WORKFORCE IN ACTION
Women withaWhy
T
Karlene Duplessis Inventory Manager
East Coast Auto Salvage Inc. Higganum, Conn.
www.ECAutoSalvage.com Celebrated her 16th anniversary with East Coast on Nov. 29, 2015
back to school in my late 20’s to become a mechanic and was very intrigued by cars and how they work. I was employed as an automobile technician for three years at a transmission shop before applying for this job at a local “junkyard” in my hometown. I had been doing a brake job on the side and needed parts, and saw they were hiring. During the interview I remember saying that I had never worked for a junkyard before, and the owners response was, “We are more than a junkyard, we are an automobile recycling facility!” Today, sixteen years later I find this to be true. I started as a dismantler in the garage for my first year and quickly moved up the ladder, performing almost every job there is at this facility. I have scrapped cars, pulled parts in the yard, delivered
I
came into this industry in November of 1999. I went
Automotive recycling is attracting and retaining more and more women as a career of choice.
COMPILED BY CARYN SMITH
he Ladies of the Automotive Recycling Association (LARA) is an arm of the ARA that promotes automotive recycling as a career to women, and encourages mentorship and training among the members. Here, women ARA members and their employees share their stories, including their industry history, their “why” for choosing this profession, and they shed light on overcoming professional obstacles and offer advice they would share with others.
parts, sold parts, worked in shipping and receiving, production and inventoried vehicles. I also take pic- tures and upload them to our website. I love how this process works. The vehicle comes in; we inventory it for all its good parts; we process it through the garage; and eventually scrap the vehicle. Today, my role is Inventory Manager, which is a great responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I find it to be very rewarding. I am the first one to inspect the end-of-life vehicle after it arrives. I become familiar with the specifications and help the sales team see the parts in a professional light by provid- ing them with photos and information. It is gratify- ing to know that we are helping the environment by recycling vehicles and saving people money at the same time.
Rachel Egelseer Smart Parts/Global Parts
Solutions & Transportation Maxsells/Encore on Central – Historic Preservation of Florence, WI
www.GlobalPartsSolutions.com (parts)
www.MaxSells.biz (property restoration)
D
uring the ARA 72nd Annual Convention LARA Breakfast, I shared my long history in the auto-
November-December 2015 | Automotive Recycling 41
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