"Follow the Recycled Part!" Event Fosters Communication

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"Follow the Recycled Part!" Event Fosters Communication

Written by Sarena Brown

Monday, 23 June 2008

THORNHILL, ON -- June 23, 2008 -- Improved communication benefits repairers, recyclers and insurers, and on Thursday June 19, 2008, members of those groups gathered to do just that.

Last year, Collision Repair magazine hosted an event called “Re-Think Recycling”. Essentially, members of the insurance industry were given tours of three different recycling facilities. The event was a huge success by any standard. This year it was time for Phase II – “Follow the Recycled Part!”

At 7:45 a.m. Thursday morning, a specially chartered bus left for CSN Bayview & Steeles Collision in Thornhill. Upon arrival, the group enjoyed a delicious breakfast while the facility’s owner, Manuel Der Haroutiounian and his colleagues walked attendees through the claims process, providing a demonstration of how a typical estimate is done.

At each stop along the way, there is opportunity for all parties to ask questions and express their opinions about the process they are visiting. Many valid questions were asked throughout the day, clarifying many misconceptions.

The group is clearly looking forward to a morning of information and progress. “We are always trying to be cost conscious, and environmentally conscious as well,” says Wilf Bedard of Manitoba Public Insurance. “I see this event as an exploratory adventure. There are always new and different processes to learn. Take advantage of the best practices, continuous improvement, maintaining efficiency and keeping costs low.”

Next on the agenda was Carcone’s Auto Recycling where the group is shown step-by-step, the typical process used by recycling facilities when an estimate is received. The presentation quickly moves from overhead visuals to a very informative, productive discussion amongst the three different perspectives within the auto industry. We make our way outside and into the parts warehouse where we observe the process in which the requested parts are picked, packaged and shipped.

“Historically, the [auto recyclers, insurers and collision repairers] never wanted to address these issues,” admits Mary Poirier of Valley Automotive. “We, as a recycling facility, are accountable for the quality of what we ship.”

The last stop of the day is Assured Oaktown in Richmond Hill. Here the group is shown the method used when the recycled parts have arrived. The parts are thoroughly inspected before they are unloaded to confirm that they are the right make, model, year, and that the quality of the part is what was previously guaranteed. To bring this memorable event to an end, lunch was served, accompanied by a debriefing of the day as well as one last opportunity for any final questions and comments.

Throughout the morning, many informative discussions arose. One active topic was that the consumers need to be educated about recycled parts. They don’t understand that these parts are of good quality, are safe and are worth buying.

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