There are three to four local yards that could be considered our competition. But with tech- nology, a yard can be our com- petition wherever it is located. We are on social media, and we sell online through eBay and our website. Locally, we have

Company NationWide Auto Parts at a Glance Location:

Physical plant: Specialty:

Five acres Late model, exotic vehicles

Employees: 16 Annual production: 800 – 1,000 vehicles ARA member since: 2008 Gold Seal:

2015

four trucks that deliver within a 100-mile radius. We are always ahead of our competition in customer serv- ice, price, and quality.

AR: You buy expensive salvage. How does the cost of inventory impact execution of your business plan? We have four full-time dismantlers who process eight hundred to a thousand vehicles a year. If I make a storage yard for parts they will sit there a long time. With a small team – 16 employees – we move a large volume of parts a lot.

AR: Do you have any plans to expand the business? We just broke ground for a building that will pro-

FASTfacts Central Valley, N.Y.

vide 10,000 square feet of office space and storage. Beyond this location, I just acquired a yard in New Jersey and am in the process of saving it. It’s a differ- ent market area; I wanted to reach out to New Jersey.

AR: What have you learned in eight years in business? I am very aggressive. Time is not on our side. We move forward. Do I make mistakes? Yes. Do I learn from them? Yes, and I do not make the same mistake again.

AR: What achievement or milestone over the past eight years brings you the most pride? My business model has proved to be a good one. What makes me proud is when the competition is watching what I do and following in my steps. Some people may say it bothers them when someone else is trying to imitate them. I think it is flattering. Lynn Novelli is a freelance writer based in Ohio.

January-February 2016 | Automotive Recycling 57