In this episode of **ARA Unscripted**, Vince sits down with **Mike Lambert of Buddy Innovations** for a wide-ranging conversation about more than three decades in the auto recycling industry. Mike shares the unlikely path that took him from working on million-dollar equipment in a semiconductor clean room to running a salvage yard, installing Hollander systems across the country, and eventually helping build the technology behind Buddy Innovations. They dig into the origins of **Inventory Buddy and Bid Buddy**, the history and importance of Hollander Interchange, how technology has transformed the industry, and where artificial intelligence may take it next. Mike also shares his perspective on recycled parts usage, insurance companies, rising salvage acquisition costs, vehicle exports, EV batteries, access to vehicle data, industry advocacy, and why he believes recyclers need strong state and national associations. And because this is ARA Unscripted, there are plenty of stories along the way—from the early days of Hollander and expense-account culture to Corvettes, fishing, travel, EVs, and what retirement might eventually look like for Mike. 00:00 – Mike Lambert: Industry History, Technology & What’s Next 00:52 – Sponsor: AX Payments 01:55 – Meet Mike Lambert 03:30 – Wrestling, football and growing up in Colorado 06:32 – A Chevy Chase airplane story 08:41 – Mike’s one culinary specialty 09:39 – From Honeywell clean rooms to auto recycling 13:23 – Running his first salvage yard 15:22 – Discovering Hollander 16:23 – Becoming a Hollander installer 17:35 – From Hollander to consulting 18:01 – Meeting John “Triple J” and the origins of Inventory Buddy 20:20 – The problem that inspired Bid Buddy 22:08 – Buddy Innovations is born 22:50 – Consulting for some of the industry’s largest recyclers 25:59 – Fishing, Corvettes and life outside work 28:56 – How AI is changing auto recycling technology 31:16 – Will programmers become AI managers? 31:44 – Protecting recycler data 33:54 – Why Hollander Interchange still matters 34:19 – OE part numbers and the future of interchange 36:46 – Hollander, Mitchell and the interchange lawsuit 39:13 – The beginnings of electronic parts sourcing 41:18 – Why one interchange language changed the industry 42:20 – The FTC, competition and Hollander 44:35 – Why Mike left Hollander 47:08 – Mentorship and becoming an entrepreneur 49:17 – Making the leap into consulting 50:50 – Sponsor: Automotive Recyclers Association 51:40 – Challenges facing recyclers today 52:10 – Insurance companies and recycled parts 54:13 – Why recycled parts don’t always reach the final estimate 56:18 – Are insurers totaling vehicles too quickly? 57:43 – Salvage titles and repaired vehicles 59:18 – The case for a national vehicle-title standard 59:51 – Vehicle exports and lost recycling resources 01:01:23 – Why every recycler needs an association 01:03:43 – How industry involvement can transform a business 01:06:13 – Why advocacy matters 01:07:43 – Solera, circularity and recycled parts 01:09:23 – Expanding Buddy into Australia and the UK 01:11:20 – Rising salvage acquisition costs 01:12:32 – EVs enter the recycling conversation 01:15:30 – What EV growth means for auto recyclers 01:18:27 – The EV battery problem 01:20:46 – Why recyclers need battery state-of-health data 01:21:11 – Repairing and reusing EV batteries 01:24:54 – Fisker, Tesla and keeping orphaned EVs alive 01:27:40 – What’s next for Buddy Innovations 01:29:30 – What retirement might look like for Mike 01:31:44 – Travel, Australia and life beyond work 01:37:26 – Mike’s decades of support for the industry 01:38:23 – Closing thoughts 01:40:10 – Subscribe to ARA Unscripted **THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY AXE PAYMENTS** AXE Payments is changing the way credit-card processing works for the auto recycling industry with a transparent, no-fee, no-contract approach, free equipment, and technology built specifically to help recyclers grow. Vice President of Automotive **Ron Matthews** has spent his entire adult life in auto recycling and understands the challenges recyclers face—from processing costs to fraud and chargebacks. Ron is available seven days a week. **Call or text: (401) 640-3015** **AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION** If you’re serious about running a professional auto recycling business, ARA gives you access to industry-leading training, safety and environmental resources, cost-saving programs, networking, certification resources, and a unified voice in Washington. ARA has been protecting, promoting and advancing professional auto recyclers since 1943. Learn more and become a member at **a-r-a.org**. If you enjoy ARA Unscripted, **like the episode, leave a comment, share it with someone in the industry, and subscribe.**
