Auto Recycling eNewsletter AutoSalvageConsultant.com

 

For immediate release – December 2010

Written and published by Ron Sturgeon, autosalvageconsultant.com, email to rons@autosalvageconsultant.com.  To register for future free issues, visit http://www.autosalvageconsultant.com.  Don’t forget to watch for our management articles monthly in Recyclers Power Source Magazine, or posted at our web site.

 

This Month’s News

 

CEO of Morningstar LKQ Plans to Resign in 2011: In early December, Morningstar LKQ announced that Joe Halston, the company’s president and CEO, will be stepping down on the first of the year.  Halston has been at the helm of the company for more than a decade, and he will not be giving up his role entirely.  According to an article in The Toronto Star, Halston will continue to act as a consultant for the Morningstar LKQ and will also act as vice chairman.  The new CEO is expected to be Robert Wagman, currently the vice president of operations for wholesale parts.  The company has a clear succession plan, and market analysts seem to be supportive of the transition.

 

To learn more, read the article in The Toronto Star here.

 

Peer Benchmarking Sessions by Ron Sturgeon Offer Support to Auto Salvage Business Owners: Owning a salvage business has its ups and downs, and it’s common for individual entrepreneurs to feel isolated.  This is especially true in challenging economic times.  However, Ron Sturgeon is leading peer benchmarking review groups to help auto recyclers support one another and grow their businesses. 

 

“We only accept one person from each market area,” says Ron Sturgeon. “That way, it doesn’t feel competitive.  Everyone works together to offer insights and suggestions.  It’s a great way to turn problems into possibilities.”

 

Learn more about how peer benchmarking can help make 2011 your best year yet. The next group will be on November 12, 2010.  Register now.

Valparaiso, Indiana Recycler Wins State Award: Metro Auto Recyclers, Inc. in Valparaiso, Indiana was honored with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Clean Yard Gold Award.  The salvage company has taken many steps to focus on environmental responsibility, including planting 400 evergreen trees, protecting nearby land from storm-water drainage, and removing fluids from auto parts.  Owner Steve Dykstra says that these steps actually improve the bottom line, as well as the surrounding environment.

“We want to do it in a sustainable way. If you don’t, you won’t be in business 20 years from now,” says Dykstra.

Read more of the article from the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana here.

Salvage Yard Fire Threatens Homes: When part of an El Paso, Texas salvage yard caught fire last month, it posed a significant threat to area homes.  The fire department was called to A&B Auto Salvage Yard, where they put out the blaze without damaging nearby houses and businesses.  The cause of the fire has not yet been discovered.

Resident Ray Padilla described the event, saying flames were shooting 20-30 feet in the air.  He and his wife could hear the sound of breaking glass and feel the heat from the blaze.  They were relieved that their home was not damaged.

“It could have been a lot worse, especially [because] there is a lot of debris on the outside of this street where, when the wind comes in, all the tumbleweeds and everything catches on this corner,” Padilla says.  Read more here.

Belvidere, Illinois Facility Attracts EPA Attention:  More than 250 containers of poisonous gasses and liquids were removed from Cadie Auto Salvage, a closed auto salvage business in Belvidere, Illinois.  The Environmental Protection Agency stepped in to clean up the chemicals, which they say have not yet polluted area ground water or spread to other property.  The harmful pollutants were discovered by family members of the company’s owner, who is now deceased.  The family was attempting to clean up the property, but they called the EPA after finding containers labeled “poisonous gas.”  The EPA has been involved in the cleanup since late October and hopes to complete the project by January 1.

“It’s important to clear these off-site quickly,” Steve Faryan, the on-site coordinator for the EPA told the Rockford Register Star. “We did find some oils, greases and gasoline on the surface and below the surface — there is contamination. There’s going to have to be continued investigation of that.” Learn more here.

Recycling Businesses Try to Discourage Copper Theft: According to the Athens Banner-Herald, some recyclers are trying to discourage sales of stolen copper and other materials. Thefts of copper pipe and wiring have plagued home builders for some time, and it’s not uncommon to see stolen copper at salvage facilities.  The increase in the price of these metals has led to even more theft, but some auto salvage businesses are fighting back.  Some salvage yards require scrap collectors to submit photo ID.

 

“You have to have photo ID, we take down your tag number, and we write you a check for the metal,” said Ron Collins, co-owner of Collins Auto Salvage. “We have a camera over there by the scales.” Read more here.

 

 

How’s Business?

“The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”

Dale Carnegie

AutoSalvageconsultant.com was formed in 2001 to help recyclers improve their businesses. The group has become THE definitive source for recyclers’ management and training needs. The founder, Ron Sturgeon is past owner of AAA Small Car World.  In 1999, he sold his six Texas locations, with 140 employees, to Greenleaf.  In 2001, he founded North Texas Insurance Auction, which he sold to Copart in 2002.  In 2009, his book Salvaging More Millions from Your Small Business was published to help small business owners achieve significant success. Ron consults, speaks, and writes about issues key to successful entrepreneurship. Reach Ron at 817-838-8477 8# or contact him on www.autosalvageconsultant.com.