Wilbert’s U-Pull-It

with an approximate population of 42,000. This facility also serves nearby Rochester, with a population of 208,000 as the third-most populous city in the state behind New York City. It boasts a 50/50 split of women to men ratio, a mix of ethnicities, and a good economy. Clearly, the region has the people to support multiple automotive recycling business models. Eric Wilbert, General Manager, and Tyler Petrie, Oper- ations Manager, run the self-service operations for the Wilbert brand. “Williamson (in Wayne County and east of Rochester, with a population of 7,000) was an existing facility that had been dormant for a few years prior to being purchased by brothers Pete, Rick and Ron Wilbert. The Bath location (in Steuben County with a population of 12,000) was an existing full-service yard that was pur- chased in July 2018, and is now operating as a self-service yard,” the duo notes. Williamson encompasses 38 acres with 28 employees who process 8,000 vehicles a year, while Bath is a generous 60 acres, yet operates with 11 employees. As a newer yard, the location processed 1,000 cars since opening, “but that will be growing substantially in years to come,” they estimate. Wilbert’s expanded into the self-service industry to separate the retail traffic they were receiving from their full-service yard. The full-service business model was not geared to cater to the retail customers in their area. “The self-service model allows us to directly serve the retail customer and in turn, provide an opportunity for the

Automotive Recycling

A self-service customer pulls a part at Wilbert’s U-Pull It of Williamson (above) and the yard (inset).

Wilbert’s U-Pull It of Bath, newly- opened in 2018, has plenty of space to expand (left).

full-service to better focus on its wholesale clientele. As a result, our quality of service has increased tremendously overall in the past several years, and continues to do so,” says Wilbert. “The same can be said at the U-Pull It facili- ties, as we better understand our customers' needs and get direct feedback to their wants.” Joey Cox, along with brother Jason, are the owners of CTV Inc., and Cox Truck & Van Inc., a 40-year-old fami-

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