Shiſt ing Gears By Caryn Smith, Editor

Best Niche Association Magazine Partners for Progress Means Open Communication T

hrough the many years of covering automotive recycling, I have heard the concept of partnering to get ahead. Partnering in the past has been through buying groups, many which are very suc- cessful trading groups today, as well as partnering with the best software com- pany to meet your inventory processes, auctions to get fi rst dibs on best invento- ry buys, fl uid evacuation to attain fastest dismantling possible, and more. There is even the concept of partnering with legis- lators to help create a win-win of mutual support to further the causes of our in- dustry. (By the way, that is still a vital part- nership, and you have an opportunity to meet your legislators at ARA’s Hill Day. Read more about that on page 44.)

Yes, in the past, partnering had to do,

really, with the individual success of each recycler – how can company A help com- pany B as part of their toolbox to profi ts. But never more urgently – emerging from the shadows of recalls and smart cars – has there been such a bold call for open discussions on a national and global level to work together to further, protect and promote the 30-billion dollar auto recycling industry. There is much talk on alliances with sister industries and associations – like the insurance and the collision repair industry, and ARA-like organizations – and even the perceived enemy, dare I say it: auto manufacturers. Chris Daglis provides, on page 28, his perspective on we may be able to achieve

a model where everyone is included, and the consumer wins. ARA’s CEO Michael E. Wilson also shares his views on page 6. There is a perception voiced at the 2nd Annual Roundtable (see story on page 37) that the “enemy” wants to see this industry fail. But the reality is that they are not able or willing to do the re- sponsible thing, yet, to fully recycle a car. In the essence of what this industry does, there is an inherent need for our services that auto makers can’t easily replicate. A way to validate the excellence of auto recycling in these kinds of discussion is to make the industry’s case with hard facts. One (not surprising) study on page 42 validates the industry with scientifi c data to support the industry’s eco-positioning.

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March-April 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING