SPOTLIGHT ON

Leading with Cocoa Auto Salvage

W A Little History

Doug and Linda Lathem moved to Cocoa, FL from Gainesville, GA in 1970. A me- chanic by trade, Doug always had his hands on a car – either repairing one or racing another. Shortly after moving to Florida, the couple was presented with the opportuni- ty to lease a gas station with auto repair bays.

It was a struggle and there were no guarantees but this gamble opened the door to great opportunities for the couple. Several years later they were able to buy their own full service gas station with repair bays, which eventually included a convenience store and deli.

During this time period, they acquired tow trucks, which lead to the couple operat- ing the largest towing company in the county. The tow business began running calls

AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING • March-April 2018 55

hen you speak to Shannon (Shan) McMillon, seen at right, President of Cocoa Auto Salvage, Cocoa, Florida – a Gold Seal Auto Recycler – you think one thing: This is one smart auto recycler. A fairly young businessperson and a female recycler, neither of those things are no- table when she talks about business. But what is clear is her passion for the indus-

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try and her role in furthering business opportunities for auto recyclers. She is a leader from her operation to her activism in the industry. She takes on the challenge before her and owns the leadership role.

Home grown in the industry, McMillon always loved the business her parents started. Her mother, Linda, insisted on a college degree, so she accomplished that at Uni- versity of Central Florida, graduating with a degree in Business Management, with a focus on Accounting. “College was an expectation,” says McMillon. “It was important to my mother that we would go to college. But during college, I started working more hours at the yard. After graduation we decided that I would head up the finance and accounting side. At that time, we had about 75 employees so it was a lot of learning about the financial side of the business.”

But before we get ahead of ourselves, McMillon is grateful for the foundation estab- lished by her parents. “The foundation laid by my parents is key to the Cocoa Auto Salvage success,” says McMillon. “It has made my job today much easier.”

This Gold Seal Auto Recycler celebrates leadership by embodying it alongside dedicated staff and other recyclers. By Caryn Smith