Keynote: Neil Harrow

Neil Harrow, Director of Green Star Auto Recyclers, is a lifelong automotive enthusiast and visionary recycler. Semi-retired, but never truly done, Neil’s career spans over 50+ years, starting at the young age of 15 selling and fixing cars in New York City. He then ventured into heavy-duty trucks, buses, and heavy-duty equipment in Newark, New Jersey and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, honing his skills and knowledge.

After moving to Florida in 1979, Neil grew his first yard, Michael Auto Parts, from a small junkyard with two employees, one dog, three engines, and no working bathrooms into a thriving auto recycling business. After selling Michael’s to LKQ in 2006, he established Green Star Auto Recyclers in 2011, building a state-of-the-art facility focused on responsible recycling and environmental stewardship.

Neil’s leadership throughout the years has garnered numerous accolades: ARA Gold Seal Certification, Florida Green Yard Certification, ARA Beautification awards, and a 16+-year partnership with BMW as their Southeast Authorized Recycler. Notably, he dismantled 4,400 insurance cars in 2005-2006 on four-plus acres with 60 employees, demonstrating his operational expertise and commitment to efficiency.

Beyond business, Neil has been married for 48 years to the "diamond of his heart," Sharon Harrow, who he attests as the key to his success. He enjoys traveling, wine collecting, automobiles, and simply enjoying life! With two daughters who have blessed him with four grandchildren and a wonderful son-in-law (Chris Sauls, Operations Manager at Green Star Auto Recyclers), Neil’s dedication to family and community fuels his passion for building a sustainable future in the automotive recycling industry.

Neil’s mantra has always been to train employees to be the best they can be, because a team is only as strong as its weakest link. And while setbacks may occur, never give up, as it’s not about losing battles, but winning the war. And above all, a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth is encouraged, because that is how true innovation happens!

Lee Worman

Lee brings more than 30 years of experience to the industry, and is on the Executive Team of AESOP Auto Parts. At an early age he worked in his family’s business, Worman’s Auto Salvage, as a parts puller, delivery driver, warehouse worker, sales person, and buyer. and eventually took over the business as sole owner. With a degree in business management from Little Rock University, he used his skills and expertise to successfully grow and eventually negotiate a merger with Linn’s Truck Salvage, calling it Preferred Auto & Truck Parts. With Preferred reaching record sales and growth in 2010, Lee negotiated the sale of this business to LKQ. He remained with LKQ until 2018, earning 5 President’s Club awards for exceeding profitability goals.

Lee’s industry experience also includes his ownership of both towing and aftermarket parts businesses.Lee was a founding member of Team PRP and served on many boards, including URG. Lee’s accomplishments offer a wealth of knowledge and resources for his clients. He is a highly sought-after speaker and served as a Profit Team Group trainer. He joined AESOP Auto Parts in late 2022.

 Sue Schauls

Sue is an independent Environmental Consultant with specific expertise in the automotive industry. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning from the University of Northern Iowa (1996). As the Executive Director of Iowa Automotive Recyclers (IAR), she developed and implemented the Iowa – Certified Auto Recyclers Environmental (I-CARE) program. She conducts on-site compliance audits and online or in person training.

As the certification consultant to ARA, Sue integrated the CAR program with the Gold Seal program for quality assurance, High Voltage Vehicle certification for safe management of electric and hybrid vehicles, and the Recall Certification for airbag safety and sales in an online audit system for tracking compliance with the standards. Guidance resources and other helpful information can be found at https://aracertification.com/ or http://www.sueschauls.com/sds.html

 Michael Misky

Michael is the General Manager of Butler Auto Recycling in Pensacola, FL. He joined the auto recycling industry in 2006 after a few years of prior body shop repair and part procurement experience. He helped increase the body shop's revenue by selling slightly damaged but resalable used parts. After transitioning to the recycling industry, he finished his bachelor’s in marketing and sales management at the University of West Florida. During this time, he worked the parts counter, grew the eBay store, and sold rebuildable vehicles/motorcycles. In 2009, Butler's acquired an adjacent property to the main Pensacola parts location, which gave Mike the opportunity to become store manager of a tire shop and help home a rapidly growing eBay department. In 2018, they decided to go all-in for the eBay department. The end result has led to exponential sales for the e-commerce segment of the business as well as giving a series of hard lessons and trainable moments through the Covid pandemic. The success of the company growth can be directly correlated to the ability to quickly pivot, improve workflows, and strengthen the company leadership team and employee culture. In 2022, Mike was promoted to General Manager of Butler Auto Recycling, which services local and nationwide customers from three locations in the Southeast. 

Miranda Wroten

Miranda began working at the age of 4, being homeschooled while actively working in a family-owned motorcycle shop. At the age of 18, she began working at Knox Auto Parts in Knoxville Tennessee. "The auto recycling industry is very interesting, and I was addicted immediately," she said. "I held several roles at Knox Auto, under the family-like leadership of the owners, the Denton brothers. Knox Auto is now proudly a part of Aesop Auto Parts. My current role is the Director of Operations for AESOP. I now live in the great state of Florida!"

Roger Schroder

Roger is a co-founder of Car-Part.com and currently serves as the company's Vice President. Roger is a 30-year veteran of the auto recycling industry and is co-owner of Foreign Auto Salvage in Ft. Wright, Kentucky. He was the manager of Foreign Auto Salvage for many years and continues to serve as a senior officer and board member. 

Roger received a bachelor's degree from Thomas More College with a double major in Business Administration and Accounting. He spent 10 years as a special agent with the Treasury Department. Roger is Ft. Wright General for his volunteer work with the city and work with the Fort Wright Business Association. He has also been recognized as an Honorary Colonel by the Kentucky State Police Department.

Kristi Werner

Phil Riffel

Phil is co-owner of Polk County Pick and Pay in Lakeland and is the current President of FADRA. He got his start in the business at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, looking up prices on support vehicles for the fighter wing. At the suggestion of Mike Kennedy of A1A Auto Parts, he joined AutoStar Industries (later AmeriParts International), where he gained valuable experience selling auto parts. After a year selling parts for LKQ-Crystal River, Phil joined Affordable Auto and Truck Parts in Auburndale, then spent a year with A&A Recycling in Orlando, before going in partnership to buy his own yard, AllPro Auto Parts in Lakeland. When Fenix Parts bought AllPro in 2021, Phil decided to buy Polk County Pick and Pay. He and his partners later added the former Automotive Core Supply (ACS2, LLC) in Lakeland and three other locations.

Chris Sauls

Chris Sauls, Operations Manager at Green Star Auto Recyclers, leads his team with passion and dedication. After honing his customer service skills in hospitality and restaurant management, Chris made a bold move into the world of auto recycling, where he could continue to thrive in a fast-paced environment and where problem-solving and quick thinking are essential.

Joining Green Star Auto Recyclers in 2011, Chris began to cultivate his skills under the guidance of his father-in-law, Neil Harrow. With a hunger for knowledge and a commitment to exceeding expectations, Chris embraced the opportunity to learn from the ground up. Today, Chris oversees all aspects of Green Star's operations, ensuring seamless workflow, maximized productivity, and unwavering quality. As part of a dedicated team, his keen eye for detail and relentless pursuit of efficiency have not only contributed to the company's growth, but also has solidified Green Star's reputation for excellence, driving them to innovate and improve upon the art of recycling. 

Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris cherishes his family life. Married to his wife Heather, he's a proud father of two and enjoys traveling, sports, and coaching his son's soccer team. This dedication to teamwork extends to his colleagues at Green Star, where he sees himself and his team as a cohesive unit striving for excellence, united in their mission to push boundaries and redefine industry standards. Chris is excited about the future and the impact Green Star Auto Recyclers can make in the evolving world of auto recycling.

Ray Coker

Ray is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. Since 2014, he has served as the Regional Director for Team PRP - Premium Recycled Parts, where he leverages his expertise to drive growth and trade between the PRP members. Ray began his career in 1998 as a Fixed Operations Manager at a Ford, Chrysler, and Jeep dealership, and later transitioned to the recycled auto parts industry.  In 2002, he was appointed as the General Manager of two Salvage Pool Auctions owned by Source One Solutions, where he gained extensive knowledge about auction cars from both the insurance and recycled auto parts perspective. Ray's deep understanding of the industry has made him a valuable asset to his organization and a trusted advisor to his peers. 

Bo Wroten

Bo was born in Corinth, MS and received his BBA degree from Millsaps College, where he also was a four-year letterman in football and graduate assistant coach. Upon graduation, Bo began working for what is now SunTrust Banks in Orlando from 1980-1988, serving in various positions and reaching the level of Senior Vice President, before leaving to help manage a growing independent auto auction. Bo served in various capacities, including fleet/lease manager, factory manager, National Director of Salvage, and General Manager. He started a salvage auction division for Orange County Auto Auction and fell in love with the salvage auction industry and worked totally on that side of the auction industry from 1995-2013. Bo was an integral part in helping ADESA form the salvage auction entity known as ADESA Impact, which was later acquired and is now part of IAA. In 2005 Bo and two close friends started Insurance Salvage Solutions to serve the Florida market, growing to four locations. ISS remained open until the end of 2013.

In 2015, he formed a logistics company called Recyclers Cross Dock in 2015 that coordinates the movement of used auto parts between 43 independent automotive recyclers in six states that are trading partners. RCD has enabled the independent recyclers to share inventories and delivery systems to better compete in used parts sales market.

Mike Lambert, Buddy Automotive Innovations

Mike has worked in the auto recycling industry for 38 years. He first ran two salvage yards in Colorado from 1985 to 1989, and then worked for ADP Hollander as an installer and trainer from 1989 to 1997, then working as an independent consultant since 1997. He and John Johnson formed Buddy AI in 2003 in Colorado, and the company has experienced tremendous growth in the last 20 years, providing inventory and bidding tools for the automotive recycling industry. John and Mike had worked together on a project for the ARA Service Corporation in 2001, and decided to go for a joint venture after finally meeting face to face at the IT Convention in Danville Virginia.

Gary Lindros, Jr.

Gary is Vice President of ABCAR (Ace Pick-A-Part) in Jacksonville and a Past President of FADRA, serving from 2018-21. Gary has been involved in the car industry for most of his life. Gary was first exposed to the automobile world while spending time at his family’s used car lots washing and detailing cars. He later spent summers helping out at the family’s transmission shops. After graduating from Rutgers University and several years working in both the paper and telecommunications industries, Gary returned to the car business. He started working for Ace Pick A Part in 1998 as a cashier and inventory clerk. He is now in charge of daily operations at Ace’s 30-acre self-service facility.

Gary joined the FADRA Board of Directors in 2013 and in 2021 started serving on the Government Affairs Committee of ARA.

Doug Grose

Doug is an owner and CEO of Pasco Auto Recycling and Export in Hudson, FL. He also serves on the FADRA Board of directors as Treasurer. Before that, he was founder of Automotive Recycling Consulting & Acquisitions and Director of Retail Operations at Pick-n-Pull, a division of Schnitzer Steel Industries. 

 Nick Fiore

Casey Ingram

Casey started with Damron Auto Parts in 1997, loading trucks on the dock at night and worked his way into sales. "I’ve worked in just about every department within LKQ during my 27-year career. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family. Fishing and outdoor activities take up most of our spare time outside of work.  Over the past 27-years I’ve been very fortunate to build amazing relations with my LKQ coworkers and many colleagues within the recycling industry.  Joining the board at FADRA is a great opportunity and will allow me work with all FADRA members.

Russ Harris   

Russ has served as Branch Manager at IAA's North Orlando location since 2007. He started in the auction business 34 years ago as a fleet mechanic with Auto Placement Center (APC), a family-owned salvage auction in New England that was owned by the Lyons family. He transferred to Orlando when APC was purchased by  ADESA Impact as a  yard super, and then became Operations Manager in 2004, before transferring to IAA with yet another merger around 2007.