A great yard isn’t built on luck; it’s built on discipline. We sit down with David Gold of Standard Auto Wreckers to unpack how a third-generation operator navigated expansion, a public roll-up, and an uncommon buyback to rebuild momentum with people, process, and profit at the center. From the early days of turning a “junkyard” into an environmentally responsible recycler to leading industry boards, David shares what still works—and what no longer does—in a market defined by vehicle complexity and tight margins.

We dig into the real levers of profitability: protecting your core parts business, saying no to distractions, and using metrics to separate vanity volume from contribution margin. David explains why weekly manager development, hands-on leadership, and ride-alongs translate directly to better dismantling flow, cleaner inventory, and faster customer responses. He also breaks down the tech stack that actually pays off, from URG’s modern web services to a warranty platform that functions like a purpose-built CRM, complete with call recordings, technical bulletins, and expert support to help parts stick and returns drop.

Vehicle acquisition remains the heartbeat of a buy-or-die industry, so we explore Green Vehicle Disposal—a marketer’s moat designed by recyclers to route local sellers back to licensed, environmentally credible operations. With national SEO authority, lead capture, and certification, yards see stronger supply, including late-model units they once missed. It’s a practical blueprint for taking back your market from brokers and unlicensed operators while raising community trust.

If you care about sustainable growth in auto recycling—recruiting and training people, picking the right tools, and staying laser-focused on the work that pays—this conversation is a field guide. Subscribe, share with a fellow recycler, and leave a review telling us the one distraction you’re dropping this quarter.

A good goodbye doesn’t end a story—it reveals why it mattered. We gathered with DJ Harrington, the voice who helped shape URG On The Go, to celebrate the lessons, laughs, and leadership that lifted automotive recycling and the people who power it. Amanda shares a deeply personal tribute, Michael steps in with warmth and respect, and DJ opens the playbook that built his legacy: simple phone scripts that win trust, service habits that compound, and a brand—the “Doctor”—that made big ideas easy to remember.

We dig into the path from General Motors and the PGA to global stages, and how a few smart choices turned expertise into impact. DJ champions association membership—state groups, URG, ARA—not as a checkbox but as leverage. Show up, learn in the hallways, and switch tables at meals to multiply your network. We talk about cooperation over rivalry, how unified leadership earned mainstream attention, and why this industry’s story is stronger when we tell it together.

The conversation lands on education and legacy. The URG Scholarship Foundation opens doors for four-year programs and skilled trades, with applications arriving right after the new year. DJ gets candid about health, shares the moment he chose to pass the mic, and still can’t resist teaching—cue the “Garden for Success” and the twist that turns “drink, swear, steal, and lie” into a pledge to study, serve, and tell the truth. It’s humor with a spine, delivered by someone who believes people are the point.

If you care about leadership, branding, and building a community that lasts, this sendoff is a toolkit. Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with your favorite DJ lesson so we can carry the work forward together.

A high-performing recycler website is more than a logo and a phone number—it’s a 24/7 salesperson that turns searches into paid orders. We sit down with Andy Alonzo from URG Web Services to unpack how yards across the U.S. and Canada are modernizing outdated sites and unlocking real e-commerce with clean structure, secure hosting, and tools built for this industry.

We start with the foundation: WordPress sites powered by the IIS Auto Part Search plugin to surface real-time inventory, accurate pricing, and clear availability. Andy explains why SSL, supported plugins, and reliable hosting matter, and how quiet failures—broken forms, missing images, stale pricing—silently drain revenue. Then we dig into Google Merchant Center and nightly product feeds that force faster indexing, so new parts and updates show up in search sooner, right where buyers are already looking.

Mobile-first design takes center stage, with most traffic now arriving by phone. We cover what a frictionless experience looks like: fast search, tap-to-call, streamlined checkout, and clear policies. We also explore video’s growing role, including YouTube walk-around integrations that boost trust and conversions while expanding reach to the web’s second-largest search engine. For SEO, Andy breaks down practical basics—specific H1s, unique titles and meta, and structured data—so search engines and AI systems can actually understand your pages.

Looking ahead, the shift to full e-commerce continues as younger buyers skip phone calls and expect to buy in minutes, not wait on quotes. Refreshing design every four to five years, updating content monthly, and integrating orders back into your yard management system keeps operations smooth and customers happy. If you’ve wondered why your site isn’t selling more—or how to future-proof for AI-driven discovery—this conversation gives you a clear roadmap.

If this helped, follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a quick review so other recyclers can find it. Ready to modernize your site and sell more parts online? Subscribe and tell us your top upgrade priority.