Shelley man found his passion working on cars and now owns a salvage yard in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS – For more than two decades, Dan Pearson has made anything auto-related his life’s work and he’s now the proud owner of what he calls the only independent, self-serve salvage yard in eastern Idaho.
Big D Pick & Pull opened in mid-January in the former D&C Salvage at 1296 East Iona Road in Idaho Falls. Pearson bought the three-and-a-half acre site from the previous owner, who was ready to retire.
Pearson’s lot offers about 400 junker cars with parts that are for sale.
“Just pull it out and take it apart. You save a ton of money,” Pearson tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We list everything online. We don’t part anything out before it goes in the yard. It goes in the way that we buy it off the street.”
Pearson, 37, of Shelley, got his start in the salvage industry about 20 years ago. He’s held other jobs, but it’s the auto industry where he’s found a good fit.
“I have ADHD and it’s hard to sit in one spot. The salvage business isn’t like that. It’s always something different — you never know if you’re pulling in a 1980 Chevy pickup or a 2017 Silverado,” says Pearson.
He acquired his interest in cars from his neighbor, Jon Tomchak. The two have been working on cars together since Pearson was a teenager.
Pearson had a difficult upbringing and he says Tomchak took him under his wing and became a mentor for him. Pearson considers him a second father.
Customers may recognize Pearson from Intermountain Auto Supply, where he worked for about 10 years before buying D&C Salvage from Dale Walton.
“I had the opportunity to pick this place up, so I jumped,” Pearson says.
Walton owned the business for about 15 years.
Sidney Zufelt started the business in the 1970s under the name AP Salvage. Intermountain Auto bought it from him in the early 2000s. The lot was empty for about a decade before the Smith Family took it over briefly. Walton bought it from them in about 2010.
After more than 20 years in the salvage industry, Pearson says he enjoys meeting new people every day. The opportunity to help people is what he likes most about it.
“I donated a car in December to a lady that was in need,” says Pearson. “Watching people learn how to work on their own cars (is rewarding) … and it’s something I can do with my kids. They all work here.”
Pearson hopes to be customers’ first stop for all used car parts. His goal is to “treat people right” while being fair and competitive.
He’s looking forward to watching the business grow.
“I just want to help as many people as I can,” he says.
Big D Salvage is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 4 p.m. closing time on Saturday.
