Auto Recycling eNewsletter

For immediate release - March 2004

Written and published by Ron Sturgeon, autosalvageconsultant.com, email to email Ron Sturgeon

To register for future free issues, visit http://www.autosalvageconsultant.com

Don’t forget to watch for our management articles monthly in Recyclers Power Source Magazine, or posted at our web site.

This Month’s News

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."
- Anonymous

LKQ’s Reports Earnings, Announces 3 Acquisitions

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQX) today reported results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2003, with revenue of $84.2 million and net income of $3.0 million, representing growth over the fourth quarter of 2002 of 18.4% and 31.5%, respectively. In January 2004, LKQ acquired Metro East; a St Louis recycled automotive parts company. On February 20, 2004, they acquired Global Trade Alliance (GTA), one of the largest suppliers of aftermarket collision automotive replacement parts in the Midwestern United States. GTA's revenue for the twelve months ended January 31, 2004 was approximately $42.5 million, according to LKQ. On February 25, 2004 they acquired the Cophers business operations in Florida. Cophers competes in the retail recycled automotive parts business, and has four business operations in the greater Tampa market. For the trailing twelve months ended January 31, 2004, these operations produced approximately $8 million in sales. [Source for LKQ news, their press releases]

LKQ stock has been trading in a range of $18.00 to $19.00, up from the offering price of $14.

URG and IT Announce Dates for Their Auto Recycling Conventions

Two of my staff members, Mike Gibson and Tammy Sturgeon, along with myself, will be speaking at the URG conference, April 23-24, in Denver. Topics we will be addressing will include

· The Five Biggest Problems the Average Recycler Faces Today

· $60,000 a Month in Sales - $150,000 a Year Net Income - 3 Employees

· Operating Metrics: Essential Tools Needed to Stay on Top of One or Several Facilities

For more information, contact URG at 303-367-4391. Registration is very inexpensive.

How to Salvage Millions from Your Small Business Goes International

I recently licensed the rights to publish it to China, and it has now been printed there! The book is also in its second printing. You can still order it at www.amazon.com

AADCO – A Canadian Public Company in the Auto Recycling Business Falters

Charles Hodgkinson, who led a group of investors that put $2-million into auto recycler AADCO Automotive Inc. a year and a half ago, has now found himself running the company a few months later and engaging in a corporate cleanup. Just five years old, publicly traded AADCO has encountered other hurdles. It has been storing hundreds of tons of automobile plastics-- everything from dashboards to hoses -- which it has been expensively storing at its main facility. The company had $4.1-million in revenue in fiscal 2002 and disassembles about 100 cars a month.

How’s Business?

I thought this month I would share a few tips with you I have learned that allow me to use the Internet and my computer more easily.

· Did you know you can use Google, to watch for articles of interest, using key words in most media, including newspapers, magazines, and of course the web. Google will search for your key words, and email you the results daily. Try using your name, or LKQ, or auto recycling. There is information every day!

· As you know, I am an avid user of a PDA (personal digital assistant), using a Palm, and later a Sony Clie. I suppose I am a power user, with a dictionary, movie clips, and lots of other tools on my Palm. I recently purchased a “merged product”; so no my cell phone and PDA are in one unit, a Kyocera 7135. Email me if you want tips on such devices, or the Kyocera in general. I am really enjoying the freedom of only carrying one device.

· Tired of logging on all those web sites (including Copart and Ebay?) Passwords getting more numerous, and difficult to manage? Lots of forms to fill out when ordering on line? I use a program call Roboform. A limited version, which is likely all you need, is available at www.roboform.com. This utility will automatically fill out all those forms for you, and remember all your passwords. You can visit a new web site to order something, and complete the order in just seconds! It saves your personal and business identities and credit cards, so you choose how you want to register and or order.

· Did you know that you can type a phone number in Google, and in many (most) cases, it will tell you whom it belongs to? Then give you a map? Scary… Also, try www.reversephonebook.com to figure out who owns a number, like a customer that gave you a bad check.

· Check out the public records on your company or yourself at www.searchsystems.net.

· Do you have adequate virus protection and firewalls? Visit www.findpcworld.com/40913, and the Microsoft utility will check your computer for missing security updates and service packs, misconfigured security zone settings and weak passwords.

· I have several different electronic devices that use memory cards, so I utilize a 4-in-one card reader. This eliminates the need for cables for all your devices, and is easier to use. Just put the card out of any of your devices in the reader, and it’s ready to read or write to. These are very inexpensive, I paid $15.00 at circuit city. Don’t bother buying a card reader that only reads one type of card (if you only have one type today), as the 4-in-one reader is just as inexpensive, and you will likely get another device in the future that uses a different type memory card.

AutoSalvageconsultant.com was formed in 2001 to help recyclers improve their businesses. With over 50 years of experience in 3 staff members, the group is THE definitive source for recyclers’ management and training needs. Mike Gibson and Tammy Sturgeon joined the team in 2003, and bring a wealth of experience to the team, plus more resources, as there have been more requests for help than Ron could meet. The founder, Ron Sturgeon is past owner of AAA Small Car World. In 1999, he sold his six Texas locations, with 140 employees, to Greenleaf. In 2001, he founded North Texas Insurance Auction, which he sold to Copart in 2002. In 2002, his book “Salvaging Millions” was published to help small business owners achieve significant success, and was recently reprinted I the US, and published in China. In June 2003, he joined the new ownership and management team of GreenLeaf. He also manages his real estate holdings and investments. You can learn more about how to help your business at www.autosalvageconsultant.com. He can be reached at 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117, or preferably by email at email Ron Sturgeon or 817-834-3625 ext 6#.