When Goddard Vehicle Recycling Ltd. last featured in ATF Professional back in 2023, the company was still finding its footing as a relatively new authorised treatment facility (ATF). Fast forward to today, and while the yard may not yet be sprawling or widely known, it is firmly established, marked by growing confidence, tighter operations, and a clear sense of direction. In this follow-up, Lewis Goddard, the owner, reflects on how his business has matured, the lessons learned along the way, and the steps they’re taking to remain relevant and resilient in an evolving vehicle recycling landscape.
How Goddard Vehicle Recycling Has Found Its Footing
When we last appeared in ATF Professional in 2023, we were relatively new to the professional side of the industry. Today, I would describe us as an established ATF, although I think this may give the impression that we are now a massive yard and one of the high flyers, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. What I mean by ‘established’ is that we are now confident in our processes. Although these changes occur regularly, they no longer interrupt business as they once would have.
We now have more direction, having made some important connections and friendships, as well as learned lessons that we wouldn’t be in a hurry to repeat.
As the industry changes, we are able to adapt to it, whether this is due to price shifts, market requirements, or legislative changes; we are simply able to deal with it more professionally and efficiently.
We have achieved VRAC accreditation for two consecutive years, which has been significantly influenced by the use of Eladene Systems.
We are actively preparing to handle EVs, a development we’ve been monitoring closely for some time. We’ve booked specialist training with Salvage Wire and are investing in the necessary equipment to support this transition. While EVs remain a contentious topic across the industry, we’re hopeful that embracing this change will bring more opportunities than challenges for our business.
Strategic Growth Through Hard Lessons: Learning What Works, and What Doesn’t
The majority of the decisions made in the business have been driven by offering the right solutions to the problems we faced at the time. We have a few contracts that provide us with a steady stream of vehicles, including some good, some bad, and definitely some ugly, but this has been crucial to our growth as a company.
The decision to sign up for the VRAC has changed how we handle the parts we remove, as well as what we can and cannot resell. We now hold ourselves to a higher standard, which is obviously a positive thing. I believe that much of what has happened since we last featured can be attributed to the business’s maturity.
The possibility of becoming a ‘busy fool’ haunted me, and I was conscious that things that work for others may not work for us. The maturity of the business stems from selecting the right vehicles and marketing the parts effectively. We used to buy everything and anything, and I think this cost us time; we spent a lot of time breaking down low-value and old vehicles that weren’t offering the return we needed. A couple of key things we have learnt: you can’t buy them all, as some of the vehicles offered aren’t always what they seem. Investment in staff and equipment is imperative; the right people with the right equipment can make a significant difference to efficiency and quality, thereby yielding a more stable return on investment.
Probably the biggest lesson learnt is to know where you fit in the industry. Comparing a yard like this to a national company brings nothing to growth; if anything, it damages progress. Yet, on the other hand, it is wise to consider the direction the market leaders are taking and why they have made those decisions themselves.
Smarter Buying, Better Selling: Refining Strategy for Sustainable Growth
Recently, we have been more selective in what we buy. As always, it’s about balance; there needs to be a stream of ‘bread and butter’ cars, but there needs to be some quality to accompany that. We considered specialising due to space and storage constraints, but decided against it primarily because of the yard’s geographical location.
We already consider our location to be a restriction on the business, as we have to travel further for our vehicles. Being so close to the coast means that we can have a collection radius but more of a semi-circle. We are definitely more selective in what we buy now, and we have to accept that we can’t always pay the best for everything (although that is rare). With the consistent help from Eladene, we have seen a massive increase in part sales. We consider Eladene as another employee, as it streamlines listing parts for sale and has increased our efficiency to no end. I could probably write a comprehensive document on the benefits we have seen from Eladene, but I think we are all familiar with them by now.
Becoming a certified recycler has opened the door for us to sell on the VRA parts platform, where we’ve seen a notable increase in sales. The boost in volume, combined with the speed at which parts are now selling, has significantly improved our cash flow. As a young company, cash flow was once our biggest challenge; however, over the past six to 12 months, we’ve seen real financial progress. That said, managing cash will always be a balancing act, as the business grows, so do the bills and the need for continual investment.
Staying True to Our Path: Growing the Brand Without Losing Sight of Our Roots
There is a significant amount of growth within this industry, and it is important to stay relevant. A massive thing to consider is that although all of us are working towards similar goals, I don’t think any yard runs the same as the next. Processes and directions are totally different, and we try to keep in our own lane. We try to focus on our goals and work out how to achieve them, rather than what everyone else is doing. For me, this is a relatively new attitude. I was big on comparison, and I think that may have stunted the growth in the past. This is one of the only industries where, realistically, we are all competing for business, but the sense of solidarity between yards never fails to shock me. I have asked questions that you would assume no one would answer, but the majority of the people in the industry don’t hesitate to answer any questions or guide you in the right direction. Regarding the growth of Goddard Vehicle Recycling Ltd, I am keen to build the brand. I want to push into the unknown, but still remember that we have limitations.
It’s essential to understand your position in the industry, what you offer, and ultimately, focus on what you set out to achieve. I hope that we can innovate and be recognised for what we can achieve at our size, while remembering that Goddard Vehicle Recycling is a first-generation company, and that is worth remembering when considering growth.
Building a Multi-Skilled Team: The People Behind Our Progress
Staffing will always be a challenge for us. That said, I think it is probably the same for every business in this day and age. We have struggled in the past getting the right people in the right places within the business, but I feel the team is solid at the moment. I strongly believe that this industry struggles with the stigma around traditional ‘scrapyards’, a term that makes my skin crawl. We regard ourselves as ‘vehicle recyclers,’ and I think potential employees may not be aware of the difference between the two.
Experience in the sector is a major advantage when we’re looking to bring new people into the business. As a small team, we don’t always have the capacity to train someone from the ground up, so hiring from the same or similar industries helps streamline the onboarding process. That said, even with experience, it often comes down to the basics, punctuality, enthusiasm, and honesty. Those qualities can make or break a candidate during an interview.
A big part of Goddard Vehicle Recycling is the team dynamic. We all have to get on with each other because you can’t really escape each other. We spend more time together than most people spend with their family. Closely related to the thought of team dynamics, we all have to be aware that we all have to muck in. I like to call it multi-skilled, but realistically, it’s a term associated with doing what needs to be done. None of the team members has a job title that indicates they are limited to a single task; we are all multi-skilled, and I believe that’s the most important aspect of our current success. Long may it continue!
