By Brock Mikosky
On Saturday, April 5 Brandon Auto Services hosted the Second Annual Florida Auto Dismantlers and Recyclers Association (FADRA) Yard Expo. This gathering of over 125 industry professionals from around the state was held in a working auto garage and salvage yard. The process of turning a working auto recycling operation into the venue for a social gathering was time consuming. Steve Holland, President of Brandon Auto Services, said, “It has taken three months of hard labor, cleaning, painting and remodeling to put this event on.”
The first annual event was held in Pensacola in 2013. This year’s event included local band Desert Moon as well as a local barbecue and numerous industry specific vendor booths. It served as an opportunity for colleagues to get together to discuss best practices and the group’s Florida legislative agenda. Holland, who is a past Chairman of FADRA’s legislative committee, explained why its agenda is important to the community. He said the priority bill that FADRA is working on “deals with total loss vehicles and removing an 80 percent threshold on collision and allowing cars that are severely damaged to be put back on the road with a rebuilt title.” Holland said, “If it passes, there will be more re-buildable salvage available at the auction, it will bring more money, it will cost us more to buy the salvage and in return the parts will cost more to the consumer.”
Brandon Auto Services, located 3161 E. S.R. 60 in Valrico, has been serving greater Brandon for over 40 years. As a full- service auto repair and salvage operation, customers can expect industry leading automotive service and repair as well as the ability to get that hard-to-find part. Although their site is virtually overflowing with auto parts and salvaged cars, there is order within the apparent chaos. Each part is tagged and stored in their expansive computer database. This allows them to operate multiple retail Websites and to constantly update their inventory.
Although the exact location is unknown, the 2015 Yard Expo will be held in Jacksonville. For more information on Brandon Auto Services, call 651-2288 or visit www.brandonautoservices.com.
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