Just in case you’re wondering if I will be speaking at URG, the answer is Yes, but I’m not alone. We have some great industry icons like: Bill Stevens, Dan Snyder, Rob Rainwater, Ryan Falco, Paul D’Adamo, Chad Counts, J.C. Cahill, John Bessler, Theresa Colbert, Tom Bessler, Mike Kunkel, Lee Worman, Tim Wall, Jen Wilson, … Read more
My comments here are very philosophical and general in nature, but because I get so many inquiries on this topic, I thought it might be good to discuss it. Most, if not all of the principles here, apply to most any business, not just recycling businesses. I have been hired many times to help determine … Read more
Who Doesn’t Look At Google Reviews? Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about Google Reviews this month. I travel for RAS, so I use Google Maps to look for different services; hotels, restaurants, etc., and, yes, Auto Recycling facilities. I can’t help myself. I love this industry and want all businesses to prosper … Read more
Will the world’s governments and automakers meet their climate-control-driven mandates to discontinue sales of diesel and gasoline cars in favor of zero emission vehicles by 2030? And what does the electrification movement mean for the supply and demand of precious metals predominantly used in automotive catalyst to control emissions? The “Group of Seven (G7) nations … Read more
As life and business continue to happen, sometimes at breakneck speed, things in the business start to take on identities. It is often said that the identity or tone is set from the top down. Everyone knows that good leadership is required for any organization to prosper. There are many business management books that discuss … Read more
Before I start, let me say this. The resume isn’t the operative tool for getting looked at. Imagine how many resumes the employer is seeing! What really gets you in the door is the cover letter. Research the company where you are applying. Exhibit passion for the job… discuss your qualifications in the framework of … Read more
A lot of things have taken a back seat due to COVID-19. In some cases, Recyclers have pushed the removal of Takata Airbags to the back burner as they work through staffing issues. We are trying to communicate this month because these lethal airbags are still in circulation, as witnessed by the news of another … Read more
In talking with other Recyclers and business owners, there seems to be a common problem. That is: they need additional employees but cannot seem to find them. If you look at the beginning of the pandemic, there were massive layoffs and business closures. Most of these people wanted to work, but could not. As this … Read more
Yesterday, I completed a podcast with Jay Robie, the President and CEO of Phoenix Automotive Cores. What I discovered was not really a surprise. Jay is a gifted, articulate, and smart guy! During our podcast, Jay described change we need and why so many people fight change. Jay stated, “Change is needed in today’s recycling … Read more
Are you in control of your converter sales? Or are you at the mercy of your buyer? How much insight do you have into the actual value of your scrap catalytic converters? Do you sell your units by-the-piece for a “fair market value” or are you selling on recovery by a process called assay? We … Read more
We recently started holding some Profit Team Peer Groups with people in attendance. We are fortunate enough to hold a number of our meetings in Fort Worth, Texas which has opened to the point of small social and business gatherings are permissible. One of the best parts of the peer group meetings in the interaction … Read more
There are a number of owner’s out there who are experiencing a nice run of sales and profits. Business is not without challenges, especially around buying, but sales have not been a much of a concern. That has had a tendency for management to ease off of sales managing. The theory being if it isn’t … Read more
Chapter 2 of my book, How to Salvage Millions from Your Small Business, discusses making a plan and understanding your customer. It’s funny how we wave our arms in the air (figuratively speaking) and talk about what we are going to do, but never get around to putting the plan on paper. Equally humorous is … Read more
Let’s take a look at Commission/Pay for Performance. I will first touch on the Pros and Cons of this model. For the owners, on the surface this looks like a good idea. After all, if business is slow, payroll will be lower. In theory, this sounds great, right? So now, let’s take a look at … Read more
Saying that 2020 was a tough year is putting it mildly. When Don Porter of URG took my advice about doing a podcast to promote his upcoming 2021 conference, here is what happened. For over 10 years, I had been using the TV studios located in Dallas, Georgia. Without fail upon my arrival there, I … Read more
This can be a confusing business on many levels. Do you sell your converters by-the-piece for a “fair market value?” Do you sell them on assay or precious metals recovery for the “intrinsic” value less processing and refining charges? Who are you selling to exactly? What is the difference between converter recycling companies? Who is … Read more
It looks like we are turning the corner from Winter and the Pandemic. How do I know? Airbag shipments have been increasing. However, I have been getting calls from Recyclers saying that someone new has taken over the airbag program. In many cases, the new folks are not getting the full training experience. Our Software … Read more
Road buyers drive the market for stolen catalytic converters, enticing criminals to steal catalytic converters from your vehicles. This blog will explain who these road buyers are and who enables this criminal activity. These roaming road buyers play a large role in contributing to the theft of catalytic converters. These buyers travel city to city … Read more
Autonomous Driving, Connectivity, Electrification of Vehicles, and Shared Mobility (ACES) Tesla is now the fifth-most-valuable company in the S&P 500, overtaking Facebook at that position. Cars that connect to each other and the road are here to stay. Connected features like navigation, internet, apps, driving controls are no longer luxury items, but standard features. Models … Read more
How does mental health impact sales and why in the world should I care about mental health? The world we live in has always had problems but the last few years seems to have taken on a whole new definition of change and problems. All people experience highs and lows but as salespeople, we tend … Read more
Are you really on your game on the net, or did your cousin Vinnie put up your website? What a bargain! He charged you only $250, and you found a place to host it for free 8 years ago, and you have a Facebook account for the business. Today, that’s just not enough to claim … Read more
URG Changes Conference Dates! Yes, you are reading this right. The URG conference dates have changed. The URG Annual Conference that was being held in Dallas, Texas at the Hyatt in April will now be held August 5th — 7th, 2021. As you can see, the place has not changed. Only the date has changed. … Read more
I get so many calls from folks who insist that their only problem is that they need more money. Read my lips: “If your only problem is that you need more money, then you don’t have any problems.” This is true in almost all the cases I have seen. Trust me: there is PLENTY of … Read more
Many quotes make you think about the value of money. This is especially true when Auto Recyclers pay exorbitant prices for inventory and associated fees. Naturally, if the cost of goods continues to escalate, you must strive to extract more value from inventory. Money may not grow on trees, but in the auto recycling world, … Read more
The Right Stuff: What it Takes to be a Mentor Back in 2018, ARA launched the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program. RD Hopper was the founder of this program. His vision was to bring together some of the best operators to act as mentors to those that were in need of help. The object here was to … Read more
Over the past year or so, the lives of our families, businesses and industry have taken on a new look and something we could not see threatened our very existence. Some were prepared for these changes while others were not. And, yet while others perhaps buried their heads in the sand, some saw those changes … Read more
For nearly thirty years the automotive industry has been talking about hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells without producing a very large market to date. Emission standards across the globe are becoming increasingly stricter. What does this mean for converter, hybrid battery, and fuel cell recycling? The Future is More Complex The tightening emission standards … Read more
The first quarter of 2021 is almost over. Both January and February were short months but March has an extra day or two in there to help make for the normal number of work days in a quarter. As winter starts to get ready to exit, we will be settled in for the coming sales … Read more
2021 Technology Trend It is 2021 and technology is the trend for all areas of our lives. Why should converter recycling be any different? Based on how you sell your scrap catalytic converters, by the piece or on assay, you may be looking at various converter apps to determine the value of your individual converters … Read more
There is a saying that says second verse same as the first. There is another that says that the only constant is change. The final cliché saying I am going to recite is that history always repeats itself. What do all of these things have to do with the auto recycling industry? The calendar has … Read more
With Covid-19 on the rise again, it appears that everyone needs the vaccine. When it is available for me, you’ll find me in line, waiting to get mine. Thinking about what can help our Auto Recycling industry, my prescription is simple. We need a power-packed, booster shot. And we need it now! Since I’m the … Read more
Our goal as Auto Recyclers, obviously, is to sell as many parts as possible. To do this and to increase our opportunity for a larger piece of the pie, we have barriers to overcome. Some barriers, like the OEM repair procedures, are imposed by others, but at the same time, I feel in a lot … Read more
Why are these Takata Airbags being recalled now? It seems ironic that we were just alerted to a Volvo Airbag Recall. NHTSA has concluded that the GM inflators are subject to the same issues; moisture, temperature, and age making them vulnerable as a safety hazard. GM had petitioned NHTSA over the last four years to … Read more
It’s the same old story: how do we find good salespeople? First, let’s take a SWAG (Sophisticated Wild Ass Guess) at defining what a good one is. The following is a rough list of the attributes of good salespeople: Sells at least $75,000 monthly (this can be much more if your average invoices are high) … Read more
Back in January of 2017, I wrote an article about the Five-Year Plan, and what does the future hold for Auto Recyclers? So, now four years later, I just want to recap the problems facing us and what changes we have seen. We will start off by looking at problems that were facing us and … Read more
Everyone is going to be looking to bounce back economically from 2020 and selling the precious metals in your converters on assay is a superb way to accomplish that. Selling on Assay. What You Give is What you Get. The best part of selling converters on assay is that whatever precious metals are in your … Read more
While the overall impact of COVID 19 has been negative, for a variety of reasons, the sale of used auto parts has been robust in 2020. We have been riding a wave of sales that in some ways defies logic. During this period of time, we have seen a visible decrease in the number of … Read more
You simply must spend more time understanding inventory turns and cost of goods. (I don’t mean cost of cars.) One of my good friends, Gary McKinney, a new car dealer, taught me to focus on turns first, margins last. If you are analyzing a return on something over a yearly basis and you put money … Read more
Is the New Volvo Recall part of the Recall Bounty Program? You have probably seen the recent headlines regarding the new Volvo airbag recall. The Volvo recall announced in November pertains to airbags that could rupture, spewing metal fragments into the passenger compartment. As with Takata airbags, the propellent degrades over time when exposed to … Read more
Going on 25+ years now, it has been my pleasure to write for the Recyclers Power Source Magazine. Even though we are beginning a new year, I believe the first quarter of this year will be remarkably like what we experienced over the last 9 months. However, I am hopeful it will be better. I … Read more
I know, I know, you don’t have much money for advertising. But… surely you are interested in it if it’s free? Don’t underestimate the value of press releases for your business. In fact, you should set a goal of issuing one every other month, no less than 6 times a year. It’s easy and costs … Read more
Our memories are special to us because they tell our personal story. Oscar Wilde saw memories as a part of a mental, personal diary that a person adds to throughout their lifetime. So true! As we create them, no one can take your memories from you because each day is a beginning or an addition … Read more
How are your cats refined? Things you should know. One way, assay. This is what we preach at United Catalyst Corporation. There is one way to recycle a scrap catalytic converter. It must be de-canned, milled, sampled, assayed, smelted, and refined. This process may sound simple at first glance, but do not be fooled, to … Read more
The year of 2020 will be remembered, talked about & researched forever. All of those things will be good topics but the reality is we have businesses that need to be run profitably during a period of time that sees many different ideas and principals in play. Simple math and deductive reasoning — skills that … Read more
The events of 2020 might have changed the looks of your business today. What have you done to prepare your people for next year? Are your employees working as individuals, doing their own thing? Or are they working efficiently as a team? During my previous travels to businesses, some of them have synergy and they … Read more
I have been working from home and have been getting a lot of instant messages via Car-Part Messaging (iCPM). One of the recurring messages I have been getting from yard owners, managers, and employees has been (ironically) to complain about instant messages! They are not complaining about using instant messages—quite the opposite. They are complaining about people … Read more
You have sat in class after class, talked to other yard owners about switching over to paying employees for performance, and you are still paying them hourly, thinking all your employees will walk out or that making this change might cause chaos in the business. Yes, just like you, I was slow to change to … Read more
Do you want to rejuvenate your business, revive your business profits, reframe your current perspective, refresh your team’s skills, and recharge your personal energy? In light of the most challenging year in history, why wouldn’t you take advantage of ALL your options? Look no further, the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) is offering this and more, … Read more
The precious metals markets are up and so are the incidences of stolen converters. It is all over the news. The BBC recently reported that catalytic converter thefts have doubled in England as metal prices have risen. If you are a recycler this is not news to you. At United Catalyst Corporation, we are seeing … Read more
Shell Games and Other Shenanigans Cat recycling circa 1990s: Small. Medium. Large. $5. $10. $15. Have you been in the business long enough to remember it? When all you cared about was the price of a large GM? Eventually you learned the game. That the large GM and the exotic converter were the lost leaders. … Read more