SPOTLIGHT ON EXCELLENCE

Matlock’s Used Parts THE

AArt of A

With operations in Cleveland and Claremont, N.C., Matlock’s has grown to be one of the largest auto recy- clers in the state. Second-generation owner Jeff Matlock recently shared some of the company’s histo- ry, lessons learned, and best practices with Automotive Recycling magazine.

Closer is Better

Paul Matlock established the company that bears the family name in 1946 and relocated it several times until purchasing the current site in Cleveland, N.C. in 1967. Jeff Matlock, Paul’s son, officially joined the company in 1978, although he had been working at the yard already for years.

In 1985 Jeff expanded the business with the pur- uto Recycling This North Carolina auto recycling facility uses creative

thinking and artsy ideas to stay profitable and popular. BY LYNN NOVELLI

uto recyclers in central North Carolina have to deal with tough competi- tion. More than 250 salvage yards in the area compete for the business of some 250 collision repair shops. ARA Gold-Certified, CAR recycler Matlock’s Used Parts has survived and thrived in this market for nearly 70 years on the strength of a simple business value proposi- tion: delivering quality, clean used parts.

chase of 22 acres and took over from his father, who retired fully in 1995. He continued to grow the busi- ness, opening yards in Taylorsville, N.C., an hour north- east of Cleveland, and Hillsville, Va., two hours north of Cleveland.

In 2011, Matlock’s purchased the former “world’s largest maker of Valentine boxes” facility in Claremont, N.C. After gutting and totally renovating the building to transform it into a state-of-the-art auto recycling facil- ity, Matlock’s opened the Claremont location in 2013. Like other recyclers who have expanded to multi- ple distant facilities, Jeff says that the expansion did not work out as well as planned. “It was too difficult to manage all the facilities effectively because of the distance to Taylorsville and Hillsville,” he explains.

May-June 2015 | Automotive Recycling 53