T## ARAAC opens registration for 2026 convention in St. John’s
Registration has opened for the Automotive Recyclers Association of Atlantic Canada’s 2026 Convention and Trade Show, which will take place Aug. 21 and 22 in St. John’s, N.L.
The two-day event will include a trade show, business sessions, panel discussions and visits to two local recycling operations.
The convention will begin Friday evening with an ARAAC board meeting from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. A reception will follow at the JAG Hotel from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The trade show will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. ARAAC direct members will take part in the association’s annual general meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Presentations and panel discussions are scheduled from 10:15 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Dan Snyder, owner of Snyder’s Certified Auto & Truck Parts in Holland, Texas, will deliver the keynote address. Team PRP is sponsoring his appearance.
Snyder has worked in automotive recycling for nearly four decades. He and his father opened Snyder Salvage in 1988 after purchasing a four-hectare (10-acre) property.
The business has since grown into a 24.3-hectare (60-acre) full-service recycling operation with about 100 employees and 11 daily delivery routes.
The Snyder family also operates seven Wrench-A-Part self-service yards. The full-service and self-service businesses employ about 350 people.
Snyder’s presentation will cover succession planning, employee recruitment and preparing recycling businesses for market changes and operational disruptions. He will also discuss how owners can prepare their businesses to operate without their daily involvement.
After the afternoon sessions, attendees will visit A1 Automotive for a yard tour, reception and dinner from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The St. John’s recycler operates on an 8.1-hectare (20-acre) property with 1,670 square metres (18,000 square feet) of warehouse space. Its inventory includes more than 1,000 vehicles and 100,000 recycled parts.
An evening outing on George Street is scheduled for 8 p.m.
A visit to Newco Metal & Auto Recycling’s electric shredder in St. John’s is also planned, although the current draft agenda does not give a time for the tour.
Newco operates 12 drop-off locations and mobile collection crews across Newfoundland and Labrador. Materials collected across the province are brought to its St. John’s shredder for sorting and processing.
Trade show exhibitors currently include Car-Part.com, Copart Canada, PMR and Power-DB by Solex. Copart is also an event sponsor.
The convention will be held at the JAG Hotel at 115 George Street West. A discounted room rate of $259 per night is available until 5 p.m. on July 20.
Registration information is available through the ARAAC website.
