By Caryn Smith • Editor
I have been working with automotive recyclers for a good long time, and for some reason, I had never been to a Hill Days! This year, I finally had the opportunity to attend and join the Florida team as we visited legislators’ offices. What a blast! It was empowering to walk the halls of the Capitol and Senate buildings, step into the offices of elected officials, and advocate for an effort I truly believe in—the advancement of the automotive recycling industry.
What struck me most was watching recyclers from every corner of the country make the industry’s case with confidence and heart. Nobody tells our story better than the people living it—the yard owners who know exactly what a stranded EV battery costs, what a stolen catalytic converter does to a small business, and why a seat at the table matters.
ARA President Shannon Nordstrom kicks off our Hill Days coverage in his column on page 8, and then my review of the event and this year’s congressional “asks” continues on page 28. This includes a remarkable sidebar on Toyota’s collaboration with our industry that would have been hard to imagine just five years ago.
From the halls of Congress, we turn to the halls of the convention center. Our preview of ARA’s 83rd Annual Convention & Expo, themed “Driving Connections. Fueling Growth.” It begins on page 24.
I am especially excited about Opening Keynote speaker Susan Frew, an AI innovator and entrepreneur who grew her Colorado plumbing and heating company 535% and onto the Inc. 5000 list by putting artificial intelligence to work on real-world business challenges. If you have wondered what AI could actually do for a business like yours, Susan is the speaker you have been waiting for.
In fact, consider this our unofficial AI issue. On page 38, meet Natasha Broxton, Founder & Owner of Select Auto Parts & Sales, Milwaukee’s only indoor auto recycler, who is breaking the mold of conventional auto recycling with her bold, technology-first mindset, and as an African American Women owned recycling business.
And on page 48, we explore AI’s growing role in automotive recycling, where smart operators are turning years of operational knowledge into smarter systems, faster decisions, and new revenue opportunities. The common thread? Technology is not replacing what makes this industry great, it is amplifying it.
Of course, no issue would be complete without celebrating the people who built this industry—and the ones still building it, literally. Our “Building the Industry” feature continues on page 35 with Daurio Auto Truck, which is entering its next generation on a certified foundation, part of a wave of recyclers expanding their footprints with new construction to streamline processes and grow operations.
And our Recycler to Watch on page 43 is A&A Auto & Truck Parts—sharing generations of growth, innovation, and family commitment. Both stories are a reminder that the best businesses in this industry pass down more than inventory; they pass down values.
Whether you were walking the Hill in May, or you plan to make your voice heard from home (see boxes on pages 31 and 34), this issue is proof of something I saw firsthand in Washington: this industry is at its best when it shows up—for policy, for progress, and for each other.
See you in the pages—and I hope to see you at the convention!
Caryn Smith is the editor of Automotive Recycling magazine, and has been covering the industry for over 25 years. She is a freelance writer for industry publications, such as Recycling Today.
