Snyders Used Auto & Truck Parts

Snyder’s opened it’s doors for business on August 10, 1988. That day was a realization of a dream for Ralph Snyder who had dreamed of owning a salvage yard since he was a teenager.

After mentioning to his father that he wanted to purchase a struggling salvage yard and not receiving an approval it appeared his dream now lay dormant and he pursued family life. Ralph and his family moved to Phoenix, AZ where the construction industry promised a bright future.

Years passed and Ralph’s two eldest sons Dan and Andy fell in love with their fathers’ passion for hot rods and both boys spent time at local yards in the Phoenix area looking for parts to keep their cars running. Ralph’s dream was now planted in Dan and Andy.

Dan graduated from Beloit College in Beloit, WI. with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management and moved to Texas.  A few days later construction started on what would be the first building of Snyder’s. The building was constructed on 10 acres of land along state highway 95 just south of Holland, TX. Upon opening, Ralph and Dan plunged blindly into the world of entrepreneurship. The first cars were brought in using Ralph’s 1984 Chevrolet ¾ ton pickup with a $700 slide-in wrecker unit. After bending the frame on the pickup, Ralph shortened the frame on a 1962 Chevrolet C-60 and swapped the slide-in unit.

Income was supplemented in the early years by shop and mobile welding performed by Ralph and parts installations complete by Dan. Any cheap truck or car became a Snyder’s specialty in those early years. The first of thousands of vehicles purchased by Dan was a 1960 Falcon 4 door, bought for $50. Many more of these “cherries” would be hauled in before the move was made to late model salvage a few years later.

Each passing year finds Snyder’s incorporating new and exciting technologies to improve the flow of their business. From the purchase of interchange manuals to a state of the art inventory management system. The commitment to the Snyder’s enterprise is solid.