Those aren’t junk yards, they’re salvage yards, and LKQ Corp. has turned them into a big business. The company is the country’s largest source for aftermarket car parts (that is, nonbranded replacements) through its Keystone brand, and for components extracted from vehicles that have reached the end of their road through age or collisions.
LKQ refurbishes salvage parts for sale to auto repair shops, but also operates a network of automotive bone yards where shade-tree mechanics can scout out parts on their own. Additionally, the company sells remanufactured engines and transmissions, heavy trucks and truck parts, car paint and body-shop equipment.
