PULL-A-PART WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH DEKALB HIGH SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY

Pull-A-Part, a nationwide leader in used auto parts sales and automobile recycling, is always looking for ways to strengthen our relationships in our communities. One area we take great pride in is our support for local schools and similar educational organizations in the communities we serve. Our Atlanta stores recently had an opportunity to host local high school students and have joined forces with DeKalb High School of Technology North (DHSTN) to host students at its Atlanta-based facilities, giving them a small taste of life beyond their high school years. DHSTN is an accredited career and technology-focused high school serving students throughout DeKalb County - a CTE (Career Technology Education) program that provides high school students with specialized instruction around a variety of career pathways, including automotive, manufacturing, law enforcement, and information technology.

Students from DHSTN’s program recently toured Pull-A-Part's Atlanta North, Atlanta East, and Atlanta South locations on separate days, giving students an opportunity to tour each facility and learn about all aspects of the operation. These tours gave students an overview of how Pull-A-Part purchases and repurposes end-of-life vehicles for use on its do-it-yourself (DIY) used auto parts salvage yards. Students also learned how Pull-A-Part processes these vehicles, thus recycling more than 95% of each vehicle for future use as recovered materials. Students also learned how its operations help to reduce the environmental impact of materials that might otherwise end up in landfills.

Ross Kogon, CEO for Pull-A-Part, said, “Strengthening our relationships in our communities is a priority for Pull-A-Part. We understand that we cannot succeed if our neighbors don’t succeed as well. That is why we focus so much support on schools and similar educational organizations that serve our communities. We especially love working with the CTEs, because they show young adults at an early age that they have options in the workforce and it gives them something to work toward. When you can see the destination, it’s easier to focus, and we are proud to be a tool for DHTN as they try to achieve that goal.”

Marcus Lee, AST Instructor at Cross Keys High School and a coordinator for DHSTN, shared his enthusiasm for the partnership saying, “Pull-A-Part has been a great resource for our students. Pull-A-Part provided our students with guided, education tours of their three Atlanta locations and helped our students learn more about potential employment opportunities available in our area. This is valuable knowledge for our students to have as they consider their options after graduation. We are grateful for Pull-A-Part and its interest and efforts in programs like ours in the local community. We look forward to making these tours a regular part of our instruction for our students each year."

The Pull-A-Part team enjoyed having DeKalb High School's students spend some time at its facilities over the past month. Pull-A-Part relies on talent from its local communities to staff stores and was encouraged to see how interested and excited these students were to learn about Pull-A-Part's business and the career opportunities available after graduation. Pull-A-Part is dedicated not only to helping students learn about the opportunities available at the company but also to helping organizations like DeKalb High School of Technology North and its Career Pathways program to be more successful and to help students for many years to come. 

Pull-A-Part let students know that they rely on talent from local communities to staff their stores and encouraged students to consider them as an option as they move forward. However, it was made clear that their primary goal was to help DHSTN achieve its mission, preparing these young adults for entry into the global workforce.

Kogon added, “Pull-A-Part is always looking for opportunities to partner with educational programs in the communities we serve, and we’re grateful to DHSTN for letting us be a part of their good work and look forward to continuing to serve the students of DeKalb High School of Technology North in the years to come."

For more information on how your organization can work with Pull-A-Part in your community, please contact our Building Communities team.