Industry News

I remember the first time I walked into a Pick Your Part yard. The rows of cars baking in the California sun, the sound of wrenches echoing across the lot, and that feeling of hunting for treasure — finding exactly the part I needed at a price that didn't break the bank. It felt like I'd discovered some secret club.

But I never really knew how it all started. So, I dug in, and here's what I found.

The California Roots

It all goes back to 1964 in Hayward, California. A guy—or maybe a group—started Pick-Your-Part Auto Wrecking. And get this: it wasn't some corporate thing. It was a straightforward idea that still makes perfect sense today: if you need a part for your car, come pull it yourself. No middleman. No crazy markup. Just you, a toolbox, and rows of salvage cars waiting to give up their parts.

The original operation grew into a cluster of yards across California. Greater Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Bakersfield, San Diego—that was their home turf. And for decades, that's where Pick Your Part stayed. A respected California recycler with a loyal following of DIY mechanics and budget-conscious drivers.

The LKQ Era

Then came LKQ Corporation.

LKQ was founded in 1998 and grew fast. By 2004, they'd entered the self-service salvage market, and they saw something in Pick Your Part. In 2008, they made their move—acquiring Pick-Your-Part Auto Wrecking and bringing those California yards into the LKQ family.

And man, did they expand?

Over the next decade and a half, LKQ took the Pick Your Part name and spread it across the country. More acquisitions. New yard openings. They turned a regional chain into a national network. By 2025, Pick Your Part had grown to about 61–63 locations across 17 states. From California to Florida, from Texas to Wisconsin—if you needed a used part, there was probably a PYP yard near you.

A New Chapter

But here's the thing about corporate strategies—they change.

In October 2025, LKQ sold Pick Your Part to a private equity firm called Pacific Avenue Capital Partners. The price tag? $410 million. LKQ's CEO said it was all about simplifying their portfolio and focusing on other parts of their business.

For Pick Your Part, though? It's a fresh start. The company is independent again, with the same leadership team staying in place. And Pacific Avenue says they're planning to grow—more acquisitions, more locations, more opportunities for people like us who'd rather pull a part ourselves than pay a mechanic.

Why It Matters to Me

Look, I get it. This is just a story about a junkyard chain, right?

But it's more than that. Pick Your Part represents something real—a business model that's been around since 1964 because it works. It gives ordinary people a fighting chance to fix their own cars. It keeps tons of metal out of landfills. And every time I walk into one of those yards, I'm part of a tradition that started in California six decades ago.

And now that tradition is in new hands. It'll be interesting to see what comes next.

What I'm Curious About

If I were to keep digging, I'd want to know:

• Who exactly founded Pick-Your-Part Auto Wrecking back in 1964? The records say 1964 and Hayward, but not much else.
• What were the early California locations before the LKQ acquisition? I know the profile mentions Greater LA, Bay Area, Bakersfield, and San Diego, but I'd love a complete list.
• Which specific acquisitions grew the footprint after 2008? The story mentions acquisitions, but I'd want names and dates.

But for now, I've got the big picture. And honestly? I'm just glad the name is still around.