Island Auto Supply took production to the next level this year.

The Prince Edward Island recycler welcomed a film crew from eBay early in 2022. The online marketplace, which Island has worked with since 2018, filmed a snappy video to promote the partnership.

Dalbert Livingstone, owner of Island Auto Supply, said the business expanded his eBay parts offerings this year. “We did see sales increase after that,” said Livingstone.

Following the implementation, the Island team did have to navigate a new gap in customer knowledge—which it was quick to address with its industry partner.

“The eBay buyers aren’t necessarily the same as the professional buyer,” explained Livingstone. “We had to implement strategies to address user error in those cases and make the part and its applications abundantly obvious. eBay helped us a lot with those strategies.”

While Island’s 2022 revenues neared best ever numbers, the business, too, fell victim to inflation and other costs. Livingstone said he would define the past 12 months as a “pretty good year.”

The grandest challenge for Island Auto Supply in 2022 echoes that of many other industry partners: staffing shortages.

“Sometimes it felt like Tabitha and I spent so much time working in the business that we didn’t have time to work on the business.” Livingstone did admit that the time spent filling roles in almost every department allowed him to spot some snags in processes and areas where the team could improve efficiency. “I’d be working in the parts department and notice a small bottleneck that may have gone unaddressed otherwise.”

As for 2023, the Automotive Recyclers of Canada chair said he’s focussed on staff retention and keeping his head to the ground. “Right now, we’re really working in the moment and doing anything we can to effectively tackle whatever comes the industry’s way.”