“I was impressed with the number of vendors,” says Leland Boone, Vice President of Operations, Intermountain Auto Recycling, Inc. in Rigby, Idaho. “We talked with many of them at the last show and was glad to see them again to take advantage of the oppor- tunity.” Intermountain Auto Recycling, owned by five of the Boone brothers (two more are working to enter the business), first attended the 2009 ARA Convention in Kentucky. They were impressed and it kept these progressive ARA members coming back for more. With five owners, running a family business can be challenging, yet Boone says each brother has their own area of expertise. When attending the conven- tion, he says, “I have more say in my area, which is dis- mantling, so I look for ideas and services to improve it. Intermountain is CAR certified, and “looking to be Gold Seal certified very soon. We thought we were efficient, then we found we were light years behind,” he says. “My favorite part of the convention experience is networking. I enjoy talking to people who’ve done it better or longer in order to get ideas to improve.” “Thank you all for inviting me to your organization and to the ARA Convention in Charlotte,” says Dalius Rimsa, Euro Impex Utena, Lithuania. “These few days made my world wider in an educational and pro- fessional sense. I can tell you, indeed, I have not seen

a organization so strong, active, workable, educational, and like a family, uniting people from an industry that is almost impossible to unite in other countries. I enjoyed my time of being there.”

When asked what they enjoyed most, John Grant and Jennifer Godinez, Carolina Salvage, Rock Hill, SC say, “Everything’s impactful. The recall and liability sessions were very good.”

Even the ARA staff commented on the convention buzz. “The Educational Sessions were excellent with many members discussing worthwhile take-aways. And the Expo was the best ever, with high energy exhibitors,” noted Delanne Bernier, ARA Director of Policy and Political Affairs. ARA Director of Member Services Kelly Badillo says, “The buzz seemed very positive.” It was tough for her to choose a highlight, but says, “Matlock’s was really something to see.”

Artsy Yard Tour

The Convention began with a popular social event – the Yard Tour and BBQ. Hosted by Jeff Matlock and his team at Matlock’s Used Cars & Parts, Inc., in Claremont, NC, a Gold Seal facility. The guests first noticed the car made into a ladybug on the roof – what Matlock’s calls “car part art.” Another auto with figures of “car part art” people greeted guests near

January-February 2016 | Automotive Recycling 29