What PICK-N-PULL does

PICK-N-PULL, Inc. operates a self-service auto recycling yard at 11795 Applewhite Rd in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1986 by owner Dave Ahokas, the business runs a 30-acre facility holding 3,500 to 4,500 vehicles dating back to the 1970s, organized in rows so that customers can walk the yard and extract parts themselves. The yard is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a $2.00 entrance fee granting access to inventory. Customers can pre-search inventory online by year, make, model, color, VIN, engine, and row location, and use a part interchange and fitment tool to identify compatible components. Parts are individually priced and sold at roughly 50–70% below new-retail equivalents, with unit examples such as alternators and starters at $29.99 and complete car doors at $65.98.

The business model is straightforward transactional retail of used automotive components, supplemented by several adjacent revenue streams. Customers may sell unwanted vehicles to the company through a junk-car buying program with free towing and on-the-spot cash payment, which functions both as a service and as the upstream supply pipeline for yard inventory. An optional 90-day warranty is offered at 10% of part price on most components. Refundable core charges apply to recyclable parts (alternators, starters, transmissions) and are returned within 14 days when old cores are brought back. Environmental fees are collected on transactions to offset hazardous-material handling costs. Independent contractor parts pullers are available for hire by customers who prefer not to extract parts themselves. Beyond the physical yard, Pick-N-Pull sells selected parts online through an eBay storefront, and offers a third-party-powered text alert service that notifies customers when a specific vehicle arrives in inventory.

The customer base is a horizontal long-tail spanning DIY auto repair enthusiasts, budget-conscious vehicle owners, independent mechanics and small repair shops, and individuals disposing of junk cars. There are no disclosed enterprise contracts, no institutional investors, and no parent company. The company is privately held, locally funded, and operates from a single location serving the South Texas market, with online sales extending its reach via eBay. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, regulatory milestones, or M&A activity are present in the available record.

Name

PICK-N-PULL

Legal name

Pick-N-Pull, Inc.

Website

https://picknpullsa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pick-N-Pull, founded in 1986 and owned by Dave Ahokas, operates a 30-acre self-service auto parts yard in San Antonio, Texas, selling used automotive components at 50–70% below new prices to DIY consumers, independent mechanics, and junk-car sellers, with supplementary eBay online sales and free vehicle pickup.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auto Recycling & Used Auto Parts

NAICS

Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133), Used Car Dealers (44112)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Used Auto Parts Recovery & Resale (Salvage/Yard Parts, Rebuilders) (EUAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fleet Remarketing & Vehicle Disposal (Auctions, Buyback, Resale) (TLABAHAN), Eco-Friendly Disposal, Recycling & Donation Hauling (HSAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Self-service auto parts
• Used auto recycling
• Junk car buying
• Salvage yard parts
• Pre-owned vehicle sales

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Used Auto Parts Sales: Core revenue stream from selling used auto parts directly to customers who visit the yard and pull parts themselves. Parts are sold at 50-70% less than new prices.
2. Yard Entrance Fees: Nominal $2.00 entrance fee charged to access the yard for part retrieval
3. Vehicle Purchase (Junk Car Buying): Company purchases junk and unwanted vehicles from customers, paying cash on the spot with free towing. Revenue generated from reselling vehicles or parts.
4. Core Charges: Refundable deposits charged on recyclable parts (alternators, starters, transmissions) to encourage customers to return old cores. Deposits refunded when old parts are returned within 14 days.
5. Environmental Fees: Fees charged to offset costs of compliance with environmental safety standards for recycling hazardous materials including waste fluids, batteries, and tires
6. Parts Pulling Services: Independent parts pullers available for hire to extract parts for customers who cannot or prefer not to pull parts themselves
7. eBay Parts Sales: Online sales through eBay store for top-quality parts reaching customers beyond the local geographic area

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pick-N-Pull operates a 30-acre self-service auto parts yard in San Antonio with over 3,500 vehicles dating back to the 1970s, where customers bring their own tools to extract used auto parts at 50-70% below new-part pricing. The company also purchases junk and unwanted vehicles for cash with free towing, sells pre-owned inspected vehicles, and offers an eBay storefront for online parts sales.

Product overview

PICK-N-PULL San Antonio operates as a self-service auto parts yard with a platform of interconnected services. The core offering is the physical self-service yard where customers use their own tools to pull parts from salvaged vehicles. Supporting this are digital tools including vehicle inventory search and part interchange/fitment search systems, along with a comprehensive part pricing system. Additional services include an optional 90-day warranty program, used car sales, vehicle purchase services for junk cars with free towing, and access to independent parts pullers. The company also maintains an eBay store for online parts sales and offers a text alert system for vehicle arrival notifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Service Auto Parts Yard 30-acre self-service facility where customers pay a $2 entrance fee, locate vehicles in the inventory database, and extract used auto parts with their own tools at 50-70% below new-part pricing.
• Used Cars for Sale

Quantifiable outcome

• Parts sold at 50-70% less than new prices
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Independent Parts PullersminorOthersNetwork of independent contractors who provide parts pulling services for customers who cannot or prefer not to extract parts themselves. Contact: Daniel Guerroro (210-788-7460) and Jerry Cantu (210-374-2147). Company provides this service as a convenience but assumes no liability for their work.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pull-A-Part: National self-service auto parts yard chain operating in multiple U.S. states with the same direct-to-consumer model of letting customers pull their own parts from a yard of salvaged vehicles. Effectively Pick-N-Pull's closest direct competitor on operating model, customer experience, and SKU breadth.
• Pull-N-Save: Self-service auto parts yard operator with locations in the western U.S., running an inventory model very similar to Pick-N-Pull's 30-acre yard. Directly comparable on size, customer experience, and pricing.
• U-Pull-It: Self-service auto salvage yard concept with multiple locations, offering pay-and-pull used parts. Closely mirrors Pick-N-Pull's customer experience, pricing structure, and DIY value proposition across overlapping geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Online vehicle auction platform that supplies total-loss and salvage vehicles to dismantlers, rebuilders, and yards like Pick-N-Pull. Relevant both as a competitor (channel for used vehicles) and as a supplier of raw salvage inventory.
• O'Reilly Auto Parts: Large U.S. auto parts retailer with new and remanufactured parts primarily targeted at professional installers and DIYers. Adjacent competitor on consumer mindshare for affordable repair parts.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): Salvage and total-loss vehicle auction company, owned by RB Global, supplying wrecked vehicles to dismantlers and recyclers. Touches Pick-N-Pull's supply chain for inbound vehicles and competes for buyer-side vehicle demand.
• AutoZone: National aftermarket auto parts retailer with primarily new parts but a growing recycled-and-remanufactured offering. Competes for the same DIY and budget-conscious consumer as Pick-N-Pull on convenience rather than deep cost savings.
• LKQ Corporation: Public, Fortune 500 distributor of aftermarket and recycled auto parts including a heavy self-service and full-service salvage yard network across the U.S. Represents the scaled, institutional version of Pick-N-Pull's underlying business.

Emerging players

• RockAuto: Online-only retailer of aftermarket new and recycled auto parts with a deep catalog indexed by vehicle. Competes with Pick-N-Pull on price-conscious DIY and small-mechanic demand but lacks a physical yard experience.
• eBay Motors: Online marketplace where Pick-N-Pull already operates a storefront for top-quality parts. Represents an alternative online channel for used auto parts and a peer for consumer mindshare in the DIY parts category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PicknPull
• Facebookfacebook.com/PICKNPULLSANANTONIO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PICK-N-PULL