ARA Recycled Parts Guide 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
United Recyclers Group (URG) Contact: Michelle Alexander Phone: 303-367-4391 Fax: 303-367-4409
E-mail: michelle@u-r-g.com Homepage: www.u-r-g.com
URG Announces Support for ARA Recycled Parts Guide
March 27, 2006 – Aurora, Colorado — United Recyclers Group (URG) has announced their support of the newly issued Version 2.0 of the “Recycled Parts Guide: Expectations and Guidelines” from the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA).
“We’re excited about this document,” says Mike Kunkel, general manager of American Auto Salvage (Fort Worth Texas) and advisory board member for URG’s Team PRP. He says “It adds another level of professionalism to the auto salvage industry, and that is important to all of us.”
“It is a win for everyone involved in automotive parts salvage and collision repair,” says Don Porter. He serves as a member of URG’s Advisory Board and is an auto consultant for State Farms Property and Casualty Claims Group (Bloomington, Illinois). “When the automotive collision industry gets written standards, to purchase parts, for instance, these will be adopted by ‘best in class’ automotive parts recyclers and collision repair shops. Consumers win, because high quality repairs on their automobiles are being made with recycled parts that come with a warranty. Insurance rates drop, and automotive part recyclers get more business because they provide original manufacturer quality parts at competitive prices.”
According to the ARA, this purpose of the Recycled Parts Guide document is to “offer industry participants the opportunity to limit the number of variables associated with the use of recycled parts in order to increase their acceptance and use. “
They go on to state that the ARA Recycled Parts Guide “is intended to help define the expectations and suggest performance standards for all parties involved in the trade and use of recycled parts. The goal is that, through the definition of those standards more parts will be included in repair estimates, more parts will be purchased by buyers and fewer parts will be returned. “
The ARA Recycled Parts Guide sets expectations for standards of performance in a number of areas. These include expectations for estimators, buyers, and sellers. It also addresses expectations for data accuracy and warranties. Given extensive coverage in the document are expected standards for parts; air conditioning, heating, and cooling components; electrical; engines, transmission, transfer cases, and differentials; glass; steering and suspension; and wheels and wheel covers.“Our ultimate consumer can be anyone driving a car down the street,” says Kunkel. “This means that we in the automotive recycling industry need to be concerned with our public image. The release of this ARA Recycled Parts Guide is particularly timely with Hurricane Katrina salvage efforts underway. We can all be hurt by the unscrupulous business practices of a few ‘fly by night’ operators. By contrast, these standards give assurances to the public, insurance industry, and automotive collision repair shops that we adhere to higher standards.”
He continues: “One of the longstanding negatives about our industry is that we don’t stand behind our work. For URG members, this has never been an issue of course. What this document does, though, is create the expectation, in writing, that a good warranty will be provided when a recycled part is used in an automobile repair. This is another big step forward for our industry.”
“This Recycled Parts Guide from the ARA creates expectations and provides standards for everyone involved in automotive collision repair,” concludes Don Porter. “It brings us all together and puts us on the same page.”
For more information on the United Recyclers Group (URG), please contact Michelle Alexander, United Recyclers Group (URG), Phone: 303-367-4391, Fax: 303-367-4409, E-mail: michelle@u-r- g.com, Website: www.u-r-g.com.
For more information on Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), please contact Automotive Recyclers Association, Phone: (703) 385-1001, Fax: (703) 385-1494, Website: www.a-r-a.org.