Yard Profile - Riverina Allwreck Auto Dismantlers

Riverina was established in 1996 by the recently former owner and operator Craig George. Craig’s passion for cars began at a young age which then grew to what Riverina has now become.  In December 2016 new owner operator John Rapley took over Riverina from Craig. Craig has left Riverina with an amazing reputation for excellent parts service.

John has taken over the business from his mate Craig simply because he loves cars, after all he has had a few. A couple of XYs and 2 Monaros, but the real reason he went into the recycling industry is because he loves dealing with and helping people. John is a business owner of an earth moving company as well as pool transportation.  It’s no wonder it was hard to get a hold of him to do this interview. John not only loves his cars, he also has a passion for motorbikes and dirt bikes. He recently sold his favourite bike, a 2002 Harley Davidson Nitro, but is keen to one day in the future own one again, and actually have time to ride it.

Riverina Allwrecks employs 3 people, two of which are fully qualified mechanics. Greg and Prit have combined over 37 years experience as mechanics and a real passion for anything cars - and ‘are 2 top trustworthy blokes’ says John.

The business has 2 large yards and approximately 500 cars. They specialise in Toyota 4WDS however do stock new and used parts for all major makes and models including Mazda, Holden, Ford and late model cars. 

Riverina isn’t just an auto dismantlers, supplying quality second-hand auto parts - they offer a unique service. Having access to a fully equipped, licensed mechanical workshop enables Riverina to  provide parts as well as installation.  They pride themselves on giving customers the options of new or good quality used parts depending on the customer’s budget.

‘What really sets this 20 year old dismantling business apart from the rest, we provide a service specifically to Toyota parts. We aren’t just a wrecking yard, we offer the fully licensed repairs and we truly do pride on our staff’s passion and experience. It’s truly about giving the best customer service. We provide 3 months warranty for used parts and 12 months for reconditioned parts. We stock new and used parts giving the customer’s options’ John said. Riverina also can provide pink and green slips.

John would love to get involved and support motor sports in particular when events occur in Wagga Wagga, which he is hoping, will happen in the very near future. 

When it comes to running a successful dismantling business, John is a great believer in giving customers what they need. Working together with local competition has enabled Riverina to maintain its high customer service. ‘We all work together, if we can’t supply a part then I know I can rely on other business to help me and vice versa- customer comes first.’

One thing that John believes you shouldn’t do if you want to run a successful yard is not keep your word. From past experiences, in dealing with people, he says, ‘If I promise to call someone back regarding a part or job I always make sure I call. I don’t like promising things I can’t deliver or not doing what I said I would. I think this has been one of my greatest strength and reason why I have succeeded in business, and I intend to carrying this on in my new venture with Riverina Allwreck’.

When asked about his thoughts on what he believed the Australian dismantling industry could improve on; John was very honest- ‘Ask me in 6 months, I haven’t been in this business long enough to criticise it’.

Moving forward with technology, we are excited to be implementing a parts and location internet system in the next few months, it will enable customers Australia wide to view our stock and become customers. We already ship Victoria wide but now we are looking to expand to shipping Australia wide.

When asked if there was anything else, John was quick to say a huge thank you to his mate Craig George for giving him the opportunity to take over his business, and hope for the business to flourish for many, many years to come.

Riverina Allwreck Auto Dismantlers
Address    359 Edward Street,  WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2630
Phone       02 6925 3477