EXPRESS AUTO RECYCLERS AND SALES

What EXPRESS AUTO RECYCLERS AND SALES does

Express Auto Recyclers and Sales, operating as Knox Auto Parts and an AESOP Auto Parts location, is a multi-yard used auto parts recycler serving the Southeast United States. Founded in 1995 in Knoxville, Tennessee by Joe and Tom Denton alongside their father Joe Sr., the company dismantles end-of-life vehicles and resells salvaged OEM components to automotive repair facilities and individual vehicle owners. The business has expanded through acquisition to operate three physical yards: the original Knoxville location, a LaVergne/Nashville yard acquired in 2015, and a Birmingham, Alabama yard acquired in 2018 from B&D Auto Parts, employing more than 95 people across the network.

The company's core product is used OEM automotive parts — engines, transmissions, body panels, electronics, and mechanical components — sourced from wrecked vehicles, cataloged by vehicle make/model/year, and sold with warranty. Its primary technology layer is the AESOP Auto Parts inventory search platform, which aggregates parts availability across the AESOP network and enables buyers to locate specific SKUs across yards. Operations rely on phone-based inside sales supported by yard staff, delivery vehicles for local fulfillment, and industry-standard fitment/specification data. The company holds ARA Gold Seal certification and is a founding member of Team PRP, embedding it in the industry's professional recycler networks.

The business model is transactional and quote-based: customers (primarily regional auto repair facilities, secondarily individual owners) request parts by vehicle and component, receive a per-unit price quote, and complete purchase either in-store, by phone, or via the AESOP platform. Revenue is driven by parts volume × unit margin, with warranty terms serving as a quality signal to commercial buyers. In March 2022, the company was acquired by AESOP Auto Parts, integrating it into a larger multi-location used-parts network with shared inventory visibility and broader geographic reach.

Name

EXPRESS AUTO RECYCLERS AND SALES

Legal name

Knox Auto Parts

Website

https://expressautorecyclers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Express Auto Recyclers and Sales (Knox Auto Parts) is a multi-yard used auto parts recycler operating three locations across Tennessee and Alabama, selling salvaged OEM components to regional auto repair facilities and individual vehicle owners, now part of the AESOP Auto Parts network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Auto Parts Retail

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Parts (Used) Merchant Wholesalers (42314)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Used auto parts
• Auto recycling
• Salvage yard operations
• Automotive dismantling
• Recycled automotive parts

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Used Auto Parts Sales: Sale of quality-guaranteed used auto parts sourced from salvaged vehicles. Parts are tested, warranted, and sold to customers including repair facilities and individual consumers. Revenue generated through direct sales transactions with per-part pricing based on vehicle make, model, and part condition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Operates as a used auto parts retailer and salvage yard operator (Knox Auto Parts / Aesop Auto Parts location), dismantling salvaged vehicles to source, test, inventory, and sell quality-guaranteed used automotive components. The business runs three physical salvage yard facilities across Tennessee and Alabama, serves repair facilities and individual vehicle owners across the southeastern United States, and supports nationwide delivery backed by a warranty on every part.

Product overview

EXPRESS AUTO RECYCLERS AND SALES operates as a used auto parts and salvage yard business. Based on the available source data for Knox Auto Parts (an Aesop Auto Parts location), the company offers quality-guaranteed used auto parts with warranty coverage, fast delivery across the U.S., and sustainable eco-friendly practices. The company operates physical salvage yards in multiple locations (Knoxville TN, Nashville TN, Birmingham AL) and focuses on dismantling, inventory management, sales, and distribution of recycled automotive components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Auto Parts

Quantifiable outcome

• Warranty included on every part ensuring reliability

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AESOPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn March 2022, Knox Auto Parts was purchased by AESOP, strengthening the company's market position. AESOP Auto Parts operates multiple salvage yards across the United States. Knox Auto Parts now operates as an Aesop Auto Parts location while maintaining its regional brand identity.
• Team PRPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnox Auto Parts is a founding member of Team PRP, a collaborative network in the auto recycling industry focused on industry leadership and best practice sharing among member companies.
• URG (U.S. Auto Recycler Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of URG (U-R-G), an auto recycler network providing ecommerce solutions and website services for members.
• ARA (Automotive Recyclers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of ARA (Automotive Recyclers Association), the primary trade association for the auto recycling industry providing certification and standards.
• ARA Gold Seal CertificationminorOthersHolder of ARA Gold Seal certification, demonstrating compliance with industry standards for quality and professionalism in auto recycling operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions, part of RB Global): IAA is a major salvage auction house competing with Copart for insurance total-loss vehicles. Like Copart, it is an upstream feed for auto recyclers' parts inventory and shapes wholesale acquisition economics for yards like Express.
• Copart: Copart runs the largest online salvage vehicle auction network in North America, supplying total-loss and used-vehicle inventory to dismantlers and recyclers such as Express. It is an upstream supplier rather than a direct retail competitor, but defines the pricing landscape for salvage vehicle acquisition.
• Salvex: Salvex operates an online marketplace for surplus, salvage, and used industrial and commercial assets including vehicles and auto parts. It is an alternative sales channel that complements (and competes with) traditional salvage yards like Express for reaching national buyers of used parts.
• Team PRP: Team PRP is a collaborative network of independent automotive recyclers of which Knox Auto Parts is a founding member. Member yards operate at overlapping scale in used-parts sales and share best practices, marketing, and programs, making the network a loose consortium of direct peers.
• U.S. Auto Recycling Network (URG): URG provides ecommerce and website services to independent auto recyclers, including Express. Member yards use URG's platform to manage inventory and online sales, placing URG in the supply-chain/ecosystem role rather than direct competition.

Direct peers

• Pull-A-Part: Pull-A-Part operates self-service salvage yards across the Southeast and other regions, selling used parts directly to consumers and repair shops. Its Tennessee and regional locations overlap with Express's Knoxville/Nashville/Birmingham footprint, offering comparable used-parts inventory through both retail and online channels.
• U-Pull-It: U-Pull-It runs self-service salvage yards across multiple US regions, including the Southeast. Its used-parts catalog and yard format directly compete with Express's recycled parts offering to individual consumers and small repair shops.
• Pick-n-Pull: Pick-n-Pull operates a national network of self-service used auto parts yards with a comparable Southeast US presence. The customer experience — walking the yard, pulling parts themselves — closely mirrors what a portion of Express's customer base does, making it a head-to-head competitor for DIY and small-shop demand.

Broad incumbents

• AESOP Auto Parts: AESOP is the parent network of which Express/Knox Auto Parts is a member location. It operates multiple salvage yards nationally and provides the shared inventory search platform; comparable in product category and customer segments, but operates at network scale rather than single-region.
• LKQ Corporation: LKQ is the largest North American distributor of recycled, remanufactured, and aftermarket auto parts. While not exclusively salvage-yard based, it competes with Express Auto Recyclers in used-parts wholesale, particularly into collision and mechanical repair facilities across the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/express-auto-recyclers-and-sales

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 EXPRESS AUTO RECYCLERS AND SALES