Gurnee-area salvage yard does its part to be green

The new Auto Parts City salvage yard opened for business at the Gurnee-Park City border last month, but owners Larry and Jay Brosten waited until Thursday - Earth Day - for an official celebration.

The timing was deliberate. In an age when countless businesses proclaim they've gone green - some for real, some not - the Brosten brothers are serious about running an environmentally friendly shop.

All the cars that come in are drained of fluids before they go out to the complex's large lot, and those liquids are recycled rather than dumped in the trash.

Gasoline is transplanted into the tanks of the company's trucks. Antifreeze and windshield-wiper fluid are re-bottled for sale. They even use oil from engines and transmissions to heat the buildings.

"We try to salvage absolutely everything we can," said Adam Brosten, Larry Brosten's son and an Auto Parts City employee.

The mayors of Gurnee, Park City and Wadsworth were on hand for Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, as were board members from those communities, other politicians, friends of the Brostens and other business owners.

Gurnee Mayor Kristi Kovarik admitted she wasn't a fan of the project when it was first proposed a few years ago but proclaimed the facility "spectacular."

"We are very proud that you are part of Gurnee," she said.

Park City Mayor Steve Pannell was similarly gushy, despite vocal opposition to the project in his community.

A representative of a group called the Green Business League was present, too. He named the operation its Green Business of The Year, which led to rousing applause from the audience.