The site visit included a tour of Silverlake’s offices and operational facilities.  The ARA guests were able to meet and speak with all department heads and their teams; gaining insights on systems and processes used by the business to gain maximum efficiencies and deliver outstanding customer service.  The pride taken by staff in the services offered demonstrated the customer centric business culture that Silverlake is known for, which has been integral to its success and growth in market share in the UK.

The ARA representatives were impressed by the volume of vehicles handled at Silverlake’s 10-acre site and took away a number of ideas to include tyre processing, the imaging of reclaimed parts for online sales and ways to better leverage the Pinnacle system.

L-R Allen Prebble MD Silverlake, Shan Lathem President ARA, Eric Wilbert 2nd VP ARA, Darren Combellack UK Director ARA,

Shan Lathem, President, ARA commented: “Silverlake’s site, its people and the way they manage their systems and processes to achieve maximum performance seriously took my breath away.  The visit was extremely valuable and we have some great insights to take back to our members. We received such a warm welcome and we were grateful for the opportunity to see what best practice looks like in the UK.”

Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake said: “It was our pleasure to show Shan and Eric around our facility and share how we do things in the business.  I was incredibly proud of the staff who really enjoyed demonstrating the part they play in Silverlake’s success.  I felt humbled by visit from the ARA, which for me signposted recognition of many years of hard work by all the team at Silverlake.”

L-R Eric Wilbert 2nd VP ARA, Darren Combellack UK Director ARA, Allen Prebble MD Silverlake, Shan Lathem President ARA

Editors Notes

Background to Silverlake Automotive Recycling

Silverlake was established in 1946 and to this day remains under the management of Allen Prebble, son of the founder, Norman Prebble. The company has expanded significantly in recent years with continuous investment at its 10-acre site in Shedfield, Hampshire; the launch of Silverlake.co.uk online store; self-service auto parts facility, U-Pick-It; and a scheme to support charitable causes, UDonate-A-Car.

The Silverlake group of companies offer a wide range of services from daily breakers and auctions, salvage and quality recycled car parts. As vehicle dismantling and recycling specialists, the business recycles up to 96.1% of end-of-life vehicles’ raw materials in line with the Environment Agency requirements at its ELV Authorised Treatment Facility in Hampshire.

Silverlake partners with like-minded, industry leading salvage and recycling agents through its membership of e2e Total Loss Vehicle Management, a nationwide salvage and recycling network of independent member organisations committed to exacting member standards, servicing the insurance and fleet management sectors.

Silverlake’s mission is to give confidence to its customers through competitive pricing, excellent customer service and the provision of quality-graded recycled parts. Its objective is to be one of the best recycled car parts suppliers in the UK along with providing its staff with security for the future.