U-R-G On the Go
An informative podcast for the United Recyclers Group. Each week we will feature an entertaining guest that will share their knowledge and information with you, providing you with tips and tools to help you become a more profitable business.
U-R-G On the Go
Automotive Recycling Associations: Building a Better Industry Together
The automotive recycling industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation as once-separate organizations discover the power of collaboration. In this enlightening episode recorded live at the URG Conference in Orlando, we capture conversations with key industry leaders who are reshaping how recyclers work together.
Shan Latham, past president of ARA and owner of Coco Auto Salvage, shares how her vision for greater industry collaboration has blossomed into tangible results. "We are better together," Latham emphasizes, highlighting how the major organizations—ARA, URG, and Team PRP—have moved from operating in separate silos to creating unified initiatives. This collaboration manifested powerfully at the conference when the combined industry donated two vehicles to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, supporting homeless veterans.
The episode takes listeners behind the scenes of industry networking, with Latham revealing that sometimes the most valuable knowledge exchange happens informally: "We learn a lot at the bar at night." This candid assessment underscores the unique culture of automotive recycling, where competitors freely share best practices and open their facilities to help others improve.
ARA Executive Director Vince Edivan brings additional perspective, detailing his journey from insurance adjuster to industry advocate. His stories about falling in love with the recycling community highlight what makes this industry special—multi-generational family businesses that treat each other like extended family. Edivan also provides an insider's view of ARA's recent Hill Days, where recyclers conducted 80 meetings with legislators about pressing industry issues including right to repair legislation and catalytic converter theft.
Whether you're a seasoned recycler or considering entering the industry, this episode offers valuable insights into how education, advocacy, and collaboration are creating stronger businesses and a more unified profession. The message is clear: the future belongs to those who work together.
Don't miss upcoming opportunities to participate in this collaborative movement—mark your calendar for ARA's 82nd annual convention in Birmingham this October, featuring facility tours, tech talks, and dozens of educational sessions designed to help your business thrive in today's complex environment.
Okay, since this is a special URG podcast, I want our audience. I want you to meet the number one guy, mark Rose Mark say hello to the audience.
Speaker 2:Well, good morning, and it's wonderful to be here at another URG conference. Yes, it's been a few years since we've been at one. Since I've been at one, you're always at the conferences.
Speaker 1:Yes, I am.
Speaker 2:But for me being here, I mean it's bringing back a lot of memories, a lot of good old friends, old and new, from lots of great people here. So we're excited to be here.
Speaker 1:How's your brother doing?
Speaker 2:My brother is doing excellent Came here with my daughter-in-law, and we have some other members of our staff coming this weekend, so it's going to be a great time.
Speaker 1:Well, some of your staff is actually speaking here.
Speaker 2:That's what I understood. Olivia told me that this morning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, olivia, you're right, she let me know they're speaking here. Yes, yeah, I love you. You're right, they're speaking here. Yes, yeah, good Mark thank you very much for coming by the booth. Always a pleasure. It's my pleasure, always a pleasure. God bless you. All right, god bless, take care, thanks, okay, listeners, we're here on the URG On the Go podcast. We're right here on the floor in Orlando, florida, and a dear friend of mine that I met, many years ago, when I had brown hair and I had hair the past.
Speaker 1:president of ARA. Hi DJ, how are you doing? Tell everybody your name, your location, what you own in Florida.
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah, my name's Shan Latham. I'm the owner and president of Coco Auto Salvage in Coco, florida, just a short 50 minutes from this conference, so it was nice to have it close to home. What a great conference. This is EJ. Yes.
Speaker 1:This is. You know we're like the education arm of this ARA is everybody needs and most of these people. You know what's so nice, shane, I've got to show you this. The last page of the book is a dear friend of mine. I'm showing it now. Listeners I'm going to talk to. The last page of this book is right here. If I can get it, I say the last page. Yeah, here it is. Eagle Auto Parts. Okay, ARA URG Team PRP.
Speaker 1:The big three, the big three, and we encourage everybody to belong to ARA, urg and if you qualify, you then become a PRP member. But in your presidency, when you were president of ARA and this is only two years ago- right. Two years ago you were president of all ARA. You encouraged more working together of us working as a family, as recyclers.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, dj, when I came onto the executive committee it was really something that was very important to me and other members of the executive committee as well. I think in the past it just didn't work out. Different views from leadership right, yes, yes.
Speaker 3:And so I think that's one of the great things about the transition of leadership. You're constantly getting new ideas brought to the table. And we sat down Eric and I sat down, had a meeting with Christy and Amanda and said why aren't we working together? Let's work together, let's figure this out. And that started the ball rolling, and I think now we're seeing some great things coming from that collaboration, including the certification, and so excited to see what's happening with that. I know there's going to be some big announcements here at this conference and I just can't wait to see what else we're able to do in the future together, because I firmly believe we are better together, working together, collaborating, moving the industry together, forward together, instead of trying to work in our separate silos.
Speaker 1:Right Even today, during the 1 o'clock presentation, they're giving away two vehicles to Tunnel to Towers for helping eradicate homeless veterans, and it's from the entire industry ARA, urg, team, prp, all together are giving the vehicles away and it was just a great participation of all recyclers together. So when the TV stations asked, they said, well, what group is this? Well, it's all recyclers. And that's the presentation.
Speaker 3:We're together. Yeah, that's right and that's the way that it should be right. We can do so much more if we work together, and I'm excited to see that. It just warms your heart, you know, when you see us coming together to do such great things for people that aren't as fortunate as we are.
Speaker 1:Well, you have great leadership at ARA. We had David Gold, he came by. Shannon Nordstrom came by. We hadn't had Eric yet, but Vince will come by later. He's the executive director, but with you. What causes you to come to URG?
Speaker 3:Oh goodness, you know, I mean the networking right. I think, for all of us. That's just, you know, at the forefront, but URG does such a phenomenal job of putting on a great show, the educational sessions, always learning, like if you're not learning, you're dying. Yes, we have to keep pushing forward. It's so important, important to stay engaged, and that was one of the reasons why I chose to dedicate five years of my life to the executive committee. It's like right be engaged.
Speaker 3:Show up, you're going to learn so much and a lot of times. Listen, we all know it. We learn a lot at the bar at night yes, yes right that's where we share that's networking. Yeah, it's networking, so it's all part of the deal. But, um, but they do great job. I always look forward to it every year and I'm looking forward to it Well, I appreciate your friendship.
Speaker 1:We met at FADRA many, many years ago when I spoke at FADRA, and then we became friends. That's right, and Lenny was alive then. From LKQ.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And just wonderful family, wonderful people. And FADRA is growing. Look how large FADRA has been.
Speaker 3:Yeah, fadra is definitely. I had the opportunity as ARA president to visit a lot of the state associations and I'd always heard man FADRA, you guys do a great job, and listen, we do a great job. Kim O'Dell, our executive director, she's phenomenal, wonderful lady. She is phenomenal and I'll tell you, this is our 50th year of ADRA, so a big celebration coming this year and I want to ask you, on behalf of the association, if you would come down and walk around a little bit.
Speaker 3:Yes, we would love to have you. No conference is complete without a DJ Harrington sighting.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. I appreciate it. We love you.
Speaker 3:Everybody loves you.
Speaker 1:Well, if I'm still above ground, I'll be, there. Thank you so much for being on the URG On the Go podcast. Great guest.
Speaker 4:URG can help you streamline your business for maximum efficiency and increased profits. Access powerful software and unique tools. Receive top-level training with industry experts. Network with hundreds of recyclers. Employ e-commerce solutions to boost business. Receive support, resources and discounts Starting at just $150 a month. It's the smartest investment you will make for your business this year. Go to u-r-gcom and click on becomea member. Your path to a profitable future is just a click away. That's u-r-gcom. The URG Scholarship Foundation was founded in 2014 in honor of individuals who give their talent, time and, very often, their own finances to ensure the growth and success of the automotive recycling industry. We understand college is not for everyone, so each year, the Foundation offers substantial financial scholarships to auto recycling employees and the children of employees that are attending four-year and technical or trade schools, to assist with their education. Don't leave money on the table. If you have a child or if you're interested in attending continuing education, this money is available to you. Go to u-r-gcom and click on the Scholarship Foundation tab. Urg keeping our industry strong through education.
Speaker 1:We're back from commercial folks. This is a good one. We're still at the Orlando Florida URG Conference and the head of ARA, the executive director, just walked by. So, vince, do me a favor, tell everybody your name, a little bit of your background. We met folks many, many years ago. So, without further ado, let me turn you over to our 9,000 listeners. But with your help we can get more. We're going to get it up there. We're going to get to 10,000.
Speaker 2:That's right, that's the goal, dj.
Speaker 1:That's the goal 10,000.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah. So thanks so much, DJ. I really appreciate the invitation. I appreciate you taking time to interview me.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is an honor.
Speaker 1:Well, vice versa.
Speaker 5:No, no, no, you are an absolute legend, sir. Yeah, You're an absolute legend and I appreciate it. So, yeah, my name. I'm Vince Edivan. I'm the executive director of the Automotive Recyclers Association. I took the position about six months ago. I've been with ARA for six years.
Speaker 5:I was their director of member relations for six years and then transitioned into this role. So my history goes back several decades a few decades, I should say. I've spent quite a number of years. I was in progressive insurance, I was an adjuster, I was a claims manager. I worked for Mannheim Auto Auctions as a total resource auction manager. That was their salvage division. I was a remarketer. I ran a car donation program for Purple Heart and traveled around the country and sold 30-some thousand cars a year.
Speaker 2:That were donated to Purple.
Speaker 5:Heart and I went to work for Cope Heart and worked for them for a bit. I consulted for a few years and this is where ARA found me. So I had already had some interactions with ARA, starting at Mannheim when I started doing the salvage auctions. So I would go to the old IT remember, oh yeah, with Bill Weaver.
Speaker 5:Yep, I would go to the IT shows, I went to some ARA shows, I went to some URG shows, and so I used to do that at Mannheim. Obviously, I continued to do it at Purple Heart, I did it at Cope Heart. So by the time they that's how they knew me. And then John O'Morrow, who's a personal friend of mine, lives in the same area that I live in in Fredericksburg, virginia. He recommended to Sandy when they were looking at they were basically looking to test and see if they wanted a member relations role at the association.
Speaker 1:They bring new members in. Yeah, and you did a great job bringing new people, thank you.
Speaker 5:I love it. And so Sandy reached out to me. We had a great conversation and they brought me in to do it on a consultant basis, right. And after 10 months they offered to convert my consultancy to unemployment. And it's interesting because at that very time I had another former employer come back to me and they offered me a job and I had fallen. I spent 10 months and I fell in love with the people in this industry. I mean it's, they're wonderful people. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. I remember going home and telling my wife and she goes. I said you know, so-and-so, you know, offered me a job and then ARA wants to convert my consultancy. And then I spent like 10 minutes explaining to her all of the amazing people that I had met in the automotive recycling industry and the multi-generational family businesses and how wonderful they treat each other and how they just all work together. They share their stuff and they and their secrets and they don't have secrets. They share their methods and their processes and they open their doors, invite people in.
Speaker 5:This is almost unheard of in any other industry that I have ever seen very much so, and by the time I was done talking, she looks at me. She goes.
Speaker 1:Well, it looks like you made up your mind well, we had Tom Andres sit where you're sitting and he's fantastic, our buddy ron matthews yeah, I've got stories about ronnie. Oh yeah, well he was one of the guys at prp one time said do you know vince? I said yeah, I know vince.
Speaker 5:He goes well here he is when I first started, when I was first starting as a consultant, sandy, and I was like, hey, I need to go out and meet people. She goes, all right, we'll put you on the road. She says, go up to you know, go up to rhode island and meet this guy, ronnie mat. I go, okay. So I go up there and never met him before. We met in a parking lot somewhere and it was very shady, but we met in a parking lot. I climbed in his car and we spent an entire day driving around. He brought me to all these recyclers and he was a fantastic host. At the end of the day, he says well, where are you staying? So typically, when I travel, I usually don't make those arrangements I'll just pull up an app and get a room.
Speaker 5:I said I don't know, yet I'm going to look. I didn't know where we were going to end. I go, I don't know he goes. You come, stay at my house, okay. So I just met the guy like six hours before he drives me around, spent the day with him, spent the whole day with him. I better text my wife and let her know in case I come up missing, in case you're missing.
Speaker 5:So I go and he shows me a spare bedroom. It's on one side of the house. His room's on the other side of the house. And one of the last things he says to me he goes hey look, I sleepwalk, he tells me.
Speaker 1:I sleepwalk, oh, teasing you.
Speaker 5:Come on, so I go in, and so you know, everything's fine. I go to sleep, I get up the next morning and we're having coffee and he says something about the sleepwalk and I said, yeah, I locked my door and he goes. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:Ever the character. Oh yeah, that's the same Ron Matthews we had on the last podcast that Casey Cornell bragged about. He's a great guy. I can brag about him. Yeah, we can brag about him. He's a great guy for the industry.
Speaker 5:Ronnie is in it for the industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is exactly it, 100%. He's a good guy, a real champion, Absolutely. Before we go any further, tell us a little bit about the upcoming ARA convention in Birmingham Alabama. Tell us a little bit about the upcoming ARA convention in Birmingham Alabama. Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 5:Well, DJ, I'd love to Thank you for asking.
Speaker 5:Thank you. Yeah, we're very excited. We have our 82nd annual convention and exposition happening in Birmingham, alabama this October 15 to 18. And we are working very hard. We've got dozens and dozens of educational sessions lined up. We're working with Knox Auto Parts right there in Birmingham Alabama. They're going to open their doors. We're going to do an open house visit from 10 am to 2 pm on Wednesday and Thursday. We've got tech talks we're lined up. We've got keynote speakers that are going to be fantastic. I so want to share and tease. We've got keynote speakers that are going to be fantastic.
Speaker 5:I so want to share and tease who we've got you might have to have me back.
Speaker 1:I think we should ask a man to have you back during the regular, not just here at the convention, where we grabbed you off the floor because we've had Shannon Nordstrom sit here. Tom Andre Shane was here. Because we've had Shannon Nordstrom sit here, Tom Andre Shane was here. But out of all of this, I want to encourage more people to come to ARA in Birmingham. So those of you that are sitting on the fence, this is an educational opportunity and they have the best of the best to speak at ARA, and you really do. You have great people to speak there.
Speaker 5:this is it, and ARA is really the Association for recyclers, absolutely yeah, we've been the trade association for the auto recycling industry for 82 years and and and it has been our mission, or one of our core pillars. Is our government advocacy work, or that we? We just finished up our Hill Days last week. We had almost 50 people show up, that's very successful we had 80 meetings on the Hill.
Speaker 5:We talked about right to repair, we talked about catalytic converter, high-voltage vehicles. So it was a very successful event and I thought 50 was good and everybody said, oh, that's good. And then they looked at me and they go next year you've got to do 100. I'm like, oh, come on, no, we're going to do it, we're going to break 100.
Speaker 1:Well promoted. Right, you could break 100. Yeah, because Hills Days is very important for the industry and the congressmen and all of their staff when they see those numbers and that makes the difference. Yeah.
Speaker 5:So a couple of things that came out of it and one thing I would love for your listeners to hear and hear me. We had a lot of first-timers come to our Hill Days this year and I've seen what happens is they come and they're very anxious and I'm sure there's somebody out there listening and they thought about coming to Hill Days and they're so intimidated and nervous about it and I would encourage you what we're going to put out some kind of testimonials of these first timers that came. This is it's one of the most disarming things. Imagine just going. You know, somebody asks you about your business and you just have to talk to them about your business. You could do anybody listening. You could do this all day long and what we're doing is ARA will set up the meetings with the representatives.
Speaker 5:So your representatives from where you live and you go in there. These are your people. These are people that either you or other people in your area have voted for. They care about what you do and often they have no idea what you do, but they know that you're a voter. They know that you create jobs, that you create revenue, that you pay taxes and that you have serious issues that they could help resolve. And so they're interested to hear from you. And every single time we have a first-timer. They go through the process, they meet with the legislators, they come back, they've got, they come back. We do a debriefing. So we do a whole day on that thursday on the hill with the meetings, and then thursday at late afternoon we come back and do a debriefing. The smiles ear to ear. They walk in the room but they have these big smiles, they're so happy, they. They talk about how easy it was, how wonderful it was.
Speaker 1:Now I'm going to tell you as a first-timer. I went a couple of years back and I was there and I want to tell all the listeners they give you a cheat sheet so you know ahead of time. I spoke with Senator Rubio's staff. I went in with four other people there was five of us and we went as a team and they give you the cheat sheet. So there's questions to ask. I went in with four other people there was five of us and we went as a team and they give you the cheat sheet. So there's questions to ask. But they gave us answers and they gave us information that we left with that staff member. They were so impressed. Rubio is coming down the hall. She says to Senator Rubio, senator, these are people from ARA. He said are they from Florida? Oh, yeah, they're all from Florida. So we all sit there. Rubio sits down, shakes everybody's hand. I'm in tears and I'm sitting there saying can I get a picture? He said by all means get a picture, absolutely, and it was fantastic. Yeah.
Speaker 5:I've got a funny story. So, jason Howe and Lance Thomas, right, yes, they were in there representing Texas and we do our best to set up these meetings right, but sometimes we don't hear back. We don't hear and even though we try and try and try, we actually had some offices reach out to us and go Look, you can have the meeting, stop calling, right, but in some cases it doesn't work out. So, senator Cruz, we didn't succeed in setting up the meeting, but we encouraged him do a drop-in, just go by the office, do a drop-in. So Jason and Lance did. They dropped in like two or three times. They drop in no, we don't have any. So they go do one of their scheduled meetings, then they come back and they drop in. So they were getting ready to give up and they start.
Speaker 5:They start walking away. They were walking away from senator cruz's office and they walk by somebody in the opposite direction. They heard him on the phone going yeah, I'm just, I'm getting ready to go have lunch with ted cruz. They turned around, went back and camped in out of his office. Senator Cruz comes out and they go hey, we came all the way to Texas to see you. He was the most gracious guy. He stopped, he talked to them, they got a picture with him. They told him what they were there for.
Speaker 1:Rand Paul stopped us in the hallway and just said hi, and I said I can't believe it. He said yeah, thanks for coming and he meant it it.
Speaker 5:He said yeah, thanks for coming, and he meant it. It's an incredible experience to step into the halls.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 5:And you'll be walking on your way to go see somebody, and you'll see Ted Cruz. You'll see Marco Rubio. Oh yeah, rand Paul, rand Paul, you'll see these people walking by and it's surreal and all their doors are open and you can knock on the door. They're open. You knock on the door, they're open. You knock on the door frame, you go hey, I'm here for you and they're very friendly. The staffers will sit with you, they'll listen, they'll ask questions, they'll take notes.
Speaker 1:All right, that's Hill's Day. Yes, sir, okay, so we're wrapping this up.
Speaker 5:And Vince Alabama. Okay, write it down yes.
Speaker 1:You need to be there If you want to improve your business. You come to ARA.
Speaker 5:We'll see you there, vince thank you so very much for being on the URG On the Go podcast.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, it's a pleasure, thanks.