See inside the new 19-acre happy place for ‘car people’ in the Tri-Cities
A field in Finley has been transformed into a 19-acre happy place for car people, repair shop mechanics, classic car collectors and vehicle owners determined to keep their daily wheels on the road.
U-Pull-It Auto Parts is expanding into the Kennewick area, where owner Mark Forcum and his son, Mitch, general manager, invested $7.5 million in a new auto wrecking yard and related facilities.
U-Pull-It is paired with Supreme Truck and Auto Parts. Supreme will focus on higher-end vehicles and prized parts for car collectors and restorers.
The business debuts with a grand opening on May 10, at 34508 S. Piert Road, off East Bowles Road.
It is the third U-Pull-It for the Forcums and their team, including Jeremy Jondahl, district manager.
The original U-Pull-It opened Yakima in 2013 and the second opened at 802 S. Oregon Ave. in Pasco in 2016.
Kennewick is an all-new business.
Soup-to-nuts operation
In addition to the yard where customers pull parts off old cars, it has three buildings totaling about 21,000 square feet to support dismantling, warehousing and sales.
There’s a garage where fluids are drained from incoming vehicles, which have their license plates, wheels and tires, motors, catalytic converters, oxygen sensors and other key components removed.
There’s a warehouse piled high with motors, starters, alternators and other gear. And there’s a sales office.
It will add a crusher in the future to handle vehicles after they’ve been fully stripped in the yard. Until then, Pasco will handle crushing, the last step before a car becomes scrap metal.
Mark Forcum said Tri-Cities growth drove the investment in a third location. Pasco routinely sees 400 customers on a typical Saturday.
U-Pull-It prides itself on its transparency and a businesslike approach to the auto wrecking and parts business.
It’s guided by technology that helps track the cars and parts that are most likely to sell. That informs decisions about what vehicles to purchase. And before a car is crushed, it’s assessed to see if there was an audience for its bits and pieces.
The soup-to-nuts process ensures every bit of a car is reused, recycled, or disposed of before it is sent to the crusher.
U-Pull It was fully vetted under Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process before construction began more than a year ago. Benton County issued permits after determining it would not adversely impact the environment.
The existing U-Pull-It business has a clean environmental record as well, according to documents provided by the Department of Ecology.
An inspector who toured the Pasco yard noted that the operator was committed to operating an environmentally friendly yard in compliance with state regulations.
What happens to cars?
U-Pull-It buys wrecked and end-of-life vehicles from insurance auctions, tow lot auctions and private sales. It also watches for collectible and higher-end vehicles.
It’s not always obvious to casual visitors what might spark a collector’s attention.
The new lot has a a 1979 Pontiac Grand Le Mans station wagon - yellow - positioned in a prominent spot near the front row. The Pontiac gives off “Mom’s wagon” vibes. Jondahl assured that it is a standout. Collectors will come from across the region to pick up parts, he said.
Also on offer: 2017 Chevrolet Corvette, 2017 Cadillac Escalade, a 2022 Ford Mustang Mach # and a 2020 Tesla Model S.
High-end vehicles aside, U-Pull-It’s business is based on people who want to keep their daily drivers running for a few more years.
“Our bread and butter is the SUV, Toyota, Honda folks who need to keep running,” Forcum said.
Its customers are backyard mechanics, auto repair shops, body shops and anyone looking for the right part.
Instructional videos on YouTube have been a boon for the industry, empowering car owners to carry out their own repairs, Jondahl said.
While U-Pull-It will sell any part to any body, there is one exception: Catalytic converters.
Its demolition mechanics remove catalytic converters, which are often stolen for their salvage value. U-Pull-It only sells catalytic converters on a web site that’s limited to authorized buyers and sellers.
The business is also certified and equipped to handle electric vehicles and hybrids. Handling battery packs can be dangerous or even lethal in the wrong hands, they caution.
Good batteries are resold. Bad ones are recycled.
750 vehicles in inventory
The Forcums chose the spot in the Finley area because it was one of the few large lots that was zoned for heavy industry.
the lot will open with abouy 750 vehicles propped on wheel rims. The set up gives U-Pull-It customers access to the underside. Model years range from 1972 to 2022. The lot has room for about 1,000.
“When I look out, I see a lot of merchandise,” Jondahl said.
U-Pull-It customers pay a $3 admission fee to enter the yard. They’re issued a blue wheelbarrow to carry personal tools and turned loose in the yard to remove sheet metal and lower value parts at their leisure.
The yard operates on a first-come, first-served business — it will never guarantee a part is available because another customer could come along and remove it.
Jondahl said staff will assist customers with final removal for larger parts. Forklifts are on hand to bring them out.
U-Pull-It employs about 70, with 25 planned at the Finley spot.
U-Pull-It locations are open daily. Summer hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday.
Go to go2upullit.com or follow the new yard on Facebook at U-Pull-It Auto Parts — Kennewick.
This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 7:00 AM.