Don Belisle, Sr.Owner of

Recore Trading Company, L.L.C.

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDFIVE MAPLES

continued on page 2

is efficiency and this place has it to the MAX. In today’s e-commerce environment we see a lot of instances where the information age can hurt our business but Jim has embraced it and made it work for him. Here are some of the things they do:They have a very well maintained e-bay store with over 60,000 items in it. Typically Tom’s sells more parts on E-bay than any other yard. Did I mention this yard sits on only 2.5 acres!!! They also have their own web site store equally well maintained. They have 2 sales persons who do strictly e-commerce.When the cars arrive they are brought to the inventory/wash/video building. All cars are cleaned thoroughly, assigned a stock number and inventoried. Then they do a narrated video of the car, completely circling it, describing the parts as well as they can. At a point they actually start the car and move it a bit to show the motor and transmission working. At any later time when a customer is considering

VOL. 5, ISSUE 3 – MAY 2015

22 Manchester Road • Derry, NH 03038www.recoretrading.com

Efficiency in Action!By Don Belisle, Sr.

A couple of months ago we ran a step up and meet article on Tom’s Foreign Auto Parts in Waterbury, CT. Jim Eitvydas is the owner of the business and a friend of mine. I met Jim a number of years ago at one of the industry trade shows. Jim is very active in the ARA organization, so we

meet at least once a year at the ARA Trade Show often times more than that. Once we run a step up and meet article on a particular business we typically present them with a laminated copy of the article suitable for wall mounting. I took the opportunity to hand deliver this plaque to Jim so that I could visit him and get a tour of his facility. When I arrived at Jim’s impeccably clean yard, we met up with Sandy Blalock who was in the state

working with the Connecticut Auto Recycler’s Assoc. As many of you know Sandy writes for the ARA magazine, is a consultant and mentor to people in the industry and a wealth of information relating to the auto salvage industry. Jim took the opportunity to give both Sandy and me a tour of his operation. What I saw at Jim’s place was nothing short of amazing! One of the things that excites me most

Newsletter

“What I saw at Jim’s place was nothing short of amazing!”

Jim Eitvydas and Sandy Blalock

buying the engine from that car he can go to their web site watch the video and listen to it run! They can also look at any other part they are considering buying. All of the small parts are tagged and bar coded then photoed. Jim has a photo booth set up to take great photos. First the tech scans the bar code from the inventory tag then takes the photos. All the pics are wirelessly transmitted to their inventory data base, their web site store and their e-bay store. All this info shows up on the computer screen in the photo booth. Holy Cow are these guys efficient! Jim told me he has over 450,000 photos of parts in his e-bay store. The parts then go to their storage location that is also bar coded for easy retrieval. Jim introduced me to Dan who is their IT guy. Dan actually wrote the software program that they use. I know what you are saying-“We don’t have an IT guy.” The good news is that Jim is licensing and will be selling this software to other yards.Jim inventories and sells a lot of parts that you would not normally sell. He is able to do this because the parts are inventoried and photoed with the color code of the car. This way a consumer can buy the part in the correct color and not need to have it painted. Jim explains that he is selling gas doors, console inserts and even fenders in the correct color. Another item Jim sells a lot of is ECM’s, I

EXPERIENCEAs buyers and processors of catalytic converters and a leader within the industry, Recore Trading is celebrating over 25 years in the business. We have specialized in catalytic converters since the very beginning of cat recycling.

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Tom’s Foreign Auto Parts utilizes their 2.5 acres extremely well

Efficiency in Action! Continued from Page 1

know a lot of yards shy away from ECM sales but it is working for Jim.As Jim explained to me a very big part of e-commerce is your feedback. To maintain good feedback they offer a six month 100% warranty on all parts. He says if parts need to be returned they take them back with a smile. In many instances they ship the return label with the part just in case it needs to come back. This is very reassuring to the customer.The rest of their parts are stored in a traditional manner, albeit very organized and clean. The dismantling area

is very clean and organized with computer terminals installed. Every part sold is squeaky clean- no exceptions.I don’t have any financial interest in anyone buying Jim’s software I just wanted to share what a very successful yard is doing to embrace e-commerce and make it work. Jim was graceful enough to let me do this. This place is amazing!If any of you are doing something of interest to our industry that you are willing to share let us know we’d be happy to present it here. Thanks for reading!

Tom’s Foreign Auto Parts

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continued on page 4

When and how did you join DES NH and why?

Tara: I joined the Department in April of 2007 as the Pollution Prevention Specialist for the State. I always wanted to make a difference in respect to the environment. I like to do outreach projects and the idea of being a public servant, though many times is thankless, appealed to me. I am also a “learner”; my parents always thought I would be a professional student because I was always asking, “Why? Or How come?”

What is your background and what is the key reason you chose this business, or did it choose you?

Tara: I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Science and Biology (with a specialty in Chemistry & Environmental Science) from Coastal Carolina University and a Master’s of Science in Ecology & Environmental Sciences from the University of Maine. I grew up in Southern Maryland where I heard “Save the Bay” my entire life. Water quality and environmental science have always seemed to be a part of my anatomy.

Was there anyone influential in your decision to become part of this industry?

Tara: My grandfather recycled tractors and “tinkered” on old cars in Michigan; I never thought much of it when I was younger but now I look back on the times I would walk through his shop and barns looking at all of his old stuff wondering how to make it work or how to restore it. I think I have the heart of a “recycler” wrapped up as an environmentalist. Ironically, my father-in-law also ran a salvage yard in Maine so my husband and I often talk about how things used to be done vs. the industry today.

What are some of the changes you have seen over the years within the industry since the Green yards program began? What do you think is the most significant change?

Tara: I began with the Green Yards Program late in the game. I have heard the horror stories of what these facilities used to be vs. what they are today in respect to environmental work

practices. The reason the Program has been so successful is the approach that was taken on implementing the Best Management Practices. Members of the industry and the DES Staff sat down to discuss what the rules are and how to comply with them. There were educational meetings on the health and environmental hazards that come with the automotive recycling industry. I get calls all the time from other states either asking how our program is so successful and what we did to get the facilities into compliance. I simply respond that we talked to the industry and treated them with respect. We acknowledged the importance of the industry and stressed that we were not set out to shut the facilities down but to instill sustainable change in order to preserve the integrity of the land and water.

One of the stories that my predecessor Pam Hoyt-Denison and Jeff Kantor go back to is of the day that the original 13 Certified N.H. Green Yards met at the State House and received their certificates from the Governor. After receiving the certificates, the facility owners and operators were walking down the steps of the state house and one operator out of Pelham was talking to his daughter. He sighed and with tears in his eyes, he said, “I can’t believe that I’m no longer just a junkman. The governor has proclaimed me a Certified New Hampshire Green Yard. I have never been this proud in my life.”

Each time Jeff and/or Pam tell that story, it gives me chills. It makes me realize that the most significant change is the relationship and respect that was achieved by just working together. That does not mean that enforcement does not happen and that this program is perfect. It just means that there is a mutual respect between both parties. I call it the Bob Phelps clause…the facilities have gone from “Junkyards” to “Salvage Yards” to “Motor Vehicle Recycling Facilities”.

What is the most interesting part of your job as the Green Yards Coordinator?

Tara: The “grumpy old men”…what I mean by that is the people. I enjoy going out and talking to owners and operators about their business and how things have changed over the years. I hope they learn as much from me as I do from them.

Taken the summer of 2010 Tara Albert with the interns in front of the car crusher at Car World in Candia, NH. Left to right: Tara Albert, Caitlin Cullerot, Adam

Sprague and Bill Trethaway.

EQUIPMENT Recore Trading Company is the only catalytic converter buyer throughout the Northeast and beyond with a state-of-the-art in house precious metals lab, milling and sampling line and de-canning stations. We have the expertise to sort your cats into categories of similar precious metal content to maximize return. Then de-cann and process them in house, analyze in our lab and pay you for every gram of precious metals you sold us. Doing everything in house cuts out all of the middlemen and we sell our product to an automobile manufacturer.

Step Up And Meet Tara Albert And The NH DES

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What is the most difficult part of your job?

Tara: Enforcement. I hate going out to a facility and finding compliance issues that I know have been discussed over and over. It is a necessary evil in my line of work. There are times when the “white hat” approach does not work.

The other part that is difficult is being bound by rules and laws. Working for the Department of Environmental Services does not give me the authority over anything and everything. I may personally agree with a complaint and/or industry need but if it does not pertain to the environment, I have no jurisdiction. It is hard explaining that in a way that leaves everyone satisfied.

Where do you see the industry headed?

Tara: There is no one answer to that question.

Environmentally, the leaps and bounds that have occurred in operating practices and awareness over the last decade have been amazing. It makes me proud to be a small part of it. I see that these practices will continue and improve over time.

Economically, I think there needs to be a level playing field on all parts, including environmental responsibilities in order for the industry to grow. I am not sure how or when that will happen but with strong industry leaders and with an increased understanding of regulatory authority things will start to change.

I also see an aging demographic within the industry. The incoming generation brings a lot to the table; however, we cannot lose the knowledge, sweat and tears of the retiring men and women. It will be very interesting over the next

PRECIOUS METALS KNOWLEDGE Recore Trading Company has spent years analyzing 1,000’s of cats in our lab and have proven time and time again that no grading system will maximize a customer’s profits. The value of just one cat from the same year, make and model vehicle can vary dramatically from $70 to $185 based on the precious metals content and on the PGM market when it was manufactured. Selling your catalytic converters as precious metals and getting paid based on the return of the precious metals is the only clear, transparent way to maximize your bottom line.

decade to see how the activities at yards change and also the business practices.

What are the main benefits for a salvage yard to become a Certified NH Green Yard?

Tara: As a Certified NH Green Yard, you are able to make a statement that your facility is in compliance with all of the rules and regulations regarding your business AND that you have gone above and beyond to establish business standards that exceed compliance with all regulations.

There has been some confusion about the Green Yards Program vs. becoming a Certified NH Green Yard. All motor vehicle recycling facilities in New Hampshire are regulated by the Green Yards Program. Some of the facilities have voluntarily gone above and beyond compliance regulations in their day-to-day operations to become Certified NH Green Yards. Obtaining this certification requires substantial professional commitment to preventing pollution. The certification recognizes those efforts. Becoming certified is completely voluntary but just makes good business sense.

Editor’s note: NH salvage yard owners and their state environmental agency enjoy the best relationship of any state in the country. This didn’t happen by accident it came from mutual respect and cooperation and the tireless work of Jeff Kantor, Pam Hoyt, Bob Phelps, and Tara Albert. This relationship continues today.

Tara Albert may be reached at her office in Concord, NH, by phone 603-271-2938, by fax 603-271-2456 or by email tara.albert@des.nh.gov.

Step Up And Meet Tara Albert And The NH DES Continued from Page 3

Tara and Michael Albert with their son Otto.

Tara holds informational meeting.

Tara Albert with Brian Lee, owner of White Mountain Auto Brokers in Dalton, NH on June 16, 2011 the day his facility received NH Green Yard Certification.

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Tara and Michael Albert with their son Otto.

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How To Test And Track Your Marketing Strategies By Mike French

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is I don’t know which half.” ~ John Wanamaker

“The three most important words in marketing are: Arithmetic, arithmetic and arithmetic.” ~ Denny Hatch

With business dollars tighter these days and advertising projects still a necessity to the health and growth of most auto recycling businesses, it’s very important that you spend your advertising dollars very wisely.

To get the most bang for your advertising buck, never roll out an ad campaign of any kind, until you have FIRST tested it on a smaller scale. The reason for this is, if the campaign fails you have only risked a little and if it succeeds, you can enlarge it later. Even then, you must still be cautious because there are so many factors involved in the success and failure of any ad campaign. A good rule to follow in advertising is to never risk more than you are willing or able to lose. Even the best advertising campaigns can fail. Some of the factors that can affect your results are: the weather, the amount of competition, the attractiveness of your offer, the buying climate, the economy, the day your ad hits, the reputation of your company, or your market-to-message match. These are just a few of the factors that can affect the results of your advertizing.

Test everything! Test different headlines, different offers, different response devices, different marketing strategies, different mailing lists, and different products. And it’s very important to test only one thing at a time so you will know what made it work. If you plan to mail a marketing piece to a large mailing list, of say 10,000 or more addresses, you should test it first by mailing it to a small cross section of 1,000 taken randomly from across the entire list. If the test brings the results you desire, then you can mail your mailing to the rest of your list.

Test new display ads, sales letters, marketing strategies, or a new product before spending a lot of money. Run these past some of your current customers. Don’t complicate this process. Keep it simple and straight forward. Involve only a dozen or so of your best customers and get their opinion. Ask them to look at your ads and tell you which ones they do or don’t like and which ones would make them want to make a purchase.

Track the results of every advertising method you use to show you where to spend your money for the best return on your advertising investment. You don’t want to sink a lot of money into campaigns that bring little or no results.

To know how many responses you’ve gotten on a particular ad campaign use a dedicated toll free phone number that you don’t use for anything else. Then, when your phone bill comes, you will be able to count the calls. Everywhere that number appears on your telephone bill, you will know that call was in response to your campaign.

You can get these toll free numbers from AT&T. They are cheap – even with the amount charged for each call received. They are called “ready lines” because they ring through your regular phone lines without you having to get any special phones or equipment. In other words, you don’t have to have a special phone installed in order to use them.

Another way to track the response to your advertizing is to simply have your sales people ask callers where they heard about you. This does NOT have to be tedious for your employees. Customers usually don’t mind being asked where they heard about you. Be sure to have a simple system that’s easy for your sales staff to use to record the information as they receive it from the customer.

For example, when a customer says he saw your ad in the “yellow pages,” your sales person can easily put a check mark next to the words “Yellow Pages” on a form that you have printed and placed next to each phone. This form should have all the advertising listed you use, such as: Newsletter, Mailer, Radio, Newspaper, Penny Whistle, Referral, Yellow Pages, etc. Make it easy for your staff to do and it will get done. At the end of the month you will know exactly which type of advertising is working (or not working) for you. Then you will know how to make adjustments.

Finally, before you spend any of your hard earned money on a large advertising project of any kind, remember to apply the two important success rules of Malcolm Decker: test and test again.

Rule #1: “Test everything.”

Rule #2: “See Rule #1.”

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COMMITMENTWhether you have 10 catalytic converters, 100 or 1,000’s, Recore Trading Company is committed to and welcomes the opportunity to earn your business. You work hard, so you & your family deserve to maximize your profit. You will get paidMORE at RECORE!

1-800-555-5555

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This service is available throughout the Northeast and beyond for all the automotive scrap Recore Trading purchases. We offer prompt, courteous service, immediate cash payment and our truck drivers are some of the best within the industry.

“No Texting Please” “U R @ Risk” By D.j. Harrington

While visiting tow yards and auto recyclers in Massachusetts, one owner told me about an employee who hit a parked car on a downtown street. When he showed up to the accident and found out that his own truck was at fault, he was furious. The driver had been texting his girlfriend, never saw

the parked car and ran right into it.

Later I saw on YouTube, a lady in a large shopping mall parking lot, smacked into a 1972 T-Bird Classic. She never saw the “car show” of classic cars in the lot. She jumped a curb and headed right into the “car show” and hit the very first car on display.Driver distraction is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents. Each year, thousands of people are injured or killed in accidents caused by distracted driving. One by one, victims of texting-related accidents have begun to seek legal remedies to compensate for their pain and suffering.January 2009, the National Safety Council urged State and Federal lawmakers to ban the use of cell phones and other text-messaging devices while driving. Since then, 14 states

plus the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving. This is extremely dangerous as well as negligent. When a motor vehicle accident linked to texting causes a traumatic brain injury or other bodily harm, there may be grounds for a personal injury or a wrongful death lawsuit. We all know from billboards and television commercials about the local personal injury law firm. In Florida, every other commercial is spouting about how they can get you money, and you don’t pay a thing unless they collect.So now that I have given you the background, here is a tip to prevent one of these lawyers from calling on your company. Listen up owners.One recycler I met has a sticker displayed on the dashboard right in front of the driver that reads, “No Texting, Instant Messaging and/or Web Surfing While Driving”.

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WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS Please know that any article or information in our newsletter is the expressed opinion of the writer. If you are enjoying our newsletter, we’d love to hear from you and if for any reason you are not, just let us know, and we will remove you from the mailing list. Contact us at sales@recoretrading.com.

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NewsletterWWW.RECORETRADING.COM

25 thCelebrating Our

Anniversary1989-2014

OUR DOCK IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY Recore Trading’s dock is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM for drop off with professional buyers available for immediate cash payment.

“No Texting Please” “U R @ Risk”Continued from Page 7 A battery company that I visited had a sticker just below the door handle on the flat bed trucks that read “Drive Safe and Come Home Alive”.The best one I found was a plastic sign 3 ½ inches by 2 inches placed on the dashboard in front of the passenger seat of a tow truck that read:

Texting, Instant Messagingand/or Web Surfing

while driving isPROHIBITED!

Please Report Driver to:XYZ Towing Unlimited, Inc.

1-800-228-5670A new hand-held cell-phone ban went into effect January 3, 2012. Under the new rule, commercial motor vehicle drivers will not be able to hold, dial, or reach for a hand-held cell phone, including those with push-to-talk capability. Hands-free phone use is allowed, as is the use of CB radios and two-way radios. Remember, drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to get into accidents. Our drivers need to use their phones properly and safely while performing their duties.Can you tell I don’t care for ambulance chasers? So put signs up for your drivers, go over this article at your next employee meeting. But, for goodness sake, PLEASE STOP TEXTING, and keep your eye on the road! I want everyone that goes to work in the morning to come home safe that night to the family they are busting their butt for.Until next time. Correspondence regarding this article should go to: Phone Logic, Inc., 2820 Andover Way, Woodstock, GA 30189

D. J. Harrington is an author, journalist, seminar leader, international trainer, and marketing consultant. He works primarily with customer service personnel, and his clients include such world-class companies as General Motors, DuPont, Caterpillar and Damon Corporation.

He may be reached at 800/352-5252. E-mail: dj@djsays.com. 52 weeks a year, we are as close as your telephone. Visit www.djsays.com to order my books ~ “Your Prescription for Life” and “Mastering the Art of Success”. Check out my NEW eLearning system on djsays.com!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine“THREE WISHES”A government employee sits in his office and out of boredom, decides to see what’s in his old filing cabinet. He pokes through the contents and comes across an old brass lamp. “This will look nice on my mantelpiece,” he decides, to take it home with him. While polishing the lamp, a genie appears and grants him three wishes. “I wish for an ice cold diet Pepsi right now!” POOF! He gets his Pepsi and drinks it. Now that he can think more clearly, he states his second wish. “I wish to be on an island where beautiful nymphomaniacs reside.” POOF! Suddenly he is on an island with gorgeous females eyeing him lustfully. He tells the genie his third and last wish: “I wish I’d never have to work ever again.” POOF! He’s back in his government office.

Whatever plans you have to celebrate this Memorial Day, we hope you will take the time to honor those who have served and those serving in our military today. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend and remember if you drink, please don’t drive.