How big is your business?
Our business is situated on 30 acres, 2 miles outside Savannah, TN. We currently employ 45 people.
How long have you been in business?
My father started the business in 1987 as a body shop. The name then was Bobby’s Body Shop. Being in the body shop we started collecting body parts and used junk cars. After 2 years in business, we had over 75 cars sitting around and were selling parts off them. I said to my Father that we should start a used auto parts business. That seed grew to what you know now as Raceway Auto and Truck Parts.
How long have you been a URG member?
We have been a member of URG since December 2004.
What is your favorite URG benefit/program?
There are many benefits to being a member. The salvage site is great and saves us from paying pool fees, URG 8000 hold us accountable for the way we process parts and do business, but I would have to say that the annual URG conference in Denver would be my favorite. We take at least 3 sales people to the conference every year and when they return they are on fire to sell. There are so many great speakers that are informative and inspiring. The URG conference has a great ROI and I would say “It’s a must”. : )
What would you like to see added to URG?
I would like to see URG develop more training resources for new sales people. Something that was monthly or quarterly to keep salespeople on their toes.
What differentiates you from other recyclers?
We have 4 major quality control checkpoints. When the car arrives it is inventoried and all damage is marked. Then the car is moved to dismantling for the second quality checkpoint where the engine and transmission are tested and other small parts are check for quality. Car and parts are then moved to their proper locations and sit until sold. When a work order is generated for the part, it is then checked again for quality the third time. If for any reason there is a problem with the part, the parts puller then sends a resolution message back to the salesperson describing the problem. This is done so the salesperson can then contact the customer and describe the damage to the customer. If Okayed by the customer the salesperson then lifts the resolution so that the parts puller can then complete the process and get the part in the delivery area. At this point, truck loading time is the fourth quality control area, where each truck is loaded and each part is checked again for quality. If any discrepancies are found we immediately contact the salesperson to make sure the customer knows of the problem. We have a motto here at Raceway Auto Parts “no surprises “. If then everything checks out the truck is fueled and ready for delivery the next morning.
