SPOTLIGHT ON EXCELLENCE

Being active in these [trade] organizations lets me observe the best people around and see what they are doing.

wholesale and that gained us a lot of cash flow,” Lewicki says, pointing out the direct benefit. Downstream, that cash flow in the early days of the business allowed him to purchase the inventory he needed and update the facility by purchasing an entire new racking system, two hoists, drains, and oil separators.

Those purchases resulted in significant environ- mental improvements by allowing the total disman- tling operation to be moved under roof. “We made big-time improvements in operations,” Lewicki adds. “Now, anything we do in the warehouse is contained.” 2. Never stop analyzing your business model. This principle is assuming ever more importance, Lewicki notes, as the Big Three automakers increase their efforts to push recycled parts out of the market. For a yard like Highway Auto Parts that specializes in newer model vehicles, that eventually could be a game changer for Lewicki and thousands of other recyclers. 3. Keep your eyes open and stay nimble. (A corol-

lary to number 2.) Although Lewicki is satisfied for now, he never takes his eyes off the big picture. He is totally aware that the situation in China, the nation- al and global economy, changing practices in car manufacturing and car manufacturers’ apparent aver- sion to anything other than OEM all have the power to impact the recycling industry and dismantle his dreams.

“If the situation with manufacturers gets worse,” he says realistically, “I can’t bite the hand that feeds us, and I will have to go back to the old way and focus on older vehicles.”

4. Network at every opportunity. Lewicki uses net- working in two ways – to build his business and to learn. For example, through networking locally he connected with Iraqi-Americans in the Detroit area to whom Highway Auto Parts sells large volumes of new Chrysler, Ford and GM parts. The Iraqi- Americans ship them overseas to resell. As far as networking opportunities in the industry, ARA and the Automotive Recyclers of Michigan have been key, Lewicki notes. He recently was named to the Board of the state organization and is getting more active in ARA as well.

“Being active in these organizations lets me observe the best people around and see what they are doing,” he explains. “I take some of their best practices and try applying them to my operation.” As the industry, the business environment and the economy all con- tinue to shift, staying active in the state and national organizations will become even more important, he predicts.

5. Achieve and maintain important industry certi- fications. “When I started, my goal was to get all the important certifications as quickly as possible. That shows our customers that there is more to our busi- ness than just selling parts,” Lewicki says. Less than three years from launching Highway Auto Parts, the facility has achieved ARA CAR and Gold Seal certifi- cations. It was important to him as an owner, Lewicki says, to create an environment that was clean, safe, and met the highest environmental standards. 6. Keep your employees happy. Production is important to Lewicki, but he is careful to weigh in the stress factor that comes with con- stantly pushing employees to work faster and harder. That can be effective in boosting production, he says, but it’s not sustainable because of the toll it takes on employee satisfaction. He has tried to create a more laid-back, enjoyable environment where employees will not get burned out.

“If mistakes are made, they are just that, mistakes,” Lewicki explains. “My managers and I rarely get very worked up. As long as mistakes don’t become habits, my employees don’t have to worry

68 Automotive Recycling | September-October 2015