Wisdom of 62 Years' Experience “A great percentage of the industry is in survival

mode,” notes Lieberman, yet the industry requires us to adapt to change and make needed course corrections. “Some have made major changes and are doing fine. Change is required for survival. The complexity of cars and OEM position statements are of most concern to me. Electronics are now the best product option of the future, with an open marketplace all over the world,” he says. “It used to be the largest yellow page ad ruled the day and sheet metal was a prized product. Now, it is a level playing field where all have equal opportunity. “Embracing a high level of education and coopera- tion are the two things I would encourage managers and leaders to do right now,” he said. “Learn all they can about current and future automotive products. Be the ‘Amazon’ of the industry, which has 100 percent con- sumer trust in product and ability. Step up to the plate. “Twenty years ago, my first presentation to LKQ was a prediction of the future. I said within 20 years, the auto- mobile would make all the decisions at the point of col- lision impact. The vehicle will call all key players. Today that is a fact. Where will we be in the future, I truly I do not know.

“OEMs are calling more of the shots. They are part- nering with insurance companies. Soon, they will sell a

car and an insurance policy as a bundle. The car leasing market is already doing that,” he says. A possible future for auto recyclers could include a European directive-type policy in the U.S. where OEMs will be held liable for end-of-life vehicles. “We need to make alliances in manu- facturing now. We should be preparing for it, while auto recyclers are still significant players in the auto parts sector. The reality is we cannot do what we have always done and expect different results,” he says. “Relationships are still important in our business.”

The Business of Life Lieberman isn’t interested in idle retirement. “I enjoy being a part of my community, spending time with family, and traveling. I have three children, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. I will keep busy with my varied interests, like politics, my street rod club, and discussion groups with other like-minded people. I enjoyed my com- pany, my time at LKQ, and serving the automotive recy- cling industry very, very much. I am blessed that I never felt like I had to go to work.”

Caryn Smith, editor of Automotive Recycling, has been covering the industry for over 20 years. She has written for other related recycling publications, providing insight and trends.

50 // March-April 2019

Automotive Recycling

INTERVIEW