I’ve been to many of the sites we’ve visited before. I’ve not previously met Mr. Hau of Ford, or Brandon Schoettle of UMTRI, and will try to add my reflections on their presentations. Likewise I really benefitted from chatting with Scotty Preysler of Mini, as I’ve spent mainly with dealers rather than with factory reps. What was truly novel however was Fox Recycling. See my comments here.
Journal entry: Fox Recycling
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Mike
Prof of Economics, Wms School of Commerce, Washington and Lee University, Lexington VA
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I’m glad I was able to arrange the meeting with Bill Fox at Fox Auto Parts. It was a great opportunity to share with the class the complexity and advanced recycling that occurs in what most people deem “junkyards.” All to often Salvage Yards, as we like to be called, face a bad reputation as environmentally damaging and overall ugly in the eyes of the average passer-by. In reality, the real yards who find success in the market are in fact those that are run effectively and always in cooperation with other facilities to provide customers with quality recycled parts at a much cheaper price than aftermarket companies or OEM manufacturers. As Mr. Fox pointed out, more that 80% of the overall vehicle that comes into a facility is recycled, making it the “greenest” portion of the auto industry. Many people don’t realize that the shops that do insurance repairs for the public often use recycled parts. After receiving their vehicle back, most would assume that the parts used were brand new. All the while, that fender or windshield wiper motor that was installed is now living its life again in a vehicle instead of residing in a land-fill somewhere. Hopefully those of you out there who visited the facility can share your experience with those you know and help correct the common mis-conception about the industry. Keep those private, family-run auto recyclers in business and competing against the large, publicly traded companies like LKQ who will gladly take your money and in return offer you poor service and a poor product because they lack the family touch!