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Local 217-536-6116 Fax 217-536-5551 PO Box 565 Effingham, IL 62401-0565 Monday-Friday 7am-5pm
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We began operation by crushing 700 of the 900 old cars, and then graded and rocked new roadways for parking cars, put up 3000 feet of fence and finally started buying salvage. We continued rebuilding wrecks as a sideline for about three years, until the death of our body man.
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In 1985, under the Junkyard Control Act of 1967, the state and federal government decided to put up a 7-foot cyclone fence, along with 200 pine trees, to hide our inventory from passing motorist. The new landscaping was another positive asset for the exterior of our business.
In 1987, with doubt and reservation on behalf of the owner, we were persuaded to computerize our business. As a result of computerizing our inventory and committing to many changes, 12 years later we are doing four times the volume business without adding any additional employees.
Unfortunately, in 1989, our yard was heavily damaged by a hailstorm. So, in 1993, we decided to expand again so that we could store doors, decklids, and other sheet metal parts out of the weather in the event of another storm.
In 1996, we realized the demand to get back into the foreign car salvage business. After increasing the number of cars purchased annually by at least 300 vehicles we realized we were in need of more warehouse space. So, the next addition came in 1997, when we doubled the size of our existing warehouse and stocked it with racks and shelves for storing more parts.
In an effort to stay up with the continuous growth of our business we are constantly trying to re-evaluate to see what improvements can be made to increase our sales, as well as our customer service. In August 2001 we began a dramatic remodeling project which consisted of 3 phases. During phase 1, we built a 68'x120' building to house our delivery trucks and to store sheet metal parts, such as truck beds and front ends. During phase 2, we expanded our sales counter area by 2300 square feet. Our new and improved office complex now has more office and storage space, a larger customer waiting area, a designated shipping room, and an improved sales counter. Phase 3 added the final touches, which included a concrete parking lot and a unique company sign. This sign brought back an original slogan that the owner proudly displayed over 20 years ago, "This is not a Junkyard, It's My Rose Garden". Propped on top of the sign is a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle.
Today, we are concentrating on enhancing our computer systems. Each salesman has a new PC workstation that allows us to load the latest software available to enhance our service to our customers. With our new digital internet access, we are able to communicate via e-mail, and even send pictures of our merchandise through the internet. We have also hooked up with a company that provides us with a nationwide parts search. With the touch of a button, we are now able to help our customers locate a part that we don't have in stock.
In 1986, we won the International Improvement and Beautification Award, which is the highest honor bestowed among salvage dealers. We truly enjoy being ranked among the most successful and most organized salvage operations in the country. We hope that you become our next addition to our long list of satisfied customers.
Have a question about our operations or our parts?
E-mail us at autoparts@y-yard.com
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The Y-Yard began in its present location in 1956 under the ownership of Mr. Robert Siefken, who was primarily a rebuilder of wrecked cars and sold parts as a sideline. In July of 1970, Mr. Siefken sold the business to Mike Nolan, its present owner. The sale included 60 acres of ground, 900 older model cars, a 100 year old barn, a house trailer, and a body shop. By converting half of the body shop into a dismantling and sales area, and retaining two of his employees, we were open for business.
In 1971, we built our first warehouse. By putting all the profits back into the business we continued to grow. By 1975, because we were in need of more storage space, we decided it was time to build a new office and warehouse complex. We bought and built racks in our new building to warehouse the parts coming off the cars, and converted our 1971 warehouse into a dismantling plant.