Nick Daurio, President of the Automotive Recyclers Association and Owner of Daurio Auto Trucks, reflects on the industry’s resilience in the face of constant change. As ARA prepares for its 81st Annual Convention & Expo, a leadership transition looms. Acknowledging the dedication of past and present leaders, he highlights the association’s commitment to innovation. ARA’s mission, propelled by collaborative efforts, remains steadfast in optimizing profitability and sustainability for professional auto recyclers worldwide.
The way I look at change is that change was yesterday. We must embrace today. Professional auto recyclers are resilient and face change daily. Each day, we face it not only within our own facilities but also in what is facing our industry. The past 80 years reveal changes we have had to overcome – such as environmental, YMS systems, buying and inventory tools, dismantling, quality control, trading groups, consolidation and more.
At the ARA 81st Annual Convention & Expo in Reno, Nevada, ARA will face a significant change with the leadership transition.
The ARA Executive Committee (EC) is a rotating committee of volunteer leaders that changes with each convention. I am amazed that past and current Board of Directors have such a passion for this industry and continue serving in other ways after their terms. You don’t see this in any other industry. I personally am blessed to work side by side with Eric Wilbert, First Vice President, Shannon Nordstrom, Second Vice President/Treasurer, Sean Krause, Secretary, and Shan Lathem, Immediate Past President. I can see a great future for ARA in the coming years.
Our esteemed Executive Director, Sandy Blalock, will be stepping down at the convention this year. I want to say thank you to Sandy for your dedication to ARA and our industry. You have always protected the rights of the professional auto recycler so that we can sell our parts in the most profitable and equitable manner possible.
To take us into the future, I am excited to announce Vince Edivan, Director of Member Relations, will move into the role of Executive Director. Vince is excited about this new role that begins after the convention, and he is now working with Sandy and the EC to ensure a smooth transition.
A stabilizing force for ARA, association leadership holds the work of ARA committees in high regard. They are leading the path to success for all professional auto recyclers worldwide, including the Convention Educational Program, Awareness, Automotive Recycling Training Institute, Interchange, Scholarship Foundation, Industry Relations, Certification, Governmental Affairs, and International.
The work of the committees, staff, executive director, and the EC is to collaborate as a team to build upon ARA’s foundational programs and strategic pillars, to open new opportunities for every professional auto recycler, and to partner with others to elevate and protect our industry.
We want to continue selling our parts in the most profitable and equitable manner possible. That is our overall mission as we seek to build new relationships with other organizations and strengthen existing industry ties.
One of those key collaborations is with NAATBatt, where Emil Nussbaum, Sean Krause, and Scott Robertson Jr. recently attended their annual meeting. At the show, Emil reported how, in 1986, the EPA’s policy for affordable aftermarket catalytic converters faltered due to expensive testing requirements. And how recently catalytic converter thefts have surged by 1,215% from 2019 to 2022, exacerbated by precious metal value, ease of theft, and inconsistent laws. The ARA supports reusing OEM converters for older vehicles and the PART Act (H.R. 621/S.154) to deter theft.
Also discussed was how one of the biggest challenges facing mainstream BEV adoption is the lack of transparency regarding battery health, which affects vehicle value and recycling. To ensure successful BEV integration and support a circular economy, legislation is needed to provide owners with accurate state-of-health (SOH) data on batteries. The ARA advocates for policies ensuring battery state-of-health information to maintain a circular economy and retain economic benefits in the U.S.
Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. discussed how modern vehicles rely heavily on complex computer systems, making independent repairs challenging without OEM data, and how the REPAIR Act (H.R. 906) aims to ensure vehicle owners’ access to necessary diagnostic and repair information. For this, the ARA advocates for the inclusion of the automotive recycling industry in the advisory committee to support affordable repairs with recycled parts.
Furthermore, ARA announced publishing the Battery Material Use Hierarchy created in collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory. This describes putting batteries to their highest and best use and highlights a preferred path of batteries after they have served their initial purpose. Through its strategic relationship with the National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program (NSVRP), ARA and its certified high-voltage vehicle-trained members are participating in the NSVRP battery registry program.
Finally, advocacy is at the core as a strategic pillar of ARA, where there was an opportunity to talk to legislators in person at Hill Days, held in Washington, DC, on April 9-11.
We must continue to share our rich recycling story as one of the largest and oldest recycling industries in the world!
Find out more about the ARA at www.a-r-a.org
