Live From ARA: Green Recycled Parts panel

Hollander is coming to you live from ARA all week. Our booth is 417 on the exhibit floor, and will be fully staffed with APU, eBay Motors and Hollander experts ready to answer questions or just chat about the industry. But we won’t be complacent in the booth. In addition to sitting in on sessions, panels and networking, Hollander Excellence will provide new content every day to help provide the fullest experience the 71st annual ARA Convention and Exposition has to offer.

Friday, Hollander Excellence sat in on the Green Recycled Parts panel from 9 to 9:40 a.m. Three panelists – ARA’s Jessica Andrews, Current ARA 2nd VP on the ARA EC as well as VP and co-owner of  Swift's Trails End Auto Recycling  Mike Swift and  co-owner of Island Auto Supply Dalbert Livingstone – conducted the presentation, which was a basic introduction and pitch for ARA’s Green Recycled Parts Program.

The program began in 2011 and ARA has slowly tried to build momentum, now earning 400 recyclers signed up for the GRP Program. Auto recyclers should be the go-to for business to consumer green parts sales. Unfortunately, customers are heading to dealerships for green parts. OEM manufacturers claim in magazines like Fender Bender that their aftermarket parts are the highest quality. Developing a program with credibility, participation and strong messaging is what the ARA believes is the solution to making auto recyclers the inside track on sales.

Dalbert went on to explain some of the specifics of the GRP. ARA members must sign up for the program to have access to the free messaging, promotional videos and material provided by the ARA. Starting in July, members signed up for the GRP Program must also be CAR certified. Swift explained this as wanting to continue building legitimacy of both programs to create the industry standard for excellence.

While the conversation did deviate towards the CAR Program (based mostly around a question from the audience), much of the session was focused around promoting what the GRP Program can offer and how creating a program with credibility would create the standard for the industry and thus raise awareness among business to consumer customers.

Among the material provided were 30-second videos, promotional packing tape and access to the logo among other materials. The panel also showed off the web site and pamphlets already containing the logo.

The ARA is trying to swing recycled parts sales in their favor, the GRP Program represents their efforts in making the community more unified and more successful.