Contrell Auto Salvage, owned by Shyra Oliver, is a woman-owned business specializing in towing, car scrapping and salvaging, auto parts sales, tire changes, battery jumps, lockouts, and acquiring unwanted vehicles. Shyra’s family has had a towing company since the 1930’s, with Shyra helping to take it to the next level in 2022. Shyra’s ultimate goal is to serve her community and to leave her mark as a strong woman in a male-dominated industry.
As a new business owner, Shyra has jumped right into the excitement and started her tow truck
operations where she has had lots of on-the-job training and learned that she’s natural networker. Realizing she wanted to expand her business beyond tow truck services, Shyra looked for small business
resources online and learned about the University of Pittsburgh SBDC.
In May of 2022, she reached out to request her first one-on-one consulting appointment and to share her business idea and seek general startup assistance. After her initial conversation with her consultant, she understood what steps she needed to take in order to reach her goal of applying for a loan with the URA to help her expand the business and open her own salvage yard.
Over the last year, Shyra has continued to work on suggested next steps including market research, editing her business plan, determine appropriate pricing, and increase the company’s online presence. Her hard work, preparation, and commitment has allowed her to submit her application for a loan with the URA to grow her business.
Contrell Auto Salvage will continue work with their consultant at the Pitt SBDC on a
regular basis to evaluate business operations, cash flow management, review sales goals, and
performance. Given the commitment displayed by Shyra, the SBDC has no doubt that Contrell Auto
Salvage has found their niche and will have continued success.