Bill Tolpa Leads the ARA into 2010 as their New President

Bill Tolpa of Tolpas Auto Parts has taken over as President of the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) at the 66th Annual Convention and Exposition, held at the end of last year. Much of Bill's mission is to increase membership by developing and marketing ARA’s programs

[USPRwire, Thu Mar 18 2010] William (Bill) J. Tolpa of Tolpa’s Auto Parts (www.tolpas.com) in Remsen, NY, took on the role of President of the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) at the 66th Annual Convention and Exposition, Saturday, October 10. As part of the international association’s Executive Committee since 2006, Topla has been a steadying force of the association. He, along with other executive team members, helped to guide the association through its busiest year in recent history – negotiating through the legislative process of the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), generally known as Cash for Clunkers, and also the purchase of a new ARA headquarters.

Tolpa’s first exposure to automotive recycling was as an owner of an auto repair facility, opened in 1976. “I often bought recycled parts to use in the business,” he recalls. Finally, after years of thinking about it, Tolpa started Tolpa’s Auto Parts in Remsen, New York in 1985. Today, it is a 50,000-square-foot facility employing 12 people. Primarily a wholesale operation, they sell to auto repair shops and auto body shops locally and nationwide. Tolpa recently added e-Bay auctions to his business, and opened Tolpa’s U Pull U Save Auto Parts in 2007.

Tolpa is proud to be a Certified Automotive Recycler (CAR) and Gold Seal through ARA and URG-accredited, and his company participates in the national Green Vehicle Disposal (www.GreenVehicleDisposal.com) program as well as a national charity car (www.CharityCar.us) donation program. Big on community involvement, the company has held Earth Day events, adopted soldiers in Iraq, invited local school groups to tour the facility, and assists in training central New York K-9 units.

Much of his business success Tolpa attributes to the friends he made in ARA and the techniques and tips he learned from them. Early on, he joined both ARA and the Automotive Recyclers Association of New York (ARANY). “As I attended ARA and ARANY meetings and conventions and got to know the organization, I liked the people more and more,” he says. Over the years, he has served on a number of ARA committees and task forces and also was President of ARANY. His ARA experience culminated in his being asked to join the Executive Committee as Secretary for 2005-2006.

Tolpa’s focus as President will be to “continue the forward positive momentum we have gained this year,” referring to the media coverage that Cash for Clunkers brought to the industry. He plans to do this through press releases and videos. He wants to increase membership by developing and marketing ARA’s programs, believing if an auto recycler can see a value to what ARA offers, they are more apt to join.

Since 1943, the Automotive Recyclers Association (www.a-r-a.org) (“ARA”) represents an industry dedicated to the efficient removal and reuse of “green” automotive parts, and the proper recycling of inoperable motor vehicles. ARA represents over 4,500 auto recycling facilities in the United States and fourteen other countries around the world. With programs such as the Certified Automotive Recycler Program (CAR) and other partnerships, ARA members continue to provide consumers with quality, low cost alternatives for vehicle replacement parts, while preserving our environment for a “greener” tomorrow.

Contact:
Jennifer Johnson
Tolpas Auto Parts
10793 French
Remsen, NY 13438
571-208-0428
jgsaw123@gmail.com
http://www.tolpas.com