We'd like to thank everyone again who joined us at our 2025 Upper Midwest Convention! Click here for a gallery of photos from throughout this year's event.
This will be my last letter From the Secretary's Desk. I will be retiring at the end of May.
Annie Kauffman, the new CARS Secretary asked if I could write an article about my time with CARS of WI.
My husband and I joined CARS in 1972. Mike Ogrezovich asked if I would come on the board of directors? After I asked Arnie if I could, he said as long as he did not have to do anything. So, I joined the board in 1981. Wow that's a long time ago. I served as secretary on and off for 14 years.
Then in 2009 I was hired to be the Executive Secretary for CARS of WI. These last 16 years have been wonderful. I enjoyed all the time as your Sec. Well, there were times when I thought about quitting. Especially when we were planning the conventions, education programs and meetings, because as you all know, the members that attend these programs. never decide until the last minute whether they are coming or not.
I have met so many wonderful people over the years. There were old-time recyclers and new owners. ARA people are wonderful as well as all the vendors that take their time to come to Wisconsin and introduce us to new laws, equipment, and ways to improve our business. Years ago, I was given a lifetime membership to CARS, so you might see me again in years to come.
My Dad said once you get the grease under your fingernails it will never go away, so at 78 years old you might see me in the future. Goodbye for now.
Love you all.
Sandy
First and foremost THANK YOU to Badger motors for hosting our annual Upper Midwest convention this year. We all know how much time, energy and a disruption to normal business it is. The venue was fabulous. Thank you to the vendors, speakers, and everyone in attendance.
The day started with Shannon Nordstrom speaking about leadership. For everyone that shows Shannon his 45 minute time slot turned into more but it was well worth it. He talked about the importance of employee buy in. He used the acronym CANI: Constant and neverending improvement.
Greg Pederson talked about IRA's and saving for retirement. You're never too young to start saving for the future. Have you as owners looked into a plan to benefit your employees. Employees if your owner offers a plan are you participating?
Sue Schauls talked about safety and the importance of a safety program. How this relates to OSHA and keeping employees safe. Many times when OSHA does come in they ask an employee about HAZCOM and they give them a blank stare because employees know it as SDS. The CARS (Certified Automotive Recycler) program will help you in many ways get audit ready. Check it out at https://aracertification.com.
Jonathan Kusowski held his annual stormwater meeting and talked to us about in cases of spills, fires, doing improvements in your yard and what to do if you want to add buildings, concrete slabs, etc. for DNR. As we all know Morrisons had a huge fire and what the procedure was for them with the DNR and that fire. Rocki Top added concrete and what the procedure was in their process.
Greg Hubbard gave us an update on the Wholesale Dealer issue and where we are at. Tom Hermann & Robbie Koepp are working with him and have attended hearings on this matter. Throughout the seminar not only from speakers but general attendance we heard talk of EV vehicles and batteries and what we need to do and what can be done. This is not only a huge issue with us but with fire departments and rescue teams. Get with your local fire departments and show them where you store your batteries and the obstacles that they may face if there is a fire at your facility.
Throughout the day it was great to talk to vendors, speakers, and other yards to swap ideas. What works, what doesn't, how do you do this, or who do use for that? The food from the food truck was excellent. From breakfast to lunch they had us covered. We ended the conference with door prize drawings for employees, raffles, and lots of winners. As employees registered they received raffle tickets for just coming to the event to enter for prizes. There were things from paintings, bird houses, car wash kit, to Milwaukee tools.
Then it was off to the Golden Sands Race Track for an enduro race. Food and soda was provided in the VIP room for us. Although the cars from the yards didn't do so well I think everyone had a great time.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions please let us know. We are open to them and want this to be for you the salvage owners, managers, employees. Share them with us. Until next time.
Thank you.
Wow, what a great annual CARS meeting we just had! If you were not there, you missed a great opportunity. We had great training sessions by Sue Schaul and Jonathan Kuskowski and a very well-done keynote presentation by Shannon Nordstrom, not to mention time spent greeting old friends and making new ones.
If you were unable to make it you sure missed out. If you were there, I want to encourage you to write down just one takeaway from the day. Write it down and put it where you will see it every day. Leave it up for a couple weeks, you don't have to do anything other than just look at it and think about it for a few minutes. "What is the point of that," you might be asking yourself. Simply this: what you think about will come about. Did you hear a simple little tip on how to do a process differently, or a new idea for a promotional effort?
I personally noted a couple of things down, and they were not all from the sessions. I was sitting in a small group talking about handling returns, when one of the guys mentioned they use a red zip tie on the tag of a part that is being returned. That way, anyone handling the part in the future automatically knows it had been returned once before. Simple little things like that add up to what is an enormous wealth of knowledge in this industry. We are always needing to get better; and we do this by learning from others who have gone down the path we might currently be on and can offer insight.
As Shannon shared in his session, they use the CANI (Constant And Neverending Improvement) way of thinking, and we can all benefit from that. That is what I have written on a sticky note stuck to my monitor, and I am going to focus on that for the coming weeks as a reminder of what needs to happen in our own business.
We always strive to do better and be better, and nowhere that I have ever seen is this better accomplished than in the auto recycling community. There is such a sense of community that it makes working in the industry a real joy. Thanks to all that participated and put the show together, it was in my opinion a great success.
The Upper Midwest Auto Recyclers Convention was held on April 26th, and I was able to attend. As a lot of you know, I semi-retired last year, but am still on the CARS Board. For a one-day show, I think it went very well. I feel this is a good direction to go in the future since everyone is always so busy. Also, the cost was a big plus for everyone. A big “Thank You” to Badger Motors. They did a super job preparing for us and had the place looking good. Also “Thank You” to Sandy, Annie, Gail, Jackie, and Tom for their work at registration, door prizes, and raffles.
I started my trip on Friday, so I could take a tour of Rock Oil. They are really organized and have a clean operation considering they are recyling 3 millions gallons of oil a year. They build a lot of their own equipment, tanker trucks, and a still for recycling antifreeze. Thank you, David, for the tour. They said that their doors are open if others want to take a tour. Just call them to make an appointment.
Saturday started out with a bigger attendance than we thought we would see. We had to grab more chairs from the rack. Thanks everyone for your support. It was really good to see some of the old faces. I thought the speakers were very good for both owners and employees. At the end of the day, the racing was a nice change of pace. “Thank You” Matt Rowe for setting up the night of racing. Just too bad none of the CARS members did well. Hopefully next time.
Join us on April 26th for the Upper Midwest Auto Recyclers Convention & Trade Show!
Hosted by Badger Motors in Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Click here for registration and event information, or you can download the event flier.
Click here for more information about the convention.
For a schedule of events, visit the events page.
Certified Auto Recyclers program advises limited use of gas cutting torches, restricted to trained employees. Safety protocols must be followed before using the torch. Both management and torch users should review the protocol and may need additional training based on local regulations or insurance requirements. Download the Cutting Torch Protocol at https://aracertification.com/guidance
Improper use of cutting torches can cause explosions, fires, burns, eye injuries, and even fatalities. Some insurers have increased deductibles for claims involving torch-related property damage. The policy aims to make cutting tools a last resort. When using a torch, follow proper guidelines to avoid death, serious injury, or significant property damage.
Flame temperatures can exceed 6000°F. Misuse may cause immediate or delayed fires from smoldering debris or explosions. Inspect all equipment; damaged components can lead to injuries or fires. Properly regulate pressures to avoid explosions. Hidden dangers like compressed gas in shock absorbers or concealed fuel lines can ignite when cutting.
Follow these practices to ensure safe and effective torch operations.
OSHA (29CFR 1910.252(a) Fire Prevention and Protection Basic Precautions) and the NFPA (51B Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work) set requirements for cutting operations. They hold management and supervisors accountable for safe cutting practices, fire protection equipment, and hot work authorization.
Does it seem to you that in the last couple of years, whenever you open a trade magazine or read a blog or anything related to auto repair and auto recycling, that the subject matter is largely about EV or hybrid electric vehicles? Seems like that is all there is to read about anymore. Now I don't mind this. I like electric vehicles and the idea behind them. I believe they will be good for our industry. I am all for progress, whatever that means. But I am also a sarcastic and contradictory person a little bit, so this article will be about carburetors. I mean seriously, when is the last time you read an article about carburetors? I don't remember the last time I did, but I would wager I didn't have any grey hair at the time. A carburetor is not necessarily the opposite of an EV, but they are no longer a mainstream vehicle component.
A quick refresher: a carburetor in it's most simple form is a device for mixing fuel (usually gasoline) into the intake air that would be used for combustion. It is most common for this to also be used to modulate engine speed by metering the amount of this air and fuel mixture allowed into the engine. It all works on Bernoulli's principle, which basically says when the air passes into a narrower passage it must speed up, which creates a vacuum. At the point where this vacuum occurs there is a siphon tube to a fuel reservoir in the carburetor where fuel is stored. The vacuum lifts the fuel and mixes it into the air, and the magic happens. The rest is internal combustion history.
What is so great about this and why should you care? There is probably no real reason why you should. They are outdated, not the most efficient, a bit clunky, and even when they were mainstream many if not most people struggled to keep them working well. I grew up with them, and for some reason have always really liked them. I like tuning them, I like repairing them, I even like seeing how many of them I can get on the same engine. (To date, the answer is four, by the way). They are a critical part of hot rod craft.
As a kid growing up in an auto salvage, we very often had customers request a carburetor. I distinctly remember a customer asking my dad what the warranty was on the carb. The answer every time was "I guarantee that to be a carburetor." No warranty - sold as is. It probably wasn't going to make the old farm truck run any better than it already was, and he wasn't going to take a carb back because the customer didn't know what they were doing.
Come to think of it, a lot of parts had that warranty. Boy how things have changed. We are now expected to warranty everything for a lot longer than thirty days. I have had customers warranty everything from a six-thousand-dollar engine to a six-dollar used tire. Competition and a changing consumer culture has brought us to this point. It is tempting to look back at the "good ole days" when we didn't have to do that, but I am not sure we were better off in business that way. It was simple, but not the best performing. It got the job done, but what sales did we lose in the process? Back then if we sold an engine for five hundred, we thought we were having a pretty good day, but now we wonder if it is worth pulling an engine out of a car for only that much.
Times do change. We hear a little bit of fear or reluctance when it comes to changing to EVs. But if you were around in the early part of the century when cars started to populate the roadways, you would have heard from horse owners almost exactly the same arguments against the newfangled cars that we hear die hard internal combustion people say about EVs. "Where are they going to get enough gas for them all? They are going to be out of control and hurt people. They catch fire and you can't put it out!" Sound familiar?
So, let us not fret over changing times. Let's adjust and sell EV parts. Are they different? Of course they are. Are we going to have to change some practices and procedures? Certainly. Will it be profitable? The answer is it will be if you do the right things, just like you are hopefully already doing. I do not currently drive an EV, but I do like Tesla, and will probably drive one. I do hear they come with a super charger option; I wonder how many carburetors I can get on that?
Join us in April for the Upper Midwest Auto Recyclers Convention & Trade Show!
Hosted by Badger Motors in Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Click here for registration and event information, or you can download the event flier.
Good morning Auto Recyclers,
Today I am writing from Lake of the Ozarks. Our family has been coming here for 30 years or more. It is my Happy Place and to us the greatest place on earth. In the last couple years, I am learning how to do a few things remotely. If you haven't done this yet, make it a goal for 2025.
What a year we have all been through. Last year on January 24th we lost our brother Steven Swift. It is very hard losing a sibling and has been tough on our entire family. My sisters, and all of our kids still can't believe it will almost be a year. It was the first Christmas without him, and a lot of firsts for his 2 boys. He was not only my brother, but we also worked side by side for the last 30 years. We miss his humor and his being at the business wearing many hats as we all do. Hard to come up with goals and what we need to do to increase sales and work on the business, but we seem to go on every day. Time doesn't stop and now, BOOM, a year later.
So now here comes 2025. We will have a new president, and many things are going to change. Like the industry changing and how to adapt to change. Our business has gone from 15 employees and 12-acre facility to now 5 employees and 1 acre of ground. Our goals are to increase sales and try to reach out to more customers. Sounds easy, but we will all have to do our part, with only 5 of us. As a Team we are going to sit down to see what goals that all of us need to try to accomplish.
One of our employees works remote from the Philippines. Her name is Catherine, and she works for Hazer Staffing. If you are looking for a salesperson, please look into this. The person will come trained on your YMS and for a few months down the road you will have the person used to how you do things at your facility. They will answer the phone, make sales, do callbacks just become part of the team and we recommend it for sure. My sister Susan does eCommerce and all of the title work. Additionally, I know we want to increase sales on eCommerce. Jim is our counter salesperson on site, and he has been with us for over 30 years, and is working on his sales skills and working on getting more familiar with the Checkmate system. Christian is our warehouse, parts puller, and delivery person. His goal for 2025 get to work earlier to help get the day started. And then we have Ken. Ken is part time comes in and does the QuickBooks. We are going to work more together to watch the money and bills etc. My brother Steve did all of this, so I can tell you I have learned more about QuickBooks. Not fun I can assure you, so thank goodness we have Ken.
So, like I said from the beginning: Never enough time. Time doesn't stop and we as Auto Recyclers get a lot of stuff thrown at us every day. So, for 2025, make goals, make them happen and try to enjoy some time in and out of the business.
Hope for the Best in 2025. Make some goals. Hope for a Great 2025!
Living the Dream in Auto Recycling,
Mike Swift
Welcome to 2025, a whole new year. I want to wish you all A HAPPY NEW YEAR. I am looking forward to the new changes we will all experience this year.
We are in the process of planning a new style Upper Midwest Recyclers Convention and Trade Show. The date is April 26th, 2025. It will be held at Badger Motors in Wis. Rapids. There will be training sessions led by the people that actually do the job. So, if you have dismantlers, salespeople, yard people, exec you can bring your employees to learn some new ideas and maybe share some ideas you might do at your yard. We will have trade venders available to show the new concepts in auto recycling. Seminars about new concepts being taught across the country. Food trucks on the grounds and some fun, too. Also the price will be very reasonable so bring your whole crew. We will be having a stock car race Saturday night at Golden Sands Raceway. If your company sponsors racers you can bring a car to race. There will be a Saturday night dinner held at the racetrack. All tier 1 salvage dealers will be invited to attend so you will be able to meet other dealers from WI and MN. This will be a good time to talk to your fellow salvagers and invite them to this event.
The event flyers will be sent out in January so watch for them and get registered. It will be a fantastic time to get together with your recycling friends.
Sincerely your secretary,
Sandy Dumke
I think for many, 2024 will go down as a challenging year with few bright spots. The economic condition around the globe is weak and geopolitical squabbles keep escalading. It's hard to be much of an optimist. But in these moments, I'm reminded of those people in my life with chronic pain. They could easily choose to focus on the negative, but in each case, they are driven by enjoying the little moments of happiness they come across each day. Let this time of year not come and go without each of us taking some time to set off the everyday burdens and fears and instead focus on our moments of happiness that come to us through our families, friends, and faith. It's been said, the darkest nights can bring about the brightest stars.
I expect slight improvements in the ferrous market as mills look to a fresh start. Snow and cold times are our friends as the supply struggles to find its way to market. Aluminum has remained steady despite coppers decline. I don't expect to see much from red metals until the Asian markets work out tariff implications with the next administration.
Current Ferrous Pricing:
Current Non-Ferrous Indications (12/20)
