Perfection is a journey—one where you may never reach the destination but continue to strive for more at every summit. Miller’s Auto Recycling has always ascribed to the utmost standards of quality in used auto parts, but in 2024, the team hunkered down on this mantra in significant ways.

“We pride ourselves on being very organized as it is,” explained Chris Miller, co-owner of Miller’s Auto Recycling. “But as we all know, it’s a never-ending battle in this industry to continually improve and create processes that elevate our business.

Revamps include a dedicated space for quality control assessments and personnel. New processes have also involved extensive training and cross-company collaboration. “We need to ensure that every employee that touches that part has an understanding of quality expectations and requirements,” explained Natalie Miller, co-owner of Miller’s Auto Recycling. “Our goal is consistency through the entire organization.”

In the era of ESG, Miller’s participated in an insurance program in 2024 that sought to identify and affirm the quality of OE recycled parts for use in collision repairs. This initiative inspired the company to focus keenly on its quality control protocols.

“The pilot program is all about working with the insurers to ensure that we’re giving them the quality product they need and that they understand what’s coming from the auto recycler,” said Natalie. “It’s focused on enhancing the overall experience for everyone involved—recyclers, collision centres, insurers and the parts procurement network— so that more recycled parts can be used in the repair process. I believe this is a positive development for our industry.”

“The automotive industry needs to continue to work closer together. It’s great sitting down at a table, putting our concerns and challenges right out there for discussion. We want to work with insurers. We want to work with the shops. They both want to work with us. So, how do we all come to a solution where recycled parts are on the top of the list?

“These are the conversations that need to be happening.”