Natasha Broxton, Founder and CEO of Select Auto Parts & Sales, leads Milwaukee’s only fully indoor auto recycling facility. With a background in corporate bookkeeping and tire recycling, she has built an innovative operation centred on efficiency, sustainability, and technology. Through precise inventory management and AI integration, Broxton is redefining modern auto recycling while promoting smarter, cleaner, and more customer-focused practices across the industry.
Natasha Broxton
From bookkeeping to auto recycling
My entry into auto recycling really started through my husband and family.
My husband, Eric, has been in the tire recycling industry for over 30 years. When I left corporate in 2009, I began assisting him with the back-office side of his business — bookkeeping, accounting, HR, and all the behind-the-scenes work, while he handled the hands-on operations. We made a great team.
That partnership led to an unexpected opportunity. The building Select Auto Parts is in today was for sale, but at the time, it was filled with thousands of junk tires. The owners contacted our tire recycling company to price the cleanup. We gave them a bid, but then turned around and made an offer on the building itself.
It’s 125,000 square feet. Once we got it, Eric looked at me and said, “We should turn this into an indoor auto parts facility.” Milwaukee no longer allows outdoor auto parts yards, so this became our solution to a problem.
We’d experienced the frustrations firsthand: parts exposed to the elements, delays due to parts still being on vehicles, and inconsistent quality. So we built a model I call the concierge of auto parts recycling. Every vehicle that enters our building is evaluated for its reliable working parts.
Using a state-of-the-art inventory system, we stock only what the market needs. Even though the building is large, space is still limited, so we’re selective and intentional about what we bring in.
That’s how I went from corporate bookkeeping to leading Milwaukee’s only indoor auto parts facility, turning a family legacy in recycling into an innovative solution for our city.
Redefining Representation: How Identity, Challenges, and Resilience Drive Change in Auto Recycling
Representation matters. Being one of the few Black-owned, woman-led recyclers in the U.S. means I walk into spaces where people don’t always expect me.
Challenges? Absolutely. Access to capital, navigating bias, and earning trust in a male-dominated industry. I’ve had to prove myself over and over again.
But there are also advantages. My perspective enables me to approach recycling not just as a business, but also as a community impact, connecting sustainability, equity, and storytelling. My identity has shaped me into a leader who builds with intention, and it’s given me a platform to empower others.
Natasha mentoring local youth
That’s why I launched Automotive in Black, a movement dedicated to amplifying Black voices, businesses, and professionals in the automotive and recycling industries. It’s about visibility, equity, and creating opportunities where historically there have been barriers.
So while my identity has created challenges, it has also become my greatest advantage; it fuels my vision, sharpens my leadership, and drives me to ensure that others have a seat at the table as well.
Built Around City Regulations, Select Auto Parts Delivers Efficient, Customer-Focused Recycling
We actually built our entire business model around Milwaukee’s regulations, so for us, it’s been a positive.
Milwaukee requires facilities to operate undercover, which forces us to think differently about how we manage space, vehicles, and inventory. It means we can’t just store vehicles outdoors and pull parts later. We have to be selective, bringing in only cars with parts we know will sell quickly and dismantling them right away so those parts can move back out. That selectivity is what makes our model efficient.
Inventory management is everything. If a customer sees a part on our website or on car-part.com, they can trust that it’s available. My team and I are constantly auditing and updating our systems to make sure we live up to that promise.
The result is a customer experience that feels completely different from the traditional “junkyard” model. Customers are relieved when they realize they don’t have to pull the parts themselves or pay extra fees to have it done. They can just walk in, pick up the part, and leave with exactly what they need. That level of convenience and trust is a big differentiator for us.
Inventory Specialist Mark assisting a customer
Turning tire waste into opportunity through community partnership and sustainable solutions
Tire recycling is an important issue in Milwaukee, and we see it as an opportunity for collaboration. Tires can easily become a problem if they aren’t managed properly, but we believe the solution is about partnership between recyclers like us, the city, and the community.
Through Tires Express, which my husband, Eric, has operated for decades, we’ve created a system to responsibly recycle tires alongside the work we do at Select Auto Parts. But we know it takes more than one company, so we’re ready and willing to partner with the city to create drop-off points, expand access, and make tire recycling easy for residents and businesses alike.
We also want customers and residents to feel like they have a vested interest. Recycling a tire isn’t just disposal; it’s a sustainable choice that contributes to cleaner neighborhoods and a stronger city. That’s why we’re shifting our messaging and using social media to educate and empower: “Did you know that when you recycle a tire, you’re reducing waste, preventing pollution, and contributing to sustainability?”
Our goal is to move the conversation from problem to partnership, and to make every Milwaukee resident feel like they’re part of the solution.
AI-driven insights power smarter vehicle selection and streamlined inventory management
We’re very intentional about inventory, because space is valuable and customer trust is everything. Our state-of-the-art inventory system uses industry data to show us what customers are searching for locally, regionally, and nationally. I also do my own research on platforms like eBay to see which parts are trending and moving quickly.
In the past, evaluating a single vehicle could take me 45 minutes to an hour. But being introduced to artificial intelligence has been a game-changer. Now I can determine a vehicle in just a few minutes, with even greater accuracy. AI integrations with my inventory system streamline the whole process, save time, and take pressure off my team.
And because AI keeps learning, it only gets better. It’s helping us make smarter decisions about what comes in and what goes out, and it’s giving us a glimpse of what the future of auto recycling will look like.
The future of auto recycling lies at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and innovation
I think the next five years are going to be transformative for auto recycling. The most significant opportunities are at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and equity.
On the technology side, AI will reshape how we evaluate, price, and even dismantle vehicles. It will make recyclers more efficient and more profitable, while reducing waste.
On the sustainability side, I believe tire recycling is still one of the biggest untapped opportunities. It’s an area my husband and I know well, and I see tremendous potential for innovation in how we repurpose and reuse rubber.
Speaking to Milwaukee area technical college students in the dismantle area
And then there’s equity. Innovation can’t just be about tech; it has to include representation and access. That’s why I launched Alitura Group, a consultancy and training platform designed to provide underrepresented entrepreneurs the resources, training, and networks I didn’t have when I started. Alongside Automotive in Black, it’s part of my mission to create space for diverse voices in industries where they’re often excluded.
So for me, the future of auto recycling isn’t just about smarter technology or greener solutions. It’s about building an industry that is smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive than ever before.
Efficiency Under Cover: The Strategy Behind Select Auto Parts’ Indoor Advantage
Natasha Broxton, Founder and CEO of Select Auto Parts & Sales, leads Milwaukee’s only fully indoor auto recycling facility. With a background in corporate bookkeeping and tire recycling, she has built an innovative operation centred on efficiency, sustainability, and technology. Through precise inventory management and AI integration, Broxton is redefining modern auto recycling while promoting smarter, cleaner, and more customer-focused practices across the industry.
From bookkeeping to auto recycling
My entry into auto recycling really started through my husband and family.
My husband, Eric, has been in the tire recycling industry for over 30 years. When I left corporate in 2009, I began assisting him with the back-office side of his business — bookkeeping, accounting, HR, and all the behind-the-scenes work, while he handled the hands-on operations. We made a great team.
That partnership led to an unexpected opportunity. The building Select Auto Parts is in today was for sale, but at the time, it was filled with thousands of junk tires. The owners contacted our tire recycling company to price the cleanup. We gave them a bid, but then turned around and made an offer on the building itself.
It’s 125,000 square feet. Once we got it, Eric looked at me and said, “We should turn this into an indoor auto parts facility.” Milwaukee no longer allows outdoor auto parts yards, so this became our solution to a problem.
We’d experienced the frustrations firsthand: parts exposed to the elements, delays due to parts still being on vehicles, and inconsistent quality. So we built a model I call the concierge of auto parts recycling. Every vehicle that enters our building is evaluated for its reliable working parts.
Using a state-of-the-art inventory system, we stock only what the market needs. Even though the building is large, space is still limited, so we’re selective and intentional about what we bring in.
That’s how I went from corporate bookkeeping to leading Milwaukee’s only indoor auto parts facility, turning a family legacy in recycling into an innovative solution for our city.
Redefining Representation: How Identity, Challenges, and Resilience Drive Change in Auto Recycling
Representation matters. Being one of the few Black-owned, woman-led recyclers in the U.S. means I walk into spaces where people don’t always expect me.
Challenges? Absolutely. Access to capital, navigating bias, and earning trust in a male-dominated industry. I’ve had to prove myself over and over again.
But there are also advantages. My perspective enables me to approach recycling not just as a business, but also as a community impact, connecting sustainability, equity, and storytelling. My identity has shaped me into a leader who builds with intention, and it’s given me a platform to empower others.
That’s why I launched Automotive in Black, a movement dedicated to amplifying Black voices, businesses, and professionals in the automotive and recycling industries. It’s about visibility, equity, and creating opportunities where historically there have been barriers.
So while my identity has created challenges, it has also become my greatest advantage; it fuels my vision, sharpens my leadership, and drives me to ensure that others have a seat at the table as well.
Built Around City Regulations, Select Auto Parts Delivers Efficient, Customer-Focused Recycling
We actually built our entire business model around Milwaukee’s regulations, so for us, it’s been a positive.
Milwaukee requires facilities to operate undercover, which forces us to think differently about how we manage space, vehicles, and inventory. It means we can’t just store vehicles outdoors and pull parts later. We have to be selective, bringing in only cars with parts we know will sell quickly and dismantling them right away so those parts can move back out. That selectivity is what makes our model efficient.
Inventory management is everything. If a customer sees a part on our website or on car-part.com, they can trust that it’s available. My team and I are constantly auditing and updating our systems to make sure we live up to that promise.
The result is a customer experience that feels completely different from the traditional “junkyard” model. Customers are relieved when they realize they don’t have to pull the parts themselves or pay extra fees to have it done. They can just walk in, pick up the part, and leave with exactly what they need. That level of convenience and trust is a big differentiator for us.
Turning tire waste into opportunity through community partnership and sustainable solutions
Tire recycling is an important issue in Milwaukee, and we see it as an opportunity for collaboration. Tires can easily become a problem if they aren’t managed properly, but we believe the solution is about partnership between recyclers like us, the city, and the community.
Through Tires Express, which my husband, Eric, has operated for decades, we’ve created a system to responsibly recycle tires alongside the work we do at Select Auto Parts. But we know it takes more than one company, so we’re ready and willing to partner with the city to create drop-off points, expand access, and make tire recycling easy for residents and businesses alike.
We also want customers and residents to feel like they have a vested interest. Recycling a tire isn’t just disposal; it’s a sustainable choice that contributes to cleaner neighborhoods and a stronger city. That’s why we’re shifting our messaging and using social media to educate and empower: “Did you know that when you recycle a tire, you’re reducing waste, preventing pollution, and contributing to sustainability?”
Our goal is to move the conversation from problem to partnership, and to make every Milwaukee resident feel like they’re part of the solution.
AI-driven insights power smarter vehicle selection and streamlined inventory management
We’re very intentional about inventory, because space is valuable and customer trust is everything. Our state-of-the-art inventory system uses industry data to show us what customers are searching for locally, regionally, and nationally. I also do my own research on platforms like eBay to see which parts are trending and moving quickly.
In the past, evaluating a single vehicle could take me 45 minutes to an hour. But being introduced to artificial intelligence has been a game-changer. Now I can determine a vehicle in just a few minutes, with even greater accuracy. AI integrations with my inventory system streamline the whole process, save time, and take pressure off my team.
And because AI keeps learning, it only gets better. It’s helping us make smarter decisions about what comes in and what goes out, and it’s giving us a glimpse of what the future of auto recycling will look like.
The future of auto recycling lies at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and innovation
I think the next five years are going to be transformative for auto recycling. The most significant opportunities are at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and equity.
On the technology side, AI will reshape how we evaluate, price, and even dismantle vehicles. It will make recyclers more efficient and more profitable, while reducing waste.
On the sustainability side, I believe tire recycling is still one of the biggest untapped opportunities. It’s an area my husband and I know well, and I see tremendous potential for innovation in how we repurpose and reuse rubber.
And then there’s equity. Innovation can’t just be about tech; it has to include representation and access. That’s why I launched Alitura Group, a consultancy and training platform designed to provide underrepresented entrepreneurs the resources, training, and networks I didn’t have when I started. Alongside Automotive in Black, it’s part of my mission to create space for diverse voices in industries where they’re often excluded.
So for me, the future of auto recycling isn’t just about smarter technology or greener solutions. It’s about building an industry that is smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive than ever before.
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