, another smaller machine, and a telehandler.
I am never satisfied with just talking to a salesperson.
I prefer to talk with fellow recyclers and do
research on the Internet. Also, we are always looking
when we go to conventions and take yard tours.
But my favorite way to research is to visit fellow auto
recyclers. They are always willing to show you their
way of doing things and their equipment. There
is nothing like really seeing it work. Now, what
doesn’t work for them, might work for us. And we
welcome visits from other recyclers, too. The door
is open,” says Eiss.
Although it’s never a good idea to start with
price, that’s what many buyers do, says Adam
Lindley, sales manger with SAS Forks, Luxemburg,
Wisconsin. “Many people shop on price to begin
24 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

with, and that is the completely
wrong place to start,”
he notes. “You need to be
asking questions that will
help you get a better perspective
on what to buy.”
“Ninety-nine percent of
customers who are looking to
make a large purchase such
as a car crusher or log baler,
are very knowledgeable in their fields,” says Dave
VanVleet, Sales Manager, R.M. Johnson Co.,
Annandale, Minnesota. “Price plays a small role in
the decision process. Most are looking for dependability
and service. Our sales team is face-to-face with
the customers at their yards to answer all of their
questions.”
Asking specific questions is the best way to
become informed about the equipment’s available
features, Krech says, so that you and your salesperson
can determine the right match for your business.
“We find that people don’t ask enough questions
about features,” Krech explains. “Consider
Asking specific
questions is the best
way to become
informed about the
the equipment’s
available features.
what you want the equipment
to be able to do, then ask
specifically about features that
can make your operation run
better.”
Getting useful answers to
questions like these means
that the salesperson needs to
not only know his product
but also your business so he
can understand your expectations for production
and the demands you will be placing on the equipment.
If you aren’t totally familiar with the equipment
manufacturer, don’t hesitate to ask about
their experience in the auto recycling industry.
“We want our salespeople to learn the industry
first, what the machines do and why they do it,”
Chad Jackson, remarks Sales Manager of the Nasco
Equipment Company, Elba, Alabama. “Then, as
they build the relationship with the auto recyclers,
our salespeople can fit the right machine to the customer.
In the twelve years I have been with Nasco,
there are some customers who have been repeat
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 25

customers three or four
times already. We know
what a recycler wants to do,
and they look to us to tell
them what they need
based on our many years in
the salvage business. I was
raised around it and even
had my own yard for a little
while.”
Beyond the Basics
Once you’ve started to
firm up your decision, it’s
important to consider the
long-term financial and service impact of the
equipment you are considering, Lindley advises.
“Auto recycling is a severe-duty service environment,
so knowing in advance what to expect in terms of
maintenance, repairs, and failures is important. Ask
about the equipment’s expected service life, what are
the most common repairs, what are the routine
maintenance requirements.”
Equally important, Krech says, is finding out how
service calls are handled. “If you have a problem, you
want to know who to call, who will handle a repair,
and where they are located. Can it be fixed in a timely
manner How quickly can they ship parts”
Asking about parts availability and shipping is particularly
important if the equipment is manufactured
offshore, notes Curt Spry, a sales manager
with Al-jon Manufacturing, Ottumwa, Iowa.
“Not only do we discuss service and the availability
of our parts we have on hand,” says VanVleet, “we
also talk about the parts that can be purchased at
their local parts stores. We also inform them that
our service technicians have a combined 55 years of
experience.”
Don’t be hesitant to ask about value-added services
your salesman can add to the deal, Spry adds.
Free technical support, an extended warranty, or
special financing are all fair game.
When weighing various financing options, “It’s
okay to be conservative,” Sapir says, “because we
never know what’s going to happen with our business.”
Having confidence in your salesperson’s
integrity can go a long way to building your confidence
in a financing program as well, he adds.
In Sapir’s experience, buyers are fairly savvy when
it comes to asking about production rates or cycle
times, parts and service, and warranty, but they are
less likely to ask about the equipment’s cost to
A new Aljon 400XL Logger Baler was delivered to Porta Crush, a
company in Redwater, Alberta. Left is the buyer, facility owner
Rom Tomlinson, with a worker.
operate, its resale value,
and availability of training.
Training is important
when you are considering
who you plan to operate
the equipment, Lieberman
notes. “You need to
consider safety issues and
the need to have a qualified
employee to run it,”
he says. “To cover both of
those, you need to find out
what type of training the
company provides.”
The Value of a Trade-In
When buying new equipment, there is a strong
market for your used piece, and most large equipment
sales companies will offer a fair price for it.
The process to trade-in is fairly easy. “We do a lot
of trade-ins,” says Jackson. “Most equipment holds
its value pretty well and has a high resale value. To
estimate the value of used equipment, we can simply
look up what they have if they are a prior customer,
or we ask for a serial number. We ask for
the condition and other details to arrive at a fair
trade-in value, which is applied as a credit to the new
purchase.” While Jackson does not usually request
a photo of the trade-in, others may ask for one to
help estimate the value.
In his experience, VanVleet says many shoppers
forget to ask about the resale or trade value of their
equipment after the purchase. “In today’s everchanging
market, this plays a large part of what
should be in your decision-making process.”
“Most people trade-in more for the tax benefits
than anything,” says Jackson. “But often, a recycler
might want to change from a side loader to a front
loader, for instance, to reduce damage to the vehicle.”
“I am finding we are getting more calls for tradeins
right now, maybe because of the year-end tax
credit in the new bill that passed,” says Greg Wright,
Director of Sales, Granutech-Saturn Systems, Grand
Praire, Texas. “A benefit to having trade-ins and the
used equipment market is that larger yards will buy
the new bigger or better models, and the older, yet
still very reliable, machines will make their way to
the smaller yards at a reasonable and economical
price,” says Wright.
Another option that equipment companies sometimes
offer their customers is help to sell used equip-
26 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

ment directly. “While we offer
opportunities to trade-in, I
often get calls for people looking
for used equipment. If a
recycler lets me know he is in
the market to sell, and at what
price, I will help the customer
sell it. We connect people up
every few months,” Wright
explains.
If you are happy with your current machine and
just want more bells and whistles, before buying
brand new equipment ask if there are any upgrades
to add to your current system. “Some recyclers still
operate our older car crushers, and we can now
retrofit them with remotes,” says Wright. “Our older
machines used to have a cab, and we started putting
remotes in them the mid-90s. The retro-fit kit
allows the machine to be operated from a handheld
transmitter.”
While an upgrade like this might be expensive,
it is significantly cheaper than buying a whole new
machine.
Training is
important when you
are considering
who you plan
to operate
the equipment.
Research at the Shows
Going to the state and
national trade shows can
serve as an important part of
the buying process. For most
equipment sales companies,
exhibiting at the shows generates
leads. It can be very
helpful for recyclers to see
the equipment in person. “I
sold a couple of pieces of equipment at the recent
ARA Trade Show in Austin, Texas,” says Jackson. “I
bring a machine to all the big shows, whenever possible.
We also connect potential customers with
facilities in their states that are using the equipment
they want, as best we can. We provide as many references
as they need.”
“A presence at the trade shows is important,” says
Wright. But he prefers to connect potential buyers
with current customers to see equipment in action.
“People know who we are many times through
their connections – their friends have our products.
People like to see the equipment in use at a yard
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 27

nearby, or talk to a current
owner, and we can
connect people who use
our machines. The show
is an opportunity to
either open or continue a
discussion with them on
our equipment.”
References, Please
Manufacturer websites
and your salesperson will
be important sources of
information, but you also
should ask your salesperson for references, says
Mike Duffy, a territory manager with Pemberton,
Customers from West Michigan Recycling pose with representatives
of SAS Forks with their Scorpion attachment.
Longwood, Florida. “You
want to know who in your
industry has one and who
can you talk to about this
piece of equipment.”
A lot of buyers won’t do
this because they know
that any salesman worth
his commission is only
going to provide names of
satisfied customers, but it’s
a good way to take a look
at the equipment you are
considering in action.
Additionally, a fellow recycler should be able to tell
you his or her experience with the salesperson and
the manufacturer.
Your salesperson should be willing
to take you to other recyclers’
facilities where you can see the
equipment in operation, Spry adds.
“I think a buyer should always look
at the equipment in the field and
not purchase over the phone or by
looking at pictures,” he says. The
company’s reputation in the industry
is often the number one factor
in making a buying decision, he
adds.
Final Details
There’s no magic formula for
making a major purchase decision
that will ensure your satisfaction on
all counts, but you can improve
your chances of success by taking
the time the decision deserves.
Some people can make a major
decision in a few weeks while, for
others, the process can take as long
as a year. Do your research knowing
that the equipment you buy will last
quite a while. Be ready to make the
long-term commitment to it.
Furthermore, the bottom line,
Lindley says, is that “You should be
looking to purchase equipment
with the intent of improving your
business. If it’s not going to, there’s
no point in buying it.” ■
Lynn Novelli is a freelance writer based in Ohio.
28 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Paying for
Upgrades
You have a large equipment order ready to go, now here are
a few smart ways to pay for it through the Jobs Act 2010.
By Mark E. Battersby
urchasing equipment is one of the most important
tasks facing any owner or manager of an automotive
recycling enterprise. Obtaining financing, let
alone the right type of financing at an affordable
cost, can be extremely difficult even in today’s
economy. Fortunately, large purchases, including
equipment acquisitions, just became easier – and
less expensive – thanks to new tax breaks and
Pfinancing options created by our lawmakers.
The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010,
signed into law in late September, will allow businesses
that salvage reusable and recyclable automotive
parts to write off more of the cost of business
purchases, such as equipment and machinery, in
the year the purchase is made. It is, however, the
part of the bill aimed at helping small businesses
access capital that is drawing the most attention.
More Government Money
Often thought of as a lender of last resort, the
U.S. government has long been an excellent source
for a wide variety of economical financing. After all,
the federal government has a vested interest in
encouraging the growth of small businesses. Those
seeking Small Business Administration (SBA) loans
stand to benefit from the extension of provisions
that amped up SBA lending guarantee programs
and fee reductions that recently expired.
The new “Jobs” Act increases the maximum loan
size for the SBA’s 7(a), 504, and microloan programs.
The maximum amounts guaranteed under
the 7(a) and 504 programs will bump from $2 million
to $5 million, and microloan amounts will
increase from $35,000 to $50,000. Loans made
under the SBA Express program would temporar-
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 29

iStockphoto.com/HitToon
ily increase from $300,000 to $1
million. Also included is a temporary
allowance for small-business
owners to use 504 loans to
finance certain mortgages to
avoid foreclosure.
A 7(a) loan can be used for
many business purposes, including
the purchase of recycling
machinery, other equipment, real estate, working
capital, or inventory. The biggest and most popular
of the SBA’s loan program, the 7(a) Loan
Guarantee Program, allows general business loans
to be paid back over a period that can be as long as
25 years for real estate and 10 years for equipment
and working capital.
The SBA’s Fixed Asset Lending
At the top end of the SBA loan size spectrum is
the CDC/504 Loan Program that provides longterm,
fixed-rate loans for financing fixed assets, usually
real estate and equipment. 504 loans are usually
made through Certified Development Companies
(CDCs) – nonprofit intermediaries that work with
the SBA, banks, and businesses wanting financing.
Those seeking funds for equipment purchases, to
buy or renovate a building or to purchase other
business assets, simply take the automotive recycling
operation’s business plan and financial statements
to a CDC. Typical breakdown percentages
for this type of package are 50 percent financed by
the bank, 40 percent by the CDC, and 10 percent
by the business or its owner.
Limits on most development company, or 504,
loans, which are used for large capital investments,
will rise from $1.5 million or $2 million to $5 million,
while caps on some specialized 504 loans will
Like most of
today’s legislation
however, the
lending fund is only
a temporary fix.
go from $4 million to $5.5 million
under the act.
In exchange for this below-market,
fixed-rate financing, the SBA
expects the business to create or
retain jobs or to meet certain
public policy goals such as an
Enterprise/Empowerment Zone,
a minority-owned business, etc.
Larger is the New Small
Another provision of the new “Jobs” Act makes
permanent and far-reaching changes to the Small
Business Administration’s guaranteed loan programs.
It both allows banks to make much larger
loans and permits bigger businesses to take advantage
of them. Taken together, the SBA’s increased
funding and guarantee limits along with another,
even less discussed, section of the new law could
potentially alter the essential character of the SBA’s
borrowers. It could make them not very small.
The “Jobs” Act directs the SBA to immediately
implement a temporary rule that loosens the eligibility
requirements for a government-backed loan.
The bill creates what is known as an alternative-size
standard, which is an alternative to the customary
rules that measure businesses by employee headcounts
or revenues, which usually vary by industry.
Under the new eligibility standards, any business
with a tangible net worth under $15 million and
average net income for the last two years of up to
$5 million will be eligible for an SBA-backed loan.
Approximately 5.4 million employer businesses
are currently eligible for SBA loans, based on 2002
Census Bureau data. Correlating that number with
2002 Census Bureau figures that tabulate firms by
employee headcount suggests that most companies
with fewer than 100 employees are presently eligible
for an SBA-backed loan or loan guarantee.
More New Funding Possibilities
A Small Business Lending Fund has also been
created under the “Jobs” Act. This Small Business
Lending Fund will provide up to $30 billion in capital
to financially sound small banks with less than
$10 billion in assets to encourage them to lend
money to small businesses. As an incentive to lend
to small business, banks increasing their lending to
small business by 10 percent or more over the previous
year will pay as little as 1 percent on the capital
they acquire from the fund to lend to small
business borrowers.
30 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

There is also a new “State Small Business Credit
Initiative” to help businesses in states that have successful
small-business lending programs and can
show how a loan could help create jobs. States with
such programs and facing cutbacks due to tight
state budgets may be eligible for funding to continue
them. The grant pool would total $2 billion,
but states will need to show that there has been at
least $10 in new lending for every $1 in federal grant
money they receive.
Like most of today’s legislation however, the lending
fund is only a temporary fix. It will make investments
in banks for just one year. The tax breaks in
the bill, on the other hand, are worth about $12 billion
and are mostly good for a year or two.
Funding Via Tax Breaks
Among the tax provisions of the “Jobs” Act automotive
recycling business owners and managers will
find the 50-percent “bonus” first-year depreciation
has been extended. The bonus depreciation writeoff,
which had expired at the end of 2009, is retroactive
to January 1, 2010. Although bonus depreciation
is not limited by the size of the business, it does
have a very short window of opportunity – qualified
equipment must be purchased and placed into service
before December 31, 2010.
Generally, bonus depreciation is available for new
property that is depreciable with a recovery period
of 20 years or less. Off-the-shelf computer software
is depreciable over three years and qualified improvements
to leased property also qualify for bonus
depreciation. In addition to extending the “bonus”
depreciation write-off, an increased Section 179
write-off will help reduce the out-of-pocket cost of
new equipment and other purchases.
First Year Write-Offs
The Section 179 expensing allowance, the firstyear
write-off for newly acquired equipment and
business property, has been raised to $500,000 with
an investment ceiling up to $2,000,000 – at least for
2010 and 2011. Improvements made to leased business
property are eligible for a more limited
$250,000, Section 179 write-off.
That means, an automotive recycling business can
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 31

write off the entire cost of acquiring property immediately
instead of depreciation deductions taken
over time. For 2010 and 2011, this change to
“Section 179 expensing,” so-named for a section of
the Internal Revenue code, will permit automotive
recycling businesses to write off as much as $500,000
in capital expenditures. Expenditures over that
amount would phase out but not completely until
the cost of eligible property exceeds $2.5 million.
Driving Faster Write-Offs
Section 280F of the tax law limits depreciation
deductions (including Section 179 expensing) that
can be claimed for cars and light trucks each year.
For passenger automobiles placed in service in
2010, the adjusted first-year write-off is limited to
$3,160. For light trucks or vans, the adjusted first
year limit is $3,160. But no longer.
The limit on the amount of depreciation deductions
allowed for certain passenger automobiles has
been increased in the first year by $8,000 for automobiles
that qualify and that are not subject to
bonus depreciation. Therefore, for 2010, the maximum
first-year depreciation for passenger automobiles
is $11,060.
The Iceberg’s Tip
The $30 billion allocated for SBA loans and other
financing programs may open up the credit markets
needed by businesses for capital to buy equipment.
On the tax front, the enhanced small
business tax incentives will benefit many businesses,
making equipment more affordable.
An extended life for the bonus depreciation
write-off, extending and doubling the Section 179,
and first-year write-offs for newly acquired equipment
and other business property are a welcome
boon in today’s economy and may contribute to
reducing out-of-pocket equipment expenditures.
Will your automotive salvage and recycling operation
be quick enough to benefit from these temporary
financing options and tax breaks ■
Mark Battersby writes a syndicated column of general business tax information
for over 45 business journals, newspapers, and periodicals
each week. He contributes to trade magazines and has also authored
four books.
32 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Charitable CONTRIBUTIONS
BigThe
Generosity runs deep through the auto recycling industry.
Several companies share how they help their communities.
Bill’s Auto Parts
By Caryn Smith
t never ceases to amaze me how generous auto recyclers can be,” says Paul D’Adamo,
“IPresident, Bill’s Auto Parts, as well as President, Auto Recyclers Association of Rhode
Island. “It is phenomenal to be in the company of people who are that generous – it
rubs off. The give back is that you will inspire others to do the same.
“In running a business there is only so much time. Locally, we have a group called
the Friends of the Blackstone. They do a lot of clean up and come across a lot of tires.
They approached me to help them dispose of them, offering to pay me to do so.”
Instead of taking their offer, he went a step further and now disposes of the tires for
free. “It makes a big difference to them. If I can’t be there helping them clean up the
river, the least I can do is enable them to dispose of the tires easily and in an environmentally-friendly
way.”
D’Adamo’s business also sponsored a buoy system across a dangerous part in a waterway.
“Several people have drowned, running their kayaks and canoes through these
shoots, which are old tubes from old factories. We kayak as a family and the thought
of losing a loved one hit me right in the gut. The buoys act as a warning.” When they
called to ask for sponsorships, D’Adamo didn’t hesitate. “I said right then, come get a
check. A father and son were caught in the waterway and the son died. After the buoy
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 33

Charitable CONTRIBUTIONS
system was installed, the boy’s father has since come
in to talk with me.”
Besides the sponsorships, D’Adamo does a lot of
onsite tours with various community groups. “I do
them myself,” says D’Adamo. “I think it is important
for business owners to spend time, one on one, with
people and groups in their community.”
What drives most of D’Adamo’s community efforts
is his belief that “environmental and community stewardship
are critical to our success as a business.”
“Have some fun with it,” D’Adamo says, “it’s not just
about running your business, but being in business
as part of your community.”
Bionic Auto Parts and Sales, Inc.
By John Catalano, Sr.
My son John, Jr. and I are part of a family-owned
and operated business, Bionic Auto Parts and
Sales in Chicago, Illinois. I first got involved with an
organization called the Chicago Chapter of the
National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in the
late 1970s through my father-in-law, Nick Schiavone,
and I would like to thank him and give him credit for
getting me and my son involved in the cause of helping
people who are in need. This group would raise
money for scholarships to be given to students who
were involved in a sport of some sort and who were
of Italian descent. They also raised money through
an ad book and annual dinners at which famous people
of Italian descent were honored and sports memorabilia
was auctioned. One year, they honored Joe
Automotive Recyclers Association: Educating Students
Automotive recyclers and suppliers are a generous bunch. When called
upon, they open their wallets or offer their time to further special causes
presented to them. For the Automotive Recyclers Association, year after
year, recyclers fund educational scholarships that go directly to the children of
employees of auto recycling facilities. Through direct donations, auctions, raffles,
and other fun events that the ARA Scholarship Foundation concocts, over one million
dollars has been awarded to deserving students since 1963. The Foundation
operates as an independent non-profit organization with the purpose to promote
education through the awarding of scholarships. There are 43 named scholarships
– each one must initially reach $10,000 in the fund to be named.
This year, qualifying high school students must have a 3.0 grade point average
(GPA) to apply, and college students must maintain a 2.75 GPA. The college GPA
was lowered slightly this year to give even more students scholarship funds. “We
felt we wanted to help even more kids, they are all so deserving. These applicants
really need our support,” says ARA Scholarship Foundation President Mark Buessing,
Motor Pro Auto Recycling, Arizona. “And this year, we raised $60,000 just at
the ARA Convention. The generosity of my fellow auto recyclers is heartwarming.”
Montana of the San Francisco 49ers, and I bought a
football helmet that was autographed by him and all
of the inductees to the Italian American Sports Hall
of Fame. I still have that helmet in a showcase, and
the money I paid for it all went to scholarships for kids
who were in need.
In 1998, an offshoot of that organization formed,
Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization
(CIACO), that was singularly devoted to helping
people in need. My father-in-law was part of that
group, and of course, I followed. This group holds
monthly meetings and membership is available to all
who are interested in helping others. CIACO gives
thousands of dollars in scholarships every year to
deserving entry-level college students regardless of
race, gender, religious affiliation, or national origin.
This tradition continues and over $300,000 has been
awarded to deserving students, including special
awards for the physically challenged.
Since 1996, the members, their families, and friends
annually assemble and distribute Thanksgiving “Food
Baskets” to needy families in the Chicago area. This
year, over 500 “Baskets of Love” were distributed. My
son, John, and his daughter, Jonna, worked with many
people to assemble and give out these baskets. Also,
over 800 needy children received Christmas presents
last year from CIACO’s Christmas program. Toys are
collected at CIACO’s annual Christmas party.
During other times of the year, CIACO donates
time and money to a number of charitable causes that
are brought to the attention of its membership. The
money is raised from dues and donations as well as the
two major fundraisers – the Program Ad Book
Campaign and CIACO’s Annual Golf Outing. Bionic
Auto Parts and Sales has sponsored holes at the Golf
Outing and has purchased ads in the program.
This year, CIACO decided to have a special fundraiser
to help three disabled Vets injured in Iraq and
Afghanistan whose only income is from their military
service – they are unable to resume a career because
of their wounds. It was suggested that CIACO present
each of these veterans with a $5,000 honorarium to
be used for their education, to pay their medical bills,
or care for their families. In addition, the organization
would award 12 high school students a $2,000 scholarship
to contribute to their college education. That
was almost $40,000 to be raised!
John Jr. joined the group to generate funds for the
ad book and was one of the main fundraisers, collecting
almost $5,000 from our customers and friends.
It was a moving moment to see how these three soldiers
appreciated the money that was given. There
was not a dry eye when each of them expressed their
34 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

gratitude. I am proud of my son for reaching out to
help these men and for all this organization does.
When a family friend’s daughter became ill with
leukemia, and the medical bills and expenses became
a hardship on the family, some of her family held a
fundraiser to raise money to help defray these
expenses. My wife asked the girl’s father to present it
to the CIACO board to see if they could contribute a
monetary donation towards the girl’s expenses. He
was able to secure a $500.00 donation.
I just want to thank all of the men and women out
there who find the time and money to help people
in need right in their own neighborhoods. It is such
a rewarding experience to help others less fortunate
than myself. We all need to give back.
Brock Supply Co.
By Caryn Smith
Jerry Brock, Brock Supply Co., is a well-known man
around the ARA and the automotive recycling
industry as a whole. He has been serving the industry
in one form or another for 50 years. He has also
been serving his local community throughout his
career. His generosity has been witnessed many times
over by Kate Hanley, Executive Director of the Tempe
Community Foundation, Tempe, Arizona.
“Jerry has always remembered his roots here in our
community as he has garnered success in his business,”
Hanley says. “He is so generous to our community
and is known as someone with a big heart.
“In the early days when he was just starting to give
philanthropically, the local Heart and Cancer associations
were recipients of his giving because he had
family members touched by those issues.”
But as time went on, Hanley has witnessed Mr.
Brock practice what could be called random acts of
kindness and live a life rooted in philanthropy.
“Jerry would read stories in the newspaper about
children or families experiencing hardship then
reach out to them through our organization or
though his network of friends to provide help and
support in different ways,” Hanley says.
“He has a passion for cars and enjoys restoring
them to their original state. He will get one completed
and then donate it to an organization to auction
off to generate resources for their programs. He
has invested significantly in the Boys and Girls Club
at the Tempe Community Foundation with the idea
that he is investing in today’s youth for tomorrow’s
future. The Tempe Community Foundation has a
wide focus that reaches the elderly, at risk families,
pregnant teenagers, and those in need.”
Mr. Brock wants to leave a legacy to insure his generosity
lives on. “He recently established his own foundation
that will provide support to generations he
won’t see. This is the most generous kind of philanthropy
– and it’s how Jerry decided to celebrate his
50th anniversary in business.”
What makes the most impression to Hanley is that
Mr. Brock does all this very quietly, never wanting
attention for himself. But someone must be noticing.
At the 27th Annual Don Carlos Humanitarian Awards
sponsored by the City of Tempe, Mr. Brock was recognized
and honored as the “2010 Guiding Light
Philanthropist of the Year” and is only the third recipient
of this prestigious award. Of Mr. Brock, Hanley
says, “He is a wonderful role model for successful business
members and leaders in your industry. We are
very fortunate that Jerry Brock calls Tempe home.”
Green Meadow Auto Salvage
By Caryn Smith
One auto recycler volunteers her time with children
in distress. Loretta Miller, co-owner of Green
Meadow Auto Salvage, works as a Court Appointed
Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected
children. “CASA’s are appointed by the courts to
make good decisions for children in family services
and the court system. We talk with the child, if they
are old enough, and with foster parents, birth parents,
psychologists, and all significant adults in a
child’s life, including teachers and social workers, to
make decisions and advise the courts what we feel is
in their best interest,” Miller says.
One day in 2005, Miller heard a radio ad for local
training with CASA, which is a national association
(www.casaforchildren.org). “I called the local director
of the program to discuss it and went to 30 hours of
training.” Since then, Miller has had many cases. “I
have had one case for four years. Currently, I am
working with nine kids in four cases on my own, and
I am a mentor for three other cases.” She spends
about 20-30 hours a month on this volunteer effort.
What keeps Miller going is the hope that her work
can bring to families. “It’s really cool. You know that
you are working for the good of the child, a promise
for the future to that child and the whole family. The
child either goes back to the family or moves on from
them. But in most cases, they return to be with some
part of the family.”
“These kids really need people in their lives to make
good decisions for them,” says Miller. ■
Tell us how you and your company serve your community. We will
publish them in future issues. – Caryn Smith, Editor
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 35

Focus on THE WORKFORCE
By Gayle Vassar Melvin
Studies are proving that fathers seek to balance work and family too.
With more women taking leadership roles in the auto recycling industry, the
question remains if either one can have it all. Let’s look at both sides of the fence.
Men Want
Consultant James Levine
was used to seeing female
faces when he started giving
seminars on balancing
work and family in the
1980s. And the few men
scattered in the audience
rarely spoke up. If they
had questions, they’d wait
until the room cleared
before approaching Levine.
Then Levine, director of the Fatherhood Project at
the Families and Work Institute in New York, got a
grant to look at fatherhood and the workplace. In
1990, he contacted Apple Computer and asked if he
could conduct a focus group for working dads. He
wasn’t sure anyone would show up - these were highpowered,
high-tech men, after all.
The response was overwhelming. Levine extended
his stay for nearly three days as men clamored to talk
about the tug of being a working parent. As he listened,
Levine realized something important had
been left out of the national debate on the role of
working parents.
Fathers.
Men make up more than half the work force. But
when it comes to family-friendly work policies, it’s
moms, not dads, that most people have in mind, says
Levine.
For the sake of their business, he argues, employers
need to start paying attention to both.
Levine makes his case in Working Fathers: New
Strategies for Balancing Work and Family (Harcourt
Brace & Co.; $13), a blend of social analysis and howto
tips for working dads.
“Men’s values really have changed,” says Levine.
“Today’s fathers want to have a different relationship
with their kids than they did with their fathers. They
grew up thinking something was missing and they
want to change that.”
Studies bear out Levine’s theory. A 1991 Gallup poll
found that 50 percent of American men derive “a
greater sense of satisfaction from caring for their family
than from a job well done at work." In a 1996 poll
of men in their 30s and 40s working at Levi Strauss
& Co., 84 percent equated “success” with being a
good father.
But that doesn’t mean devoted dads are abandoning
their career goals. In fact, one national study
found that men with children under 18 are slightly
more likely – 53 percent compared to 50 percent –
to want more responsibility at work than childless
men or those with adult children.
36 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

It All Too
Like their female counterparts, men are no longer
satisfied with a Hobson’s choice of family or career.
They want both.
“Today’s dad doesn’t want to only be the breadwinner;
he wants to come home and sit down and
have dinner with his family,” says Berkeley, California,
psychologist and author Bruce Linton.
As a result, work patterns are changing. Sure, some
men and women work for companies
that demand 110 percent,
even if it means neglecting
their families. Fathers at these
companies may still find a way to
go to their child’s soccer game,
but they’re probably telling
their boss they have to meet a
client.
But many workers are seeking out family-friendly
companies where policies, such as flex-time and
telecommuting, make it easier to pick up children
from day care or coach a Little League team. They
may even be lucky enough to find a company that
gives them carte blanche when it comes to devising
a work schedule. “These are companies that say, ‘Get
the job done; we don’t care when or where you do
it,’” says Linton, who frequently discusses how to balance
work and life with fathers through his Fathers
Forum groups.
Today’s fathers
want to have a different
relationship with
their kids than they did
with their fathers.
And many, Linton included, are becoming their
own bosses so they can schedule their time as they
see fit.
Sonny Massey of Pleasant Hill, California, falls into
that category. He traded a corporate job for a position
as a diversity consultant for R. Taylor O’Neale
Associates, traveling about six days a month and working
out of his home the rest of the time.
“The thing I love about the
consulting is that it gives me an
opportunity to spend more time
with my daughter,” says Massey,
52. “I love the idea of getting her
up in the morning and ready for
school or reading in her classroom.
I couldn’t do that when I
was in corporate America.”
Massey acknowledges that he may still be the exception
in putting his daughter ahead of his career. But
bit by bit, men are starting to speak up about wanting
to spend more time with their children and finding
courage in numbers.
“In a diversity class I was teaching yesterday, there
was a guy saying he’d gone to his kids’ parents’ nights
and soccer games from day one, but he’d be the only
dad there,” says Massey. “Now he’s starting to see a
shift. His co-workers are saying, ‘If you’re not embarrassed,
I won’t be embarrassed either.’”
iStockpoto.com/ZoneCreative
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 37

Focus on THE WORKFORCE
On Balancing Work and Family
Kelly Roepke, President, Y-Yard Auto & Truck, Inc.
Ifind it funny you ask this today. This morning while I was getting
my kids ready for school, my son Connor woke up sick.
I’m in a panic because I need to get my daughter to school by
7:40 a.m. and we are cutting it close. I load up some things so
he can come to work with me for the day.
I texted my sister [Erin Swingler, Y-Yard’s Vice President and
Salvage Buyer] to say I was going to be a little late and that I
would be bringing Connor with me. She replied, ‘That's fine. I’m
going to be a little late too. Keegan [her son] was up most of the
night with stomach issues too.’ So, all day in my office I have
Karate Kid playing on my laptop with a blanket and pillow on
the concrete floor for Connor.
I just scratch my head and some days wonder what in the
world we are doing and what others must think of our threering
circus. All I can say is we are doing our best. In the meantime,
on my lunch break I run to town with one of our salesmen
to meet a customer. I get a text message that my daughter’s
tumbling lesson is canceled because the instructor is sick. I
already had all the arrangements made, so I quickly jump on my
cell phone and start making phone calls to pull off “plan B.”
My father [Mike Nolan, founder and chairman of the
Y-Yard Board] is supportive, but advises, ‘maybe you and
your sister should get a nanny’ My answer is ‘a nanny
shouldn’t take care of my kids when they are sick – I should.’
No matter which direction you turn you always feel your
short-changing someone. It is a constant daily struggle.
Reflecting on Roles
Growing up, our mother was
able to stay home. My father tries
to relate to the fact that she was
home doing homework and cooking
dinner while he was putting in long hours at Y-Yard. She
took care of all our school events and appointments, as well as
the laundry, the grocery shopping, and the housework.
With Erin just having her first baby several months ago,
we have found ourselves both reflecting on our work schedules
and responsibilities again. Day care or babysitters will only take
children so early in the morning and then they need to be
picked up by a certain time too.
We both expect from ourselves the same as we expect from
our employees. We try to follow the same rules, guidelines, or
company policies that they do. She and I also agree very
strongly that it is important to be visible to our employees and
to be here when they arrive and when they leave. However, that
is very difficult to do with a family at home.
Recently, we have come to the working agreement that I will
open Y-Yard and she will close. While that may sound like an
easy solution, it isn’t.
We expect from ourselves
the same as we expect
from our employees.
Left: Kelly, Kevin, Karlee and Connor Roepke. Right: Kelly Roepke,
left, and Erin Swingler, right, with their father Mike Nolan.
For one thing, my husband has not yet mastered things like
doing my nine-year-old daughter’s hair. He also started his
own business two years ago, so we both have a lot of responsibilities.
Thankfully, he is very helpful with the kids, and his new
business role does provide more flexibility to help us get everything
accomplished each day. But the “supermom” in me does
not want me to ask for help; instead I try to do as much as I can
on my own. So, if I take a lunch hour, it’s usually centered
around the needs of my children – grabbing birthday presents
they need for a party or running them to the doctor.
All in a Day’s Work
On Columbus Day weekend, the kids didn’t have school on
Friday or Monday and our regular babysitter was off. I had
arrangements made for those two days, but I really wanted to
take a few days off myself and just hang out with my kids. Due
to work commitments and schedule conflicts I wasn’t able to
make that happen. It was also my daughter Karlee’s 9th birthday,
so I scheduled her party for
Monday from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
So, I woke up extra early Monday
morning and flew to work
until 11:45. Went to pick up the
birthday cake and ice cream. Got
home in time to cart 10 kids to a “cowgirl” themed birthday
party. Was back to work at 4:30 for our Monday night sales
meeting. Left work at 6:40 to get my daughter to an appointment
at 6:45, and so the story goes.
I am always being pulled in two directions (the mom-role
vs. the work-role). The guilt factor is always hard to balance. I
have gotten a lot better at this, but I still work very hard not to
short-change my family for my work commitment but to also
be respected by our employees for trying my best.
Kelly Roepke is a founding member of the Ladies of the
Automotive Recyclers Association (LARA). This group was
officially recognized as such by ARA at the convention in Austin,
Texas. The group plans to meet at the ARA Mid-year meeting in
Washington, D.C., and the annual convention, and will offer
seminars that speak to specific challenges and opportunities for
women in the industry. E-mail Kelly Roepke at autoparts@
y-yard.com for more information on participating in the group.
38 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Credit a number of factors in the evolving attitude
toward working fathers. For starters, the Family and
Medical Leave Act gives men legal clout if they want
to take unpaid time off to care for family members.
More companies are offering paid paternity leave,
although it’s still a rarity.
Some fathers, such as David Platt, 38, of Walnut
Creek, California, say the national trend toward having
children later in life may also play a role.
“Personally, having waited to have children means
I’m really focused on fatherhood,” says Platt, whose
children are ages 14 months and 3 years.
Perhaps the biggest impetus for men to demand
time for fatherhood comes from their partners. As
mothers enter the work force in greater numbers,
they simply can’t be the sole family caregivers. Men,
such as Paul Fruin of Moraga, California, are picking
up the slack and finding they like it.
Fruin gets Ryan, 7, and Jenny, 9, off to school in the
morning; Jane Fruin handles the afternoon shift. On
days that Fruin coaches his children’s sports teams, the
couple switch schedules.
Fruin, 39, a brand planning manager for Chevron,
concedes that if his wife didn’t work, “I’d still be coach-
On Balancing Work and Family
Shannon Nordstrom, President, Nordstrom's Automotive Inc.
This is one of the things I work the hardest at, and it takes
tough decisions at work. The decision to help with family
activities and to make sure you are there for the two-minute
speech are easy decisions to make. The fact is that something
at work does get sacrificed. I will take that sacrifice and I can
easily tell people my reasoning if they question the decision.
I could work at our business 24 hours a day. There is always
something I could put my energy into that will pay dividends
for sure, but not the generations of dividends that can be returned
by investing time with my wife and kids. I do my best to
make sure that the balance does not tilt too far the wrong way!
Oftentimes when I am “slammed” at work, it is because I
have made choices that take me away from it for other things.
But I can deal with the extra pressure I put on myself at work.
I want to make sure the salvage I deal with is at work, and
not the description of my family situation at home if it is not
given the respect a family deserves. I love my job and our company,
but I love my family more!
Shannon Nordstrom signs his e-mails “Proud Husband of
an Amazing Wife and 3 Amazing kids! “
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 39

Focus on THE WORKFORCE
ing, but I doubt if I’d be fixing breakfast. I’m actually
quite glad that I do. I have that one-on-one time with
them.
“If you are the hero every night when you come
home from work, but haven’t had to deal with the
fussiness of everyday life, it’s a different kind of relationship.”
There’s no doubt that parents and children benefit
when they have more time together. But Levine says
there’s also an economic advantage for businesses.
Working fathers are more likely to stay with a company
that honors their commitment to their family.
David Platt says Chevron’s father-friendly environment
plays a big role in his long-term employment
there. He likes working for a company where picking
up kids from day care is considered a valid reason for
leaving a meeting.
Studies show that men who feel good about the job
they are doing as fathers are more likely to be productive
at work, says Levine. And conversely, men who
feel respected at work are more likely to be happy at
home.
Being father-friendly goes beyond paternity leave or
flexible hours, notes Levine. It also means honoring
men who’ve made the choice not to accept a job that
requires long hours away from home.
While companies may say they’re supportive of parents,
managers often publicly praise those whose work
efforts are in direct conflict of family time – the dad
who’s always away on business trips, the engineer who
puts in 72 straight hours to finish a project, then sleeps
and returns to work without seeing his kids.
But ironically, it’s often the employee, not the company,
who derails a father-friendly solution, in part
because he’s afraid he’ll be considered less valuable if
he works fewer hours, in part because he just assumes
his company is inflexible, says Levine.
That may be changing as a new generation of men
enters the work force, says Leah Potts Fisher of the
Berkeley, California-based Center for Work and
Family. She relays a conversation she overheard
between a recent MBA graduate and his parents.
“He was absolutely struggling with decisions about
what kind of job offer to take. Does he take a Big 6
company offer, where being successful could interfere
with future work-life balance, or does he turn down
this lucrative job in order to protect his work-life balance
sometime in the future To see someone just on
the cusp, thinking about family before he even has
one, was very interesting.”
Fisher admits to being somewhat bemused by the
focus on working fathers when working mothers have
struggled for years to find a balance between work and
life. But anything that helps working dads can only be
a plus for working moms, she concludes.
“It’s still a man’s world,” she says. “If a woman has
this problem, it’s something to be handled in a little
corner. If men have it, it is taken more seriously. So
men can be leaders in this area by speaking up.” ■
© Contra Costa Times/ZUMA Press
10 Steps Toward Balance with Work and Family
■ Work and Family Balance is a Conscious Decision. Work and family don’t
“balance” automatically. Achieving balance is an ongoing process. Understanding
this can reduce frustration and help you act to gain control.
■ Write Down Family Goals. Family needs change over time. Opportunities
to build a tree house for the kids or participate in a new family past time don’t
last forever. Decide what is important, and write it down. Assign a date, and
make these goals “absolutely-will-happens.”
■ Stick to Your Values. Sometimes it can be tough to make a choice between
a family and a work activity. Knowing where you stand on your values can
make tough choices easier.
■ Recognize that Imbalance is Sometimes Inevitable. It is important to recognize
that jobs and responsibilities are important and that they sometimes
take priority.
■ Revisit Your Schedule. When your work schedule changes, new opportunities
may become available to participate in family activities. Claim the high
ground!
■ Recognize the Benefits of Balance. Balancing work and family has payoffs
for children, home relationships, and everyone’s future happiness. Recognizing
this can help you keep balance in mind.
■ Manage Distractions and Procrastination. Working long hours causes
stress that sometimes finds relief naturally through workplace distractions and
procrastination. If you are at the office for 12 hours, do you really work only
10 If you are searching for more family time, it might be found here.
■ Discuss Expectations and Responsibilities. When one family member is
taking on too many responsibilities at home, resentments can build. Periodically
discussing the perceptions of others can provide the awareness you need
to consider opportunities and choices for work and family balance.
■ Organize Your Work Better. Improving your delegation and time-management
skills can buy you time needed for family life. Learning how to put
work down, say “no,” and letting go of workplace worries are skills that are
learned through practice.
■ Look for Resources to Help. Despite these suggestions, improving balance
of work and family may be a lot easier said than done. Research on the Internet
can help you find sources for defining priorities, acquiring assertiveness skills,
making tough decisions, or even identifying family goals that you want to pursue
so you can look back and say, “I did it.”
Excerpt taken from www.eap.partners.org/WorkLife/HealthyLiving/
Balancing_Work_and_Family/Balancing_Work_and_Family.asp ©2003 DFA
40 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

On Balancing Work and Family
Erin Swingler, Vice President/Salvage Buyer,
Y-Yard Auto & Truck, Inc.
It is amazing how things in life change when you
have a baby. I used to be able to work late whenever
I wanted to, or come in early to get things accomplished.
That all changed when my son, Keegan, was
born in January. He is truly a blessing and the light of
our lives. With Keegan, however, came change. I can
no longer be at work at 7:15 or 7:30 a.m., instead now
it is closer to 8. And several nights a week I have to leave early to pick him
up from the babysitter. Thankfully, my husband helps with this most of
the time, but he has his own job to be accountable to.
I struggle with a constant feeling of “am I really doing justice to my
family and my job” My mother stayed home with us kids, which was the
only way my dad was able to run the business while we were all little. It
was a different world for us growing up, and that is something I think
about a lot.
There is always a lot of pressure at work. Today, for instance, I need to
get three sales done so I can get some cars bought. On top of that, my
house is a disaster, I don’t have time to cook dinner for my family, and
laundry is piling up. It seems like any time away from
work is just a constant “catch up” at home. Most days I
feel stressed out.
I am still adjusting to motherhood, and my sister
Kelly [Kelly Roepke, President, Y-Yard Auto & Truck,
Inc.] has had several years to figure out how to keep
things balanced. I keep telling myself that one of
these days things will run a little smoother. Keegan is
the happiest little 9-month-old, so my husband Donnie
and I must be doing something right.
Donnie, Erin and Keegan Swingler
I will continue to do my best at balancing family and work, however
my family will always come first. I admit that work comes in a very
close second. It is a huge responsibility to run a business. After all,
we have twenty-one employee’s and their families to provide for –
not just our own.
Keegan’s home away from home is often here at Y-Yard. We bring in
toys, blankets, excersaucer, whatever it takes to keep him entertained so I
can get work done. And he enjoys the added treat of a ride in the RTV or
Enloader with his Papa Mike, so he is getting trained on all the equipment
at a very young age. Whether right or wrong, I guess you could say we are
starting on the 3rd generation a little early!
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 41

Employee-Service
Focus on THE WORKFORCE
Connection
Employee loyalty can be found in customer service values.
By Peter Gurney
here is an intuitive appeal to the notion that if companies
focus on treating their employees well, customer satisfaction
will naturally follow. This argument was put forward in the
early 1990s in a book titled The Customer Comes Second. Also
various studies conducted since that time support the link
Tbetween employee and customer satisfaction.
A cause-and-effect scenario can easily be imagined:
Customers prefer doing business with satisfied employees
(as opposed to those who are bored, sullen, or disgruntled);
consequently customer satisfaction follows
employee satisfaction. The explanation can also be
flipped: Employees enjoy their jobs more and gain a
greater sense of accomplishment if customers appreciate
the service they receive; thus employee satisfaction follows
customer satisfaction. Either way, they seem to be mirror
images of each other.
While these explanations make sense, the relationship
is actually a bit more complex.
Let’s begin with customers. Most companies gather
some sort of customer satisfaction data, whether through
surveys, comment cards, panels, or other channels.
Whatever the industry and however the data are collected,
the main causes of dissatisfaction with service are pretty
much the same. These causes tend to fall into the
following categories:
■ You didn’t do what you said you would do
■ You were unresponsive to my complaint, question,
or concern
■ You don’t understand my needs
■ Your staff aren’t knowledgeable about your products/
services
■ No one will take responsibility/initiative
■ You don’t care about my business
Now, let’s look at front-line employees, the people who
provide service to end-customers. A common misconception
is that the major cause of employee dissatisfaction
is inadequate pay. While it is true that this is often
among the top two or three issues, it seldom comes out
as number one.
Again, there are a few common issues that lie at the
root of most front-line employee dissatisfaction:
■ I don’t have the right tools/systems/policies to do
my job
■ I don’t get enough feedback/coaching/support
42 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

iStockphoto.com/Amanda Rohde
■ I get mixed messages about what’s important
■ I don’t get enough training or enough opportunity
to grow and advance
■ I don’t have the authority to resolve problems
or create positive outcomes
■ I feel left out of the big picture
■ I don’t get enough respect
■ Oh, yes, and I don’t get paid enough.
Put these lists together and we see that there are
two sides of the same coin:
Customers want...
■ To get what they are promised
■ Their problems resolved
■ Their needs listened to/understood
■ Knowledgeable employees; adequate information
■ Employees to take the initiative, take responsibility,
represent the company
■ The company to value their business
Employees want...
■ The tools/systems/policies to do their job
■ Empowerment to solve problems
■ More/better feedback
■ More training
■ Inclusion in the company’s big picture
■ Clear priorities; the tools/systems/policies to do
their job
Complaints Satisfied
Take just about any customer complaint and it is
easy to see the obverse issue from the employee
side. For example, customers who call toll-free service
numbers commonly say they feel rushed – that
the employee is more interested in getting them off
the phone than in solving their problems. They
may interpret this as rudeness, but travel to the
other side of the phone line and you will find a frustrated
employee who is told to keep calls short and
who is rewarded for efficiency rather than positive
customer outcomes.
Similar scenarios are played out in every conceivable
service situation, with employee and customer
dissatisfaction growing from the same root
causes. This phenomenon is not confined to service
interactions at the front line. Internal client/
supplier relationships tend to follow a similar pattern:
they are all part of a service chain that gets
knotted up by the same problems.
This fact has important implications for those
who conduct customer or employee feedback surveys.
If nothing else, it suggests that such studies
should be designed, analyzed, and acted upon in
parallel with each other. In practice these studies are
generally conducted by different managers in
different departments. Employee satisfaction is typically
viewed as a HR issue, while customer satisfac-
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 43

Focus on THE WORKFORCE
tion tends to fall under Operations
or Marketing.
Designing and conducting the
two surveys together may require
coordination among different
functional areas of the company,
but it is worth the effort. One
advantage of this approach is
that it provides a three-dimensional
picture of the company’s
service landscape. When both sides of the service
equation are viewed simultaneously, the solutions
are clearer. Plus, a coordinated approach is more
likely to lead to real change. Both customer and
employee surveys have a habit of generating reports
that gather dust on shelves, resulting in little or no
significant action. Combined customer/employee
studies, which require a crossfunctional effort, tend
to create higher visibility and accountability.
Finally, by looking at both customers and employees
as two sides of the same coin, the total financial
effect of implementing change becomes more obvious.
Customers may indicate a desire for more
knowledgeable employees so
they can make better product
choices – an expensive change
that requires significant investment
in training. However, the
customer/employee study may
also show that the current training
program, because of its inadequacy,
has a negative effect on
employee turnover and productivity.
When the benefits from both the customer
and employee side are factored in, the investment
may seem more favorable than if only one side were
studied.
As Starbucks’ chairman Howard Schultz likes to
point out, we are all in the people business. Employees
and customers are two sides of what should be
a mutually beneficial relationship. If either side is
badly served, the other half will inevitably feel the
effect and the company’s bottom line will suffer. ■
Peter Gurney is the managing director of Kinesis. A customer experience
management expert, Gurney has worked with dozens of brand name companies,
including Expedia, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Bank of America.
44 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Spotlight on EXCELLENCE
Eiss Brothers
Auto Parts
Determination Goes a Long Way
By Caryn Smith
A
s Mark Eiss tells it, he and his brothers
John and Tim started Eiss Brothers Auto
Parts, located in the small rural town of
Watertown, New York, with the naïveté
and energy that youth brings coupled
with the underlying resolve to prove
to their father they could do it.
Tim Eiss, Mark Eiss, John Eiss – co-owners of
Eiss Brothers Auto Parts.
“We knew nothing about this business
when we started,” Eiss says. “My family
already had a body shop. We grew up in
that business. My brothers and I were in
our early and mid-twenties and were
outgrowing the small body shop.
Wanting to own a business with growth
potential, my brothers had the idea of
selling used auto parts. I was the hold
out, but I eventually came around.
There were rather large zoning issues to overcome, but we were naive enough
to not be afraid to tackle them. Dad said we couldn’t do it, but we liked to prove
him wrong.”
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 45

Spotlight on EXCELLENCE
The brothers formed their
partnership in 1980 and officially
started Eiss Brothers Auto
Parts in 1988. They have since
developed a successful full-service
auto recycling operation
that employs 48 full-time staff
and sits on 40 of the 100 acres of
property they own. Eiss Brothers’
well-landscaped signature building is an old red barn
that has been refurbished several times and now houses
their offices and a small parts warehouse. Newer
buildings are attached to the barn.
Eiss Brothers’ product offerings are diverse in late
model, foreign, and domestic cars and light trucks.
They have about 1,400 cars on their property and a
structured inventory system that helps them keep only
the parts they know they can sell. Getting an expert’s
assistance proved helpful. “We used Counts
Consulting to help us develop our detailed inventory
system,” says Eiss.
Growing through Association
With limited knowledge of the
industry, Eiss credits their fellow
recyclers in New York with helping
them grow. “One used auto
parts provider for our body shop
got me to join the Automotive
Recyclers Association of New
York (ARANY) state association,”
Eiss says. “One year later, I was nominated to be an officer.”
They have been a member and an Automotive
Recyclers Association member since 1990.
“Being associated with other facilities, some of
which are competitors, who were willing to share
ideas really amazed us. We came from a body shop
background, which did not share as openly as an
industry. I think auto recyclers are more open about
their business because the demand for used parts is
larger than what one recycler can deliver. When
everyone is operating at a high level of excellence, it
raises the industry up overall.”
46 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

At the end of the day, Eiss credits
their energetic business philosophy
fueled by their youth along with
good moral and business ethics instilled
in them from their family as a
major contributor for their early success
and continued growth.
Overcoming Challenges
by Networking
“We are in a very rural area, about
a half hour from the Canadian border,
as far north as you can go in this
part of the United States. When we
started, our intention was to only
serve our local community,” Eiss says.
But being growth-driven, they soon
realized that was not a large enough
population for their vision.
“We had lots of product and not
enough customers. What helped us was networking
with other yards in our wholesale business where we
served other yards. Then we were invited to join a coop,
a consolidation with 15 other yards in PRP-
Northeast. We have been doing this for several years
now, and it has been very successful,” Eiss shares.
“Working with fellow recyclers has become the
favorite part of our business. Our PRP group is so close
– just like a family.”
Eiss Brothers has also developed their Internet sales
with Car-Part.com and developed an eBay store, which
is now “a growing percentage” of their sales. For those
who are venturing into eBay, Eiss advises it takes time
The Eiss brothers are
continually focused on
growth and are always
looking for ways to
expand their market.
and dedication to build success. “Twelve months into
our eBay store, just in the past couple months our e-
commerce salesperson is doing well, commission-wise,
and we have seen the success we intended. I would
also advise that just small parts can’t do it for you.
“There are tools out there now to help, and a fulltime
dedicated person is a must. You put a lot into it
before you get anything out of it.” Eiss credits yet
another fellow recycler – Shannon Nordstrom of
Nordstrom’s Automotive Inc. – with sharing his
expertise in building a profitable eBay store (Nordstrom
was a speaker on this topic at the recent ARA
Convention and Exhibition in Austin, Texas).
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 47

Spotlight on EXCELLENCE
Team Benefits
What sets Eiss Brothers Auto Parts
apart from some auto recycling facilities
are their employee benefits. “We
have to compete with other industries
around us,” Eiss says. They have
a human resources department run
by an employee with military background
“where he got a lot of ideas,”
says Eiss. Eiss Brothers Auto Parts has
an employee newsletter and a calendar
that lists team member birthdays.
Eiss Brothers also offers health
insurance and a 401K Plan. “We know we can’t retain
employees if we don’t give them a way to retire,” Eiss
states. Last year, Eiss Brothers offered a financial management
class at the facility that was free to participants.
There is also employee training happening every
day, conducted by managers and the owners. “And as
the business changes, we change our training,” says
Eiss. They upgrade their facility and training as needed
and are always looking for software and equipment
improvements.
Growth-Driven Business
The Eiss brothers are continually
focused on growth and are always
looking for ways to expand their
market.
Ultimately, though, they know this
business is about serving the customer.
“We try to treat each customer
as we would want to be treated. We
focus on what the customer expects
and try to think just like they would
as best we can. We try to not let the
customer down. We try to go further
and be extremely generous in solving problems,” Eiss
states.
“But our favorite thing to do is to visit fellow recyclers;
they are always willing to show you their way of
doing things. There is nothing like really seeing how
things work. They will tell you the truth and what
doesn’t work for them might work for us,” Eiss says.
“If anyone wants to visit us,” he continues, “the
door is always open. It is a good business to be in
right now.” ■
Caryn Smith is the editor of Automotive Recycling magazine.
48 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

The 67th Annual Automotive Recyclers Convention & Exposition • Austin, Texas
Cowboy
ARA Convetion PICTORIAL
In rodeo lingo, this term embodies a spirit of contribution, hard work and strong determination –
and a call to prepare to ride. It also describes the 1,000-plus Longhorned Trail Bosses (experienced leaders)
who rode into Austin, Texas, to prepare themselves for what the future holds for the automotive
recycling industry, and they even did some pirooting (foolin’ around). Here is a taste of Texas.
(See the January-February 2011 issue for the full story.) Photos by Caryn Smith
Dean Carr
David Polletta
Dean Carr
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 49

ARA Convetion PICTORIAL
Great
– Mark Eiss, Eiss Brothers Auto Parts
Dean Carr
Dean Carr
50 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

International Auto Recycling
Reports from Around the World: Canada
Highlights from the 5th
International Roundtable
in Québec City
By Steve Fletcher, Managing Director,
Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC)
Auto recyclers from around the world
convened in historic Québec City to
participate in the 5th installment of the
International Roundtable on Automotive
Recycling (IRT). The event unites industry
leaders and scholars from auto recycling,
insurance, repair, and government
in one forum over the course of a few
days. Previous IRTs have been hosted by
Europe, United States, Japan, and
Australia.
This year, the Automotive Recyclers
of Canada (ARC) played host to the IRT
in Québec City. Representatives from
Canada, United States, Japan, Europe,
United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, and
Malaysia met from September 19-21,
2010, to discuss the issues and challenges
affecting the worldwide industry.
The three-day event began on a high
note, sparking new friendships, networking
opportunities, and three facility
tours at Pièces D’autos
Dumont Inc., a family-run
business that also hosted
the ARPAC convention the
same week; Lecavalier Auto
Parts, one of the oldest auto
recycling facilities in Canada
and a second-generation
family business; and LKQ
Pintendre Autos Inc., one of
Canada’s largest auto recycling
facilities.
Each of the host facilities
provided food and refreshments for the
visitors with Pièces D’autos Dumont serving
a delicious breakfast, Lecavalier serving
hors d’oeuvres and locally made ice
wine, and LKQ finishing off tours with a
roast beef lunch.
The day continued back at Hotel Plaza
Québec with a social mixer, followed by
ARA CEO Michael E. Wilson addresses
the IRT.
IRT attendees gather for their annual photo.
a good night’s rest in preparation for the
next day’s jam-packed schedule.
Day two consisted of global presentations
and country and association
reports. It began with an opening message
from ARC managing
director Steve Fletcher, who
also acted as the discussion
moderator and host.
Ed MacDonald, ARC
chairman, formally welcomed
the group in the
dialectics of each of the visiting
countries. He also
challenged the group, “The
task of this meeting is for
everyone to gain a world
understanding of automotive
recycling,” MacDonald said.
During the association and country
reports, speakers presented snapshots of
the recent successes and challenges from
their regions that auto recycling has
achieved and gone through.
Automotive Recyclers Association
(ARA) Chief Executive Officer Michael E.
Wilson discussed the U.S. recyclers’ experiences
with the Cash for Clunkers program,
which the American government
instated in 2008 to try to stimulate the
automotive industry. “Most of the vehicles
hit the doors last September,” Wilson
said. “ARA received a lot of mileage from
the program and free media helped
spread the word on the industry.”
The program wasn’t flawless, however.
Its primary intent was to stimulate auto
sales; many government elements didn’t
take the recyclers into account.
As the conversations continued, Canada’s
Retire Your Ride emerged as a better
model, from the recycler’s perspective,
due to the government consultation with
industry along with its more modest
scope and cooperation with OEMs. Still
operating in Canada, the Retire Your
Ride program helped develop and
deploy a National Code of Practice for
auto recyclers along with ongoing educational
and audit components.
Martha Cowell from the State of
California Auto Dismantlers Association
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 51

International
Auto Recycling
Reports from Around the World: Canada
summarized the feelings of all recyclers
present (and probably around the
world) with two stunning slides showing
the regulations and requirements licensed
recyclers must face (there were a lot
of them) compared to those hurdles
unlicensed recyclers must meet (there
were very few). The need for a level playing
field for legitimate auto recyclers
is a global phenomenon we need to
change.
Kasper Zom, senior consultant to Auto
Recycling Netherlands, discussed the
evolution of vehicle recycling and
extended producer responsibility in the
Netherlands as well as what practices
they’ve found useful in raising auto recycling
awareness.
“The most important incentive to
handing in a car in the Netherlands is
the ownership tax,” Zom said. “When
you go to a recycling shop, they will deregister
your car for you, and you will not
have to pay taxes on it anymore.”
During the Japan Automotive Recyclers
Association presentation, Minoru
Gouko, director of automotive environmental
analysis, proposed the idea of
marketing recycled parts with a points system
based on CO2 savings.
“We inherently know that re-using a
part is better than merely recycling the
part and much better than using a new
one – the Japanese initiative will help
quantify that benefit to the global environment.
I hope the CO2 reduction rate
of recycled parts gets spearheaded by the
IRT network as an international standard
for all recyclers in the world as green
parts for a greener world,” said Gouko.
In Malaysia, the import of used automotive
parts and components will be prohibited
starting June 2011, which will put
Malaysian automotive recyclers in serious
trouble.
“MAARA is vigorously promoting
membership amongst the industry,” said
Malaysia Automotive Recyclers Association
President Gwee Bok Wee. “We look
forward to any support and assistance any
Top: Steve Fletcher, Managing Director, Automotive Recyclers of Canada, opens the IRT meeting.
Middle: Fletcher, left, visits with international attendees.
Left: Chris Wright, and his wife Jenni, enjoy a break at the IRT. Right: Japan Automotive Recyclers
Association’s Minoru Gouko, director of automotive environmental analysis, right, provides
input at the discussions.
associations have to offer. We are in the
process of preparing a proposal to be
submitted to the International Trade and
Industry Ministry in Malaysia to reconsider
their national automotive policy.”
Mexico, who is currently in the preliminary
stages of creating an end-of-life
management plan, has enlisted the help
of the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA).
“Some of the problems we have encountered
already are insufficient confirmation
on treatment of ELVs [end-oflife
vehicles] and shredders that don’t
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 53

International Auto Recycling
Reports from Around the World: Canada
receive sufficient ELV metal scrap from ELV dismantling sites
due to a lack of reliable relationship,” said JICA’s Kazunori
Kitagawa.
Kitagawa used the IRT as an opportunity to seek input from
the world’s established automotive recycling associations, many
of whom had offered their continued support by the conference’s
end.
After another full day of information, attendees were invited
to relax and enjoy each others’ company during a dinearound
dinner tour. It was a feast for the eyes and mouth.
Delegates toured old Québec, stopping to enjoy their appetizers,
entrées, and desserts at different restaurants for each
course.
Day three of the IRT conference was the last day of the conference
and the official roundtable discussion. The delegates
reviewed the previous days’ presentations and began to add
their voices to the variety of opportunities and challenges the
speakers introduced.
The general consensus was that more channels of communications
were necessary to share international knowledge and
information among the associations as well as with the public.
“We are generating a number of resources that will come out
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ARA Past President Bill Tolpa, ARA CEO Michael Wilson, and incoming
ARA Secretary Ed MacDonald enjoy networking at the IRT.
of this event,” Fletcher said. “We are committed to issuing a DVD
of some the resource materials and some of the speeches. My
goal is to get that to all of the associations and for the delegates
as well.”
The group agreed to share the Green Parts name and logo,
which are owned by Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association
and ARPAC. Representatives from the ARA volunteered to share
their knowledge on trademarking to help the various regions
navigate the sometimes complicated terrain of establishing the
name and logo.
All participants in the discussion agreed that having an internationally
recognized brand would be beneficial to the selling
of recycled parts.
Finally, Kasper Zom put the Netherlands’ name in to host the
next IRT in approximately 18 months (which, he cautioned,
would be pending approval from the association). Both the ARA
and the MAARA also put their names in to host future IRTs.
“These meetings are very good for networking,” said David
Nolan, who was representing the Auto Recyclers Association of
Australia. “I learned a lot, especially during the tours of the facilities.
It was really interesting to see how they work with the insurance
companies.”
Nolan was particularly interested in the conversations surrounding
the implementation of the U.S. Cash for Clunkers
program. Australia is getting ready to establish its own program
to take older vehicles off the road.
“It was clear that the U.S. government had not thought [Cash
for Clunkers] out. Obviously we’re going to work with the Aussie
industry to make sure all the problems are ironed out before
it’s implemented,” Nolan said.
AADCO Auto Parts’ Don Fraser was similarly delighted with
how much he learned during the three-day conference. “This
was the first IRT I have been to, so I went in with high expectations,”
Fraser said. “All of my expectations were met due to
the hard work put in by Steve and the ARC board.
“The Sunday yard tours were great. Even the discussions on
the bus were enlightening,” he continued.
In the end, Ed MacDonald’s challenge to better understand
the global auto recycling industry was met by everyone there.
“The trick now is to carry the great information and momentum
forward to the next IRT,” MacDonald said. “I think we can
do it.” ■
54 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Certified News
Gold Seal Program
Approved Gold Seal Participants
A & P Auto Parts, Inc. Cicero NY USA
A B C Auto Parts & Sales, Inc. Blue Island IL USA
A-1 Auto Recyclers Rapid City SD USA
AAA Auto Salvage, Inc. Rosemount MN USA
Aberdeen Used Cars & Parts Aberdeen NC USA
Action Recycled Auto Parts WPG MB Canada
Albuquerque Foreign Auto Parts Albuquerque NM USA
Algar, Inc. Louisville KY USA
All Auto Parts Co. Fontana CA USA
All Foreign & Domestic Used Auto Parts, Inc. Columbus OH USA
Al’s Auto Parts, Inc. Trevose PA USA
American Auto Parts Omaha NE USA
Automotive Parts Solutions Rockville MN USA
B & B Auto Salvage, Inc. Rapid City SD USA
B & M Auto Sales & Parts, Inc. Waukesha WI USA
B Auto Parts LLC East St. Louis IL USA
Badger Motors Wisconsin Rapids WI USA
Bay Auto Parts Green Bay WI USA
Bessler Auto Parts Wilder KY USA
Bionic Auto Parts & Sales, Inc. Chicago IL USA
Blenkhorn’s Auto Recyclers, Ltd. Brookside NS Canada
Bow Auto Salvage, Inc. Bow NH USA
Brothers Auto Salvage Yard, Inc. Indianapolis IN USA
Butler Auto Recycling, Inc. Pensacola FL USA
C & H Salvage Corp. Campbell Hall NY USA
Calumet Auto Salvage, Inc. Milwaukee WI USA
Capo’s Truck and Auto Parts Albuquerque NM USA
Car World, Inc. Candia NH USA
Carcone’s Auto Recycling Aurora ON Canada
Choice Auto Recyclers, Inc. Marinette WI USA
Columbia Auto Parts W. Columbia SC USA
County Line Auto Parts Kingsville MO USA
County Recovery Service, Inc. Wysox PA USA
Cousineau Auto Parts, Inc. (Weston) Weston WI USA
Decatur Auto Parts, Inc. Decatur IL USA
Denton County Auto Salvage Denton TX USA
Doggett Auto Parts Bryan TX USA
Don’s Automotive Mall, Inc. Binghamton NY USA
Economy Auto Parts Tulsa OK USA
Eiss Brothers Auto Parts, Inc. Watertown NY USA
Elmer’s Auto, Inc. Fountain City WI USA
Erie Vo-Vo, Inc. Whitesboro NY USA
Foreign Auto Salvage Ft. Wright KY USA
Freeman’s Auto Salvage Center, Inc. Joplin MO USA
G & R Auto Parts, Inc. Oklahoma City OK USA
Goyette’s, Inc. New Bedford MA USA
H & H Auto Parts & Salvage, Inc. Sussex WI USA
Hanser’s Automotive & Wrecker Company Billings MT USA
Higgins Auto Wrecking, Inc. Bakersfield CA USA
Highway 54 Salvage, Inc. Trenton TN USA
Hutch Auto and Truck Parts, Inc. Hutchinson MN USA
HVH Auto Parts, Inc., dba John’s Auto Parts Blaine MN USA
J.C. Shoemyer, Inc. dba J.C. Auto & Truck Monroe City MO USA
Jantz’s Yard 4 Automotive, Inc. Kenosha WI USA
Jerry Brown Auto Parts Center, Ltd. Queensbury NY USA
Jerry Carney & Sons, Inc. Ames IA USA
Jerry’s Auto Salvage, Inc. Big Lake MN USA
Kadinger’s Cadott Auto Recyclers & Sales, Inc. Cadott WI USA
Kadinger’s II Barron WI USA
Kadinger’s, Inc. Downing WI USA
Kelly Auto Parts Fairbault MN USA
Kirchhayn Auto Salvage, Inc. Cedarburg WI USA
Lacy Auto Parts, Inc. Charles City VA USA
Lewis Auto & Truck Parts Topeka KS USA
LKQ Advanced Auto Recycling Cumberland RI USA
LKQ Auto Parts of Central Texas New Braunfels TX USA
LKQ Auto Parts of North Texas, LP Hutchins TX USA
LKQ Auto Parts of South Texas Houston TX USA
LKQ Mid-America Auto Parts, Inc. Topeka KS USA
LKQ Midwest Auto Parts Omaha NE USA
LKQ of Michigan, Inc. Belleville MI USA
LKQ of Southern CA (Lakenor) Santa Fe Springs CA USA
LKQ of West Michigan Holland MI USA
LKQ Potomac German Auto Frederick MD USA
LKQ Route 16 Used Auto Parts, Inc. Webster MA USA
LKQ Smart Parts, Inc. Hustisford WI USA
LKQ Star Auto Parts, Inc. Janesville WI USA
LKQ Triplett ASAP, Inc. Akron OH USA
Logel’s Auto Parts Kitchener ON Canada
M & M Auto Parts, Inc. Stafford VA USA
Manuel’s Auto Wrecking Merced CA USA
Marshall’s Cars & Parts Bluffton OH USA
Michaelson Auto Wrecking South River NJ USA
Midway Auto Parts, Inc. Kansas City MO USA
Miller’s Auto Recycling (1992), Ltd. Fort Erie ON Canada
Morris Rose Auto Parts, Inc. Kalamazoo MI USA
Morrisons Auto, Inc. Edgerton WI USA
Nordstrom’s Automotive, Inc. Garretson SD USA
Norfolk Recycling Corporation Norfolk VA USA
Northwest Auto Parts Anchorage AK USA
Olston’s Auto Recyclers Lincoln NE USA
Pam’s Auto, Inc. St. Cloud MN USA
Parts Unlimited, Inc. Pearland TX USA
Peacock Auto Salvage, Inc. Macon GA USA
Pete’s Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Jenison MI USA
Preferred Auto & Truck Parts, LLC Conway AR USA
Remington Auto Salvage, Inc. Eau Claire WI USA
Rhine Auto, Inc. Plymouth WI USA
Rhodes Auto S/S/S, Inc. Streator IL USA
Rockford Auto Parts, Inc. Rockford IL USA
Schram Auto & Truck Parts Lansing, Inc. Mason MI USA
Schram Auto Parts Waterford MI USA
Sharp Auto Parts, LLC Stillwater MN USA
Snyder’s Recycled Auto and Truck Parts Holland TX USA
Sonshine Auto Parts Cumberland ON Canada
Spalding Auto Parts, Inc. Spokane WA USA
Speedway Auto, Ltd. Joliet IL USA
Stadium Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Denver CO USA
Stafford’s, Inc. Montgomery IL USA
Standard Auto Wreckers Toronto ON Canada
Stricker Brothers, Inc. Batavia OH USA
Tolpa’s Auto Parts Remsen NY USA
Viking Auto Salvage, Inc. Northfield MN USA
Walt’s Auto, Inc. Springfield OH USA
Waterloo Auto Parts, Inc. Waterloo IA USA
Wayne Auto Salvage, Inc. Goldsboro NC USA
Weller Auto Parts, Inc. Grand Rapids MI USA
West Side Auto Parts, Inc. Laurel DE USA
Wilbert’s, Inc. Webster NY USA
Woodfin - Specializing In Used Honda Car Parts Midlothian VA USA
Yancey Auto Salvage Perry MO USA
Y-Yard Auto & Truck, Inc. Effingham IL USA
What does Gold Seal Certification mean
Gold Seal Certification is awarded to professional members of the Automotive Recyclers
Association who have completed the Certified Automotive Recycler’s Program. Recyclers
must meet 27 categories of requirements and agree to follow a number of strict professional
business practices, rules, and regulations. For customers, Gold Seal Certification offers
the assurance that they are working with professionals who are committed to
providing the highest level of service and quality recycled OEM parts while operating their
businesses in an environmentally responsible manner.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 55

Certified News
Certified Automotive Recycler (C.A.R.) Program
Approved CAR Participants
A & Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. (North) Topeka KS USA
A & A Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Topeka KS USA
A & C Auto Parts & Wrecking Co. Cleveland OH USA
A & P Auto Parts, Inc. Cicero NY USA
A & T Auto Parts, Inc. Hyde Park NY USA
A B C Auto Parts & Sales, Inc. Blue Island IL USA
A-1 Auto Recyclers Rapid City SD USA
AAA Auto Salvage, Inc. Rosemount MN USA
AAA Truck Recyclers Phoenix AZ USA
AAAACO Auto Parts, Inc. Lorton VA USA
Aadlen Bros Auto Wrecking Sun Valley CA USA
Aberdeen Used Cars & Parts Aberdeen NC USA
Ace Auto Recyclers, Inc. Iowa City IA USA
Action Auto Parts, Inc. Marshalltown IA USA
Action Recycled Auto Parts WPG MB Canada
Albuquerque Foreign Auto Parts Albuquerque NM USA
Algar, Inc. Louisville KY USA
All Auto Parts Co. Fontana CA USA
All Car & Truck Recycling Anderson CA USA
All Foreign & Domestic Used Auto Parts, Inc. Columbus OH USA
All Foreign Used Auto Parts, Inc. Fredericksburg VA USA
Alliance Auto Parts Woodside NY USA
Al’s Auto Parts, Inc. Trevose PA USA
American Auto Parts Omaha NE USA
Auto Acres Used Parts, Inc. Milan IL USA
Auto Parts City, Inc. Gurnee IL USA
Automotive Parts Solutions Rockville MN USA
B & B Auto Parts & Salvage, Inc Oklahoma City OK USA
B & B Auto Salvage, Inc. Rapid City SD USA
B & M Auto Sales & Parts, Inc. Waukesha WI USA
B Auto Parts LLC East St. Louis IL USA
Badger Motors Wisconsin Rapids WI USA
Barber’s Auto Recycling (LKQ now 9/8/10) Ardmore AL USA
Barger-Mattson Auto Salvage, Inc. Nampa ID USA
Bauer’s Auto Wrecking Fresno CA USA
Bay Auto Parts Green Bay WI USA
Bessler Auto Parts Wilder KY USA
Bill’s Auto Parts, Inc. Cumberland RI USA
Bill’s Used Parts, Inc. Christiansburg VA USA
Bionic Auto Parts & Sales, Inc. Chicago IL USA
Blenkhorn’s Auto Recyclers, Ltd. Brookside NS Canada
Borges Foreign Auto Parts, Inc. Dighton MA USA
Bow Auto Salvage, Inc. Bow NH USA
Bowie Truck & Van Used Auto Bowie MD USA
Brandywine Auto Parts, Inc. Brandywine MD USA
Brandywine Truck Parts Brandywine MD USA
Brandywine Two, Inc. Brandywine MD USA
Brooks Auto Sales, Inc. Oilville VA USA
Brothers Auto Salvage Yard, Inc. Indianapolis IN USA
Bruce Auto Parts, Inc. Mechanicsville VA USA
Butler Auto Recycling, Inc. Pensacola FL USA
C & H Salvage Corp. Campbell Hall NY USA
Calumet Auto Salvage, Inc. Milwaukee WI USA
Camp Auto Salvage Barberton OH USA
Capo’s Truck and Auto Parts Albuquerque NM USA
Car World, Inc. Candia NH USA
Carcone’s Auto Recycling Aurora ON Canada
Central Auto Recycling, Inc. Syracuse NY USA
Central Small Car Salvage Brandywine MD USA
Choice Auto Recyclers, Inc. Marinette WI USA
Clayton Auto Parts & Wrecking, Inc. Clayton OH USA
Colorado Auto & Parts, Inc. Englewood CO USA
Columbia Auto Parts W. Columbia SC USA
Comox Valley Auto Recyclers Royston BC Canada
Compact Auto Parts Brandywine MD USA
Cosmos Ocean County Recycled Auto Parts Bayville NJ USA
Cosner Brothers Auto Parts, Inc. Troy VA USA
County Line Auto Parts Kingsville MO USA
County Recovery Service, Inc. Wysox PA USA
Cousineau Auto Parts, Inc. (Weston) Weston WI USA
Cousineau Auto, Inc. (Antigo) Antigo WI USA
Covey’s Auto Recyclers, Ltd. Hubbards NS Canada
D. A. Auto Parts, Ltd. Dumfries Scotland UK
Decatur Auto Parts, Inc. Decatur IL USA
Denton County Auto Salvage Denton TX USA
Diamond Auto Parts Fond Du Lac WI USA
D-N-J Auto Parts Owensboro KY USA
Doggett Auto Parts Bryan TX USA
Dom’s Auto Parts Co., Ltd. Courtice ON Canada
Don Scharf Automotive, Inc. Eagle River WI USA
Don’s Automotive Mall, Inc. Binghamton NY USA
Dulaney Auto and Truck Parts of Amarillo, Inc. Amarillo TX USA
Duval Auto Parts Forest VA USA
Eagle Auto Parts, Inc. Martinsburg WV USA
Economy Auto Parts Tulsa OK USA
Eden Used Auto Parts, Inc. Eden MD USA
Eiss Brothers Auto Parts, Inc. Watertown NY USA
Elgin Super Auto Parts, Inc. Eljin IL USA
Elmer’s Auto, Inc. Fountain City WI USA
Erie Vo-Vo, Inc. Whitesboro NY USA
Fireside Auto Services, Inc. Bellevue OH USA
Five J’s Auto Parts, Inc. Albuquerque NM USA
Foreign Auto Salvage Ft. Wright KY USA
Foreign Car Parts, Inc. Upper Marlboro MD USA
Forty Three Auto Salvage Joplin MO USA
Freeman’s Auto Salvage Center, Inc. Joplin MO USA
G & R Auto Parts, Inc. Oklahoma City OK USA
Gary’s U-Pull-It, Inc. Binghamton NY USA
Geiger Truck Parts, Inc. Watseka IL USA
Glenn’s Auto & Truck Parts Houston TX USA
Goyette’s, Inc. New Bedford MA USA
Green Point Auto Parts, Inc. Brewer ME USA
H & H Auto Parts & Salvage, Inc. Sussex WI USA
HAP Recycling Rancho Cordova CA USA
Hanser’s Automotive & Wrecker Company Billings MT USA
Higgins Auto Wrecking, Inc. Bakersfield CA USA
Highway 54 Salvage, Inc. Trenton TN USA
Hillsboro Auto Wrecking Hillsboro OR USA
Hi-Way Auto Parts, Inc. Brownwood TX USA
Horsehead’s Automotive Recycling Elmira NY USA
Hutch Auto and Truck Parts, Inc. Hutchinson MN USA
HVH Auto Parts, Inc., dba John’s Auto Parts Blaine MN USA
I-55 Auto Salvage Channahon IL USA
J & J Auto Wrecking, Inc. Marshallville OH USA
J.C. Shoemyer, Inc. dba J.C. Auto & Truck Monroe City MO USA
Jantz’s Yard 4 Automotive, Inc. Kenosha WI USA
Jeff Smid Auto, Inc. Iowa Falls IA USA
Jerry Brown Auto Parts Center, Ltd. Queensbury NY USA
Jerry Carney & Sons, Inc. Ames IA USA
Jerry’s Auto Salvage, Inc. Big Lake MN USA
Kadinger’s Cadott Auto Recyclers & Sales, Inc. Cadott WI USA
Kadinger’s II Barron WI USA
Kadinger’s, Inc. Downing WI USA
Kelly Auto Parts Fairbault MN USA
Kirchhayn Auto Salvage, Inc. Cedarburg WI USA
Knox Auto Parts Knoxville TN USA
Kress Auto Wreckers West Hazleton PA USA
Lacy Auto Parts, Inc. Charles City VA USA
Lecavalier Auto Parts, Inc. Ste.-Sophie QC Canada
Leesville Auto Wreckers, Inc. Rahway NJ USA
Lentini Auto Salvage, Inc. Ringoes NJ USA
Lewis Auto & Truck Parts Topeka KS USA
Linders. Inc. Worcester MA USA
LKQ 250 Auto, Inc. Harrisville OH USA
LKQ A & R Auto Parts Duncan SC USA
LKQ Advanced Auto Recycling Cumberland RI USA
LKQ All Models Corp. Phoenix AZ USA
LKQ A-Reliable Auto Parts & Wreckers, Inc. Blue Island IL USA
LKQ Atlanta, LP Jenkinsburg GA USA
LKQ Auto Parts of Central California Bakersfield CA USA
LKQ Auto Parts of Central Texas New Braunfels TX USA
LKQ Auto Parts of Memphis Crawfordsville AR USA
LKQ Auto Parts of North Texas, LP Hutchins TX USA
LKQ Auto Parts of Northern California Redding CA USA
LKQ Auto Parts of South Texas Houston TX USA
LKQ Auto Parts of Utah, LLC Springville UT USA
56 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

LKQ Birmingham, Inc. Birmingham AL USA
LKQ Brad’s Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Redmond OR USA
LKQ Broadway Auto Parts, Inc. Stuyvesant NY USA
LKQ Copher Self Service Auto Parts -
Bradenton, Inc. Brandon FL USA
LKQ Copher Self Service Auto Parts -
Clearwater, Inc. Clearwater FL USA
LKQ Copher Self Service Auto Parts -
St. Petersburg, Inc. St. Petersburg FL USA
LKQ Copher Self Service Auto Parts -
Tampa, Inc. Tampa FL USA
LKQ Crystal River, Inc. Crystal River FL USA
LKQ Foster Auto Parts, Inc. Portland OR USA
LKQ Fosters Auto Parts - Salem Salem OR USA
LKQ Gorham Auto Parts Corp. Gorham ME USA
LKQ Hunts Point Auto Parts Bronx NY USA
LKQ Melbourne Melbourne FL USA
LKQ Michael’s Auto Parts, Inc. Orlando FL USA
LKQ Mid-America Auto Parts, Inc. Topeka KS USA
LKQ Midwest Auto Parts Omaha NE USA
LKQ Minnesota, Inc. Albert Lea MN USA
LKQ North Florida Gainesville FL USA
LKQ Fort Myers dba DAP Ft. Myers FL USA
LKQ of Indiana, Inc. Avon IN USA
LKQ Memphis Self Service Memphis TN USA
LKQ of Michigan, Inc. Belleville MI USA
LKQ of Northwest Arkansas dba
LKQ Mid America Fayetteville AR USA
LKQ of Southern CA (Lakenor) Santa Fe Springs CA USA
LKQ of Tennessee Manchester TN USA
LKQ of West Michigan Holland MI USA
LKQ Penn-Mar, Inc. York Haven PA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Anaheim Anaheim CA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Bakersfield Bakersfield CA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Chula Vista Chula Vista CA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Help Your Self Wilmington CA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Stanton Stanton CA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Sun Valley Sun Valley CA USA
LKQ Pick Your Part-Wilmington Wilmington CA USA
LKQ Potomac German Auto Frederick MD USA
LKQ Pull n Save Auto Parts of Aurora, LLC Aurora CO USA
LKQ Route 16 Used Auto Parts, Inc. Webster MA USA
LKQ Salisbury, Inc. Salisbury NC USA
LKQ Savannah, Inc. Savannah GA USA
LKQ Self Service Auto Parts of Daytona Daytona Beach FL USA
LKQ Smart Parts, Inc. Hustisford WI USA
LKQ Star Auto Parts, Inc. Janesville WI USA
LKQ Triplett ASAP, Inc. Akron OH USA
LKQ U-Pull-It Damascus, Inc. Portland OR USA
LKQ U-Wrench-It Holland Holland MI USA
Logel’s Auto Parts Kitchener ON Canada
M & M Auto Parts, Inc. Stafford VA USA
Manuel’s Auto Wrecking Merced CA USA
Marshall’s Cars & Parts Bluffton OH USA
Massey’s Auto Parts, Inc. Millington TN USA
McDill Auto Wrecking, Inc. Stevens Point WI USA
Metro Auto Salvage, Inc. Lakeville MN USA
Michaelson Auto Wrecking South River NJ USA
Michigan Truck Parts, Inc. Westland MI USA
Midway Auto Parts, Liberty (owned by Kansas) Liberty MO USA
Midway Auto Parts, Inc. Kansas City MO USA
Middleton Auto Parts Fraser MI USA
Miller’s Auto Recycling (1992), Ltd. Fort Erie ON Canada
Milliron Auto Parts, Inc. Mansfield OH USA
Misgen Auto Parts, Inc. Ellendale MN USA
Morris Rose Auto Parts, Inc. Kalamazoo MI USA
Morrisons Auto, Inc. Edgerton WI USA
Motor Pro, Inc. Gilbert AZ USA
Newton Auto Salvage, Inc. Covington GA USA
Newville Auto Salvage, Inc. Edgerton WI USA
Nissenbaum’s Auto Parts, Inc. Somerville MA USA
Nordstrom’s Automotive, Inc. Garretson SD USA
Norfolk Recycling Corporation Norfolk VA USA
Northwest Auto Parts Anchorage AK USA
Ole South Auto Salvage, Inc. Lake Placid FL USA
Olston’s Auto Recyclers Lincoln NE USA
P & C Auto Wreckers, Inc. Milpitas CA USA
Pacific Auto Salvage, Inc. American Canyon CA USA
Pam’s Auto, Inc. St. Cloud MN USA
Parts Unlimited, Inc. Pearland TX USA
Pat’s Auto Salvage Waterloo IA USA
Peacock Auto Salvage, Inc. Macon GA USA
Pete’s Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Jenison MI USA
Pick-n-Pull Auto Dismantlers - Portland South Portland OR USA
Pick-n-Pull Auto Dismantlers - Sherwood Sherwood OR USA
Pick-n-Pull Auto Dismantlers - Vancouver Vancouver WA USA
Preferred Auto & Truck Parts, LLC Conway AR USA
Premier Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Cedar Springs MI USA
Pull-A-Part Akron Akron OH USA
Pull-A-Part Atlanta East Lithonia GA USA
Pull-A-Part Atlanta North Norcross GA USA
Pull-A-Part Atlanta South Conley GA USA
Pull-A-Part Baton Rouge Baton Rouge LA USA
Pull-A-Part Canton Canton OH USA
Pull-A-Part Cleveland I (East) Cleveland OH USA
Pull-A-Part Cleveland II (West) Cleveland OH USA
Pull-A-Part Columbia Columbia SC USA
Pull-A-Part Indianapolis Indianapolis IN USA
Pull-A-Part Jackson Jacksonville MS USA
Pull-A-Part Knoxville Knoxville TN USA
Pull-A-Part Lafayette Lafayette LA USA
Pull-A-Part Memphis Memphis TN USA
Pull-A-Part Mobile Mobile AL USA
Pull-A-Part Montgomery Montgomery AL USA
Pull-A-Part New Orleans West New Orleans LA USA
Pull-A-Part of Alabama Birmingham AL USA
Pull-A-Part of Augusta Augusta GA USA
Pull-A-Part of Charlotte, LLC Charlotte NC USA
Pull-A-Part of Louisville, LLC Louisville KY USA
Pull-A-Part of Tennessee Nashville TN USA
Pull-A-Part Winston-Salem Winston-Salem NC USA
Ransom Motors, Inc. Brandywine MD USA
Reitman Auto Parts Melbourne KY USA
Remington Auto Salvage, Inc. Eau Claire WI USA
Rhine Auto, Inc. Plymouth WI USA
Rhinelander Auto Salvage Rhinelander WI USA
Rhodes Auto S/S/S, Inc. Streator IL USA
Richard J. Cassidy, Inc. Interstate Auto Parts Tioga Center NY USA
Ridge Road Auto Parts Cleveland OH USA
Ripple’s Service, Inc. Upper Marlboro MD USA
Riteway Auto Parts, Inc. Phoenix AZ USA
Robert’s Engines, Inc. Lucama NC USA
Roberts Salvage, Inc. Moffett OK USA
Robertson’s Auto Salvage, Inc. Wareham MA USA
Rock and Roll Auto Recycling Pleasanton CA USA
Rockford Auto Parts, Inc. Rockford IL USA
Rusty Acres Automotive, Inc. Jacksonville FL USA
Salvage GM Parts of South Georgia, Inc. Valdosta GA USA
Sandhill Auto Salvage Tama IA USA
School Street Light Truck Parts Lowell MA USA
Schram Auto & Truck Parts Lansing, Inc. Mason MI USA
Schram Auto Parts Waterford MI USA
Scotty’s Auto Parts Virginia IL USA
Sharp Auto Parts, LLC Stillwater MN USA
Shipman Auto Parts Brainerd MN USA
Shroyer Auto Parts Lansing MI USA
Smith Auto Parts & Sales, Inc. Fairfield IA USA
Snyder’s Auto Body Clarinda IA USA
Snyder’s Recycled Auto and Truck Parts Holland TX USA
Sonshine Auto Parts Cumberland ON Canada
Southern Maryland Used Auto Parts Mechanicsville MD USA
Spalding Auto Parts, Inc. Spokane WA USA
Speedway Auto, Ltd. Joliet IL USA
St. Francis Auto Wreckers, Inc. St. Francis WI USA
Stadium Auto & Truck Parts, Inc. Denver CO USA
Stafford’s, Inc. Montgomery IL USA
Standard Auto Wreckers Toronto ON Canada
Stoystown Auto Wreckers, Inc. Stoystown PA USA
Strandberg Auto, Inc. Centuria WI USA
Stricker Brothers, Inc. Batavia OH USA
Tolpa’s Auto Parts Remsen NY USA
Trail’s End Auto & Truck Salvage Des Moines IA USA
Universal Recycling Center (Centre De Recyclage) Val-d’or QC Canada
Van Horn Auto Parts Mason City IA USA
Viking Auto Salvage, Inc. Northfield MN USA
Walt’s Auto, Inc. Springfield OH USA
Waterloo Auto Parts, Inc. Waterloo IA USA
Wayne Auto Salvage, Inc. Goldsboro NC USA
Weller Auto Parts, Inc. Grand Rapids MI USA
West Auto Wreckers, Ltd. Chula Vista CA USA
West Side Auto Parts, Inc. Laurel DE USA
Wilbert’s, Inc. Webster NY USA
Woodfin - Specializing In Used Honda Car Parts Midlothian VA USA
Yancey Auto Salvage Perry MO USA
Y-Yard Auto & Truck, Inc. Effingham IL USA
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 57

Capitol Connection
By Elizabeth Vermette, ARA Director, Government Affairs elizabeth@a-r-a.org
NMVTIS, Mercury Switch Recovery, Stormwater, Health Care
Small Business Jobs and
Credit Act of 2010
On September 27, President Obama
signed into law a chain of tax cuts
for small businesses and up to $14 billion
in federally funded loans aimed at
stimulating job creation. The $42 billion
law extends several small-business loan
programs created by last year’s Recovery
Act and gives tax cuts to small businesses
and their owners that would encourage
new investment and hiring.
The White House said more than
1,400 small or midsize companies with
more than $680 million of loan applications
already in the pipeline and
approved by banks would immediately
benefit from the program. In total,
about $14 billion in new loans could be
funded.
The maximum size of loans supported
by the Small Business Administration
(SBA) would also increase, to $5 million
from $2 million, and some manufacturing-related
loans could reach up to $5.5
million. The largest microloans, often
used by entrepreneurs and for startup
capital, would increase to $50,000 from
$35,000. The SBA’s so-called express
loans – usually tapped for working capital
that companies use to buy new
The law also lets
self-employed Americans
deduct all health
insurance costs for
themselves and
their families.
inventory and process new orders –
would increase to $1 million from
$35,000.
The new tax cuts also let small businesses
write off hundreds of thousands
of dollars in equipment purchases while
eliminating capital gains taxes for about
1 million companies, and many entrepreneurs
would be allowed to deduct
the first $10,000 in startup costs.
The law also lets self-employed
Americans deduct all health insurance
costs for themselves and their families.
Earlier this year, ARA and other members
of the Small Business Coalition for
Affordable Healthcare sent a letter to
the chairman and ranking members of
the Senate Finance and Small Business
Committees thanking them for including
this provision in the Small Business
Jobs Act of 2010. (See feature on page 29
for more information)
National Motor Vehicle
Title Information System
Use on the Rise
Forty-nine states are currently providing
data to the NMVTIS system.
Twenty-six states provide data to the system
as well as make title inquiries
before issuing new titles. Twelve states
provide data but are not making
inquiries. Eleven states are in development
(AK, CO, HI, KS, ME, MI, MS,
NM, OR, and RI). Illinois and the
District of Columbia are not providing
data at this time.
ARA’s Chief Executive Officer Michael
Wilson is now serving a two-year term on
the recently announced NMVTIS Advisory
Board. The objective of the NMVTIS
Advisory Board is to provide input and
recommendations to the Department of
Justice regarding the operations and
administration of NMVTIS, such as
meeting the statutory goals of the system,
ensuring participation of system
stakeholders, implementing a system
that is self-sustainable with user fees, creating
opportunities for alternative revenue-generating
streams, and determining
ways to enhance the technological
capabilities of the system.
Vermont Drafting New Rules for Salvage Yards
Last year, jurisdiction for the regulation of salvage yards in STATES
Vermont was transferred from the DMV to the Agency for ON THE
Natural Resources (ANR). An initial state review after the
transfer found 76 salvage yards operating with the proper MOVE
state licenses and local permits. The state estimated that at least 140 were operating
without licenses. ANR has no regulations for salvage yards.
The new law and regulations prompted ARA members in Vermont to form the
Vermont Automobile Recyclers Association. The group plans to work with the state
to help shape the regulations. As part of these efforts, ARA organized a yard tour
for the Vermont regulator of Jeff Kantor’s facility in New Hampshire. Jeff provided
a wonderful yard tour for the regulators and brought in staff from the Department
of Environmental Services in New Hampshire to showcase the good relationship
recyclers enjoy with regulators in New Hampshire. The meeting also gave regulators
a chance to share best practices.
NMVTIS Quick Facts
• 19.9 million: the number of salvage or total
loss records received since April 30, 2009.
• Over 8,000: the number of insurance carriers,
auto recyclers, junk yards and salvage
yards in the United States reporting or registered
to report to NMVTIS regularly.
• 87%: DMV data is in NMVTIS system.
• 2: the number of states not participating
(includes District of Columbia).
Since NMVTIS: Arizona is experiencing a
99% recovery rate on vehicles identified as
stolen. Virginia is seeing a 17% decrease in
motor vehicle thefts.
From www.nmvtis.gov
58 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

EPA Small Business Panel
on Stormwater Discharge
Last December, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) published a
Federal Register Notice announcing
their intention to initiate rulemakings to
strengthen the stormwater program
under the Clean Water Act (CWA) particularly
by reducing the impact of
stormwater discharges from developed
sites. EPA expects to convene a Small
Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel
for the development of the proposed
rule to strengthen and expand its
stormwater program. The Panel process
offers an opportunity for small entities,
which are expected to be subject to the
requirements of a proposed rule, to provide
input into the rulemaking process
in order to ensure that small entity concerns
are carefully considered by the
Agency.
ARA nominated Steve Lathem, Florida
Auto Dismantlers & Recyclers Association
Board Member and Past President,
to serve on the panel. Panelists have yet
to be selected.
The National Vehicle Mercury
Switch Recovery Program
(NVMSRP)
The NVMSRP voluntary incentive
fund is depleted. Although negotiations
are underway, the NVMSRP has not
received additional funds to continue the
cost recovery portion of the program.
Incentive payments will continue in
states where they are required by law
(AR, IL, IA, MA, NJ, RI, UT, MD) or
have a state-funded program (NC, SC,
WA) but have ceased in voluntary states.
The incentive was designed to enable
automotive recyclers, dismantlers, and
scrap processors to recover costs associated
with switch removal, storage, and
ultimate recovery. Earlier this year,
Illinois extended its mercury switch
recovery program until 2017.
ARA continues its support of the
NVMSRP. The need for a stable funding
source to fund switch removal by automotive
recyclers, dismantlers, and scrap
processors is essential to the success of
this program and the prevention of the
release of this mercury by steel mills.
The Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act
ARA is a member of several national
coalitions comprised of small businesses
who have been actively lobbying
to remove several of the onerous provisions
of the new health-care law. Activity
based on that involvement includes:
1099 Repeal
ARA and other members of the Coalition
for Fairness in Tax Compliance
(CFTC) sent letters of support to
Congress for H.R. 5141, the Small
Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination
Act, and its Senate companion
measure S. 3578. Both bills help small
businesses by repealing an expensive
and burdensome new tax paperwork
requirement included in the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act. Tax
paperwork and compliance are already
major expenses for small businesses,
and the new reporting requirements
included in the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act will only increase
these costs. The new filings substantially
increased the current requirement by
expanding both the types of businesses
and transactions considered reportable.
ARA signed onto 1099 repeal letters
authored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
and the National Federation of
Independent Businesses (NFIB). ARA
supported NFIB and U.S. Chamber of
Commerce efforts to advance 1099
amendments to the Small Business Jobs
and Credit Bill of 2010. Although the
amendments were defeated, there are
still several efforts pending to repeal the
1099 requirement including:
The Small Business Paperwork Mandate
Elimination Act, currently in the
House, seeks to fully repeal the 1099
expansion; however, a discharge petition
circulated to force a floor vote on
the bill hasn’t received the required 218
signatures needed for a vote. ARA
signed onto a NFIB letter supporting
the petition and encouraged members
to contact their members of congress
and ask for co-signers.
Another proposal in the House
includes two potential revenue-raising
devices. One would produce about $5.3
billion through revisions of the Grantor
Retained Annuity Trust Inheritance
rules. The other would raise taxes on
carried interest, which is a type of compensation
for private-equity managers
and venture capitalists.
In the Senate, a proposal is in the
works to completely repeal the 1099
requirement and replace the revenue
with surplus funds from the 2009 federal
economic stimulus package. Also, the
Information Reporting Modernization
Act would raise the threshold for businesses
to file information reports to
$5,000 from its current level of $600 and
would index the threshold to inflation
after 2012. Unlike previous proposals, it
would not exempt businesses with fewer
than 25 employees and does not include
an offset to pay for the change.
ARA also signed onto comments drafted
by the NFIB and submitted to the
Department of the Treasury and the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on behalf
of the Small Business Coalition for
Affordable Healthcare in response to a
request from the IRS that asked businesses
to demonstrate how the new filing
requirements would impact them.
Grandfathered Health Plans
The Senate recently rejected a resolution
disapproving of the so-called
grandfather rule in the new health-care
law. The new rules allow plans that existed
on or before March 23, 2010 – the day
the health-care reform act was signed into
law – to make “routine and modest adjustments”
to co-payments, deductibles, and
employer contributions without forfeiting
grandfather status. Plans will lose
their status, however, if they choose to significantly
cut benefits or increase out-ofpocket
spending for consumers.
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) authored the
resolution to overturn the grandfather
rule because he said it threatens small
businesses with higher health-care costs
and possibly loss of the health insurance
they have if they make any changes. ARA
signed onto a Small Business Coalition
for Affordable Healthcare letter supporting
Enzi’s effort. Unfortunately, the
Senate voted, 40-59, to reject the move
to take up Sen. Enzi’s resolution. ■
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 59

Crossword Puzzle
By Murray Jackson
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8
9 10
11 12
13
14 15 16 17
18
19 20 21 22
23
24 25
26 27
Across
1. Hot '94-'96 Chevy Caprice variant (6,1,1)
5. Words in fixer-upper car ad (2,2)
9. Parking-lot souvenirs
10. Non-standard, factory-installed items
11. A heavy hauler, in other words (3,3)
12. Corroded
14. '07 Honda model
16. Motorcycle with tuning-forks emblem
19. '07 Nissan pickup
21. '01-'53 Massachusetts-made motorcycle
24. It’s not your father’s car wax
25. State with potato-promoting plates
26. Auto auctioneer’s outcry
27. Pickup portion
Down
1. Briefly, a 500-mile race
2. GTO muscle-car maker
3. '90s Plymouth hatchback
4. Item in car-wash bucket
6. Drum-brake-system footwear
7. Chopper-passenger’s backrest (5,3)
8. '07 Nissan SUV
13. Stopwatch-measured intervals (3,5)
15. '07 Ford pickup
17. Home of “Heart of Dixie” plates
18. Late-'70s Ford import
20. Demolish a car, slangily
22. Boring hand tool
23. Prime NASCAR starting-grid position
60 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

February
25-26
Ohio Auto & Truck
Recyclers Association
Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, OH
Pam Graffice, Tedrow Wrecking
sgraffice@powersupply.net
(800) 247-6993
March
11-12
Greater Midwest Automotive
Recyclers Expo (GMARE)
CoCo Key Water Resort &
Convention Center
Omaha, NE
www.agri-ne.org
16-18
2011 Hill Days
and Mid-year
Business
Development
Conference
Gaylord National
Washington, D.C.
(888) 385-1005
www.a-r-a.org
24-26
Ontario Automotive
Recyclers Association
www.oara.com/events.php
April
28-30
2011 Upper Midwest Auto
& Truck Recyclers
Convention & Trade Show
Washington County Fair Park
West Bend, WI
www.wcfairpark.com
Co-Hosted by: Automotive
Recyclers of Minnesota
& CARS of Wisconsin
Kelly Lynch-Salseg
(612) 781-5555
2011 Industry Calendar
To include your event in ARA’s calendar of events,
e-mail the complete listing to Maria@a-r-.org.
Visit www.a-r-a.org for the most up-to-date calendar.
May
13-14
iT Show
Holland, OH
www.meetusatit.com
20-22
Automotive Recyclers
of Michigan
3rd Annual Road Show
and Business Networking
Conference
East Bay Auto Parts,
Interlochen, MI
Barb Utter
arm@mi.automotiverecyclers.org
(800) 831-2519
June
13
11th Annual Ken Utter, Jr.
Memorial Scholarship
Golf Outing at the Links of Novi
Novi, MI
Barb Utter
arm@mi.automotiverecyclers.org
(800) 831-2519
23-25
Arkansas Automotive
Dismantlers & Recyclers Assn.
(AADRA)
“A Classic Event”
Bring your classic cars or come
and view classics from the past
Hot Springs Convention Center
Hot Springs, AR
Embassy Suites
(800) 362-2779
September
8-10
SCADA Convention
and Trade Show
Napa, CA
22-24
ARA-NY 50th Anniversary
Convention and Trade Show
The Saratoga Hilton and
Saratoga Convention Center
Saratoga, NY
23-24
Central Midwest Auto Recyclers
Convention (CMARC )
Trade Show & More
The President Abraham
Lincoln Hotel
Springfield, IL
This event is all about training,
training, training! Brought to
you by IA, IL and IN
For more information, call
Michelle at (877) 880-2874.
24-25
VARA Annual Meeting
and Trade Show
Lacy Auto Parts
Charles City, VA
www.varecyclers.com
October 11-15, 2011
68th Annual
ARA Convention
& Exposition
Westin & Charlotte
Convention Center
Charlotte, NC
(888) 385-1005
www.a-r-a.org
Send your
2011 events for
the ARA Industry
Calendar to
maria@a-r-a.org
Ad Index
Actual Systems of America, Inc./Pinnacle ......44
Al-jon.......................................................................27
ARA University ......................................................48
Brock Supply Co. ...................................................31
Car-Part.com.......................................................C-4
CRUSH/S3 Software Solutions, LLC ..................41
E-Z Crusher/R.M. Johnson..................................28
G.J. Sullivan Co........................................................6
Granutech-Saturn Systems.................................22
Hollander .............................................................C-3
KBK Insurance Group, Inc. ..................................39
MarkingPenDepot.com........................................54
OmniSource ...........................................................32
Pemberton, Inc. ....................................................25
United Recyclers Group.....................................C-2
Vander Haag’s, Inc. ...............................................61
Vortex De-pollution System .................................9
Wells Fargo...............................................................5
Zurich ......................................................................52
Get Ahead in 2011
Advertise in Automotive Recycling!
Call Caryn Smith at (239) 225-6137
or e-mail ARAeditor@comcast.net
Answers from Puzzle on page 60
S O L D T A I L G A T E
E A R T L M L
M O T H E R S I D A H O
I O G E R B P
23
T I T A N I N D I A N
P A F L R
A C C O R D Y A M A H A
L A E R B
B I G R I G R U S T Y
11 12
Y T E N E E S
D I N G S O P T I O N S
N O A P X H I
8
9 10
I M P A L A S S A S I S
18
26 27
24 25
19 20 21 22
14 15 16 17
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
13
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION
1. Publication Title: Automotive Recycling 2. Publication Number: 1058-9376 3. Filing Date: October 29, 2010 4. Issue Frequency:
Bi-monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: Six 6. Annual Subscription Price: $40.00 7. Complete Mailing Address of
Known Office of Publication (not printer): Automotive Recyclers Association, 9113 Church St., Manassas, VA 20110-5456 8. Complete
Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (not printer): 9113 Church St., Manassas, VA 20110-
5456 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher (Name and Complete
Mailing Address) Michael E. Wilson, 9113 Church St., Manassas, VA 20110-5456; Editor (Name and Complete Mailing Address)
Caryn Smith, 12901 Village Gate St., Ft. Myers, FL 33913 10. Owner: Automotive Recyclers Association, 9113 Church St., Manassas,
VA 20110-5456 13. Publication Title: Automotive Recycling 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 14, 2010 15. Extent
and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months: a. total Number of Copies (net press
run) 1450, b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Paid/Requested Outside-county Mail Subscriptions Slated on Form 3541) 1417, c.
Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 1098, d. Free Distribution by Mail (Outside County as Slated on Form 3541): 50, e. Free Distribution
Outside the Mail (carriers or other means): 100, f. Total Distribution: 1248, g. Copies not Distributed: 169, h. Total: 1417, i.
Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 88%. Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Total Number
of Copies (net press run) 1450, b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Paid/Requested Outside-county Mail Subscriptions Slated
on Form 3541) 1098, c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 1177, d. Free Distribution by Mail (Outside County as Slated on
Form 3541): 100, e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (carriers or other means): 100, f. Total Distribution: 1327, g. Copies not Distributed:
123, h. Total: 1450, i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 89% 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership will be
printed in the November/December 2010 issue of this publication. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager,
or Owner: Michael E. Wilson, Managing Editor.
November-December 2010 | Automotive Recycling 61

Final Thoughts
By Michael E. Wilson, ARA Chief Executive Officer
michael@a-r-a.org
Get in on the Momentum
Let’s keep it rolling. On the heels of
the Cash for Clunker’s program and
similar initiatives around the world, ARA
continues to tap into that energy to further
advance the reach of the Association.
One needs to look no further than
the bottom-line membership numbers
achieved this past year. For fiscal 2009-10,
ARA ended the year with 167 new members,
the highest recruitment since 1992-
93. This figure on top of a membership
retention rate of 95-percent has pushed
total membership near 1,130.
Faced with daunting economic conditions
around the globe, ARA continues
to work to provide tools to help aid automotive
recyclers in these difficult circumstances.
It has been ARA’s pledge to
work to enhance our member benefit
program to enable a majority of our
members to receive a 20-to-1 ratio of benefits
to dues. To help achieve this lofty
goal, ARA has teamed up with BizUnite
to provide additional opportunities to
supplement our current programs.
BizUnite offers over twenty cost-saving
programs specifically designed to help
small businesses reduce business costs
and increase profitability, elevating our
members to a higher level of success.
Through this partnership, ARA is able to
tap into the power and scale of our business
partner that enables us to secure
discounts on world-class products and
services for our member discounts previously
only available to larger corporations.
On average, small to medium-sized
businesses are saving thousands of dollars
per year with BizUnite. That number
represents savings on payment processing,
office supplies, package delivery,
wireless services, and payroll processing
alone.
I just returned from our 67th Annual
Convention and Expo in Austin, Texas.
The buzz in the exhibit hall and in the
host Renaissance Hotel was infectious.
With a greater assortment of educational
opportunities and top-notch presenters,
attendees came in levels that the
automotive recycling industry has not
seen in ten years. By the close of the
week’s events, the number of attendees
soared over one thousand and ended at
1,039 -- a 11-percent growth from last
year and 20 percent increase since 2006.
We owe a special thank you to our
exceptional sponsors, especially our
Diamond Sponsors, each of whom
donated $15,000 or more, whose participation
funded a large part of the event.
Thank you Brock Supply Co. for sponsoring
the Friday night Yard Tour &
Barbecue; Hollander, a Solera company,
for sponsoring the Saturday evening Networking
Dinner – the food was excellent,
the company most entertaining; and
Wells Fargo Insurance Services for sponsoring
the Past President’s Reception &
Trade Show opening. With the commitment
to the automotive recycling community
from all the sponsors, ARA was
able to post another record with
$108,500 in contributions.
However, there is still much to do.
These accomplishments only aid our initiatives
to protect the automotive recyclers
from others who wish to impose
their agendas on our industry. Again, it
is your Association and your industry.
Those colleagues around you who are
not members, now is the time for them
to join. There has never been a more
important time or stakes so high. So
please, contact that fellow non-member
recycler and let them know that ARA is
a business choice that makes sense. ■
BizUnite offers over
twenty cost savings
programs specifically
designed to help small
businesses reduce
business costs and
increase profitability.
62 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2010

Automotive Recyclers Association
9113 Church Street
Manassas, VA 20110-5456 USA