Tell us about your company and the products that you offer.

The executive group of Vehicle Recycling Group (VRG) Automotive LLC consists of four owners of some the finest recycling facilities in the country: Nordstrom’s Automotive in Garretson, S.D., G&R Auto Parts in Oklahoma City, Okla., Spalding Auto Parts in Spokane, Wash., and Stricker Auto Parts in Batavia, Ohio. Collectively, they employ over 400 employees and they represent over 200 years in business under the same family names.

Each of these facilities provide some of the best recycled, aftermarket, and remanufactured parts in the country. All parts have warranties associated with the various parts, and extended parts and labor warranties are also available.

How does your service work and how is it different from other parts providers?

VRG has created a call center, located in Batavia, where quotes can be obtained via telephone or email. Our goal is to respond to any request within 15 minutes. However, we normally respond on an average of eight minutes. The inventories at the four primary locations are readily available to the call center, plus various other inventory locations of parts suppliers all over the country. This makes it easy for us to quote and ship parts from the closest source to its final destination.

All orders are launched via an electronic order entry system, without having to pick up a telephone. Most small parts are delivered next day, and larger parts such as engines and transmissions are usually delivered within three days.

Regardless of any issues or questions, the call center handles all inquiries. Where the parts are sourced from makes no difference.

Who are your customers? What message would you like to express to them?

Warranty companies, repair shops, new-car dealerships, used-car sales and collision repair shops. We also deal with various inspection services.

What channels do you use to sell your services?

We have an outside sales force, [ads in] various publications and Internet exposure.

Looking back over the past five years, how has the parts industry changed and how do you see it changing in the future?

In the past five years, aftermarket parts for all types of replacement parts have become more available. Like all other types of parts, some are better than others. Our goal has always been to supply the best recycled part in the industry and, when that is not available, to supply the best replacement part available, for a reasonable price. Technological advances in automobiles are definitely creating change in the types of parts sold and the expertise needed to repair them.

What technology or additional services do you believe will drive your future success?

Being able to provide a customer the ability to select and purchase a part without having to pick up a telephone or send an e-mail will be our challenge for the future. The paper catalogs of the past are evolving into the electronic catalogs of the present and future. Creating services to support that type of business transactions will be our challenge as well as our future.