ELC Solutions Marks a Decade as a Growing Link Between Insurers and Auto Recyclers
As ELC Solutions enters its 10th year in business, founder and owner Dara Carpenter says the company’s growth has been driven by a clear focus: supporting insurers while helping move vehicles efficiently through the repair and salvage pipeline.
Founded in 2015 and based in Toronto, ELC Solutions works primarily for insurance companies, managing towing, logistics and decision-making tied to vehicle claims. That work increasingly intersects with Canada’s auto recycling industry.
“Our main client is the insurance company,” Carpenter said. “We pick up and drop off based on their instructions, whether the vehicle is going to a repair facility or into salvage.”
While dispatch and towing remain core services, ELC has expanded significantly in recent years, particularly on the appraisal side of the business. The company now writes estimates for insurers to determine whether vehicles are repairable or total losses — a process that regularly involves auto recyclers.
“We’re doing appraisals and writing estimates for insurance companies,” Carpenter said. “That includes calling recyclers for parts pricing and availability.”
Those calls can directly influence repair decisions. When parts are sourced from salvage, ELC provides pricing information to insurers and collision repair facilities, directing shops to appropriate suppliers. “We’ll call for part pricing, and then the shops order them,” Carpenter said.
Technology plays an increasingly important role. ELC’s ReadyTow platform allows real-time tracking, reporting and coordination of towing and appraisal assignments, helping insurers manage claims more efficiently as volumes fluctuate.
Today, ELC employs more than 70 people and operates across Canada and the United States. The company supports national insurers, government-related clients and cross-border vehicle movements when claims extend outside provincial or national boundaries.
“There are a lot of things in the works,” she said. “We’re strong, we’re capable and we’re growing.”
For auto recyclers, ELC’s evolution signals a closer working relationship with insurers — and a more direct role in how vehicles move from claim to repair to salvage.
