The Sembay sisters add a fresh outlook at North Queen Recyclers in Toronto, Ontario
By Anna Dawson

Anyone who hasn’t seen the changing face of the automotive used parts market would profit enormously from a trip to North Queen Auto Parts, a vehicle recycling facility located in Toronto, Ontario.

Owned and operated by Bob and Walter Sembay, North Queen Auto Parts houses not just one great example of how the industry has changed in the last decade, but three.

They are the Sembay sisters, Barbara, Trisha, and Samantha. What makes them such great examples of the new paradigm of the Canadian industry is not the fact that they are female. Rather, it is their education and how they’ve applied it that causes the Sembay sisters to stand out.

All three have completed post-secondary education in marketing. In two out of three cases, the training focused specifically on the automotive industry.

Barb is a graduate of Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. She completed their Automotive Marketing program, a three-year course of study including three co-op work terms, in 2001. But Barb’s educational credits don’t end there.

“The program offered the option of completing a fourth year at an affiliated university,” says Barb. “I put in a year at Northwood University in West Palm Beach in Florida and received my degree in automotive marketing.”
Before getting her degree, Barb went to work in the insurance industry. Although insurance is a related business, it didn’t do enough to quench her thirst for all things automotive. So she returned to the family business that all three of the Sembay sisters have worked at on and off since they were 13 years old. Ask why, and Barb is more than happy to detail her reasons.

“I grew up around it. It’s both familiar and at the same time intriguing,” says Barb. “I wanted it to be more a part of my life.”

Today, the recycling business is very much a part of Barb Sembay’s life, as she fills the capacity of Marketing Manager for North Queen Auto Parts.

Sam is also a graduate of Georgian College’s three year Automotive Marketing program, but she did not choose to attend her fourth year at Northwood University far away in sunny Florida. Rather she chose to roam even further, and traveled to the even sunnier continent of Australia, where she attended the University of Western Australia and received her degree in business operations.

Sam runs the inventory department at North Queen Auto Parts, planning the dismantling of vehicles and making sure all parts are correctly logged. When she compares her working environment with that of most of her classmates, many of who work in car dealerships, Sam figures she has the better deal.

“I would rather not be stuck in an office,” says Sam. “Working in the recycling industry gives you a take on all cars, not just those of one manufacturer. From high-end to low-end, it’s good to have a wider knowledge base.”

Of the three sisters, Trish is the only one who does not technically work at North Queen Auto Parts. But she is still in the same building, upstairs at the corporate office of CAR Management Solutions (CAR-MS), the nine member network of professional recyclers of which North Queen Auto Parts is one of the founding principals.

Trish has been the Office Manager at CAR-MS since 2000. A graduate of the Marketing program at Toronto’s Seneca College, Trish says she is passionate about her work, as it gives her numerous opportunities to do something different each day.

“A typical day here is very busy,” says Trish “I enjoy the challenge of dealing and liaising with the insurance companies and our auto recycling partners .”

What does Bob Sembay think about all three of his daughters working in the recycling industry?

“I’ve encouraged my children to get an education but never in my wildest dreams did I think they would join me in the business. Their youth and enthusiasm is infectious and a great boom to our operation.”