Google spotlights Milwaukee auto recycler using AI to lift calls and revenue

By AI, Created 5:20 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Google featured Select Auto Parts & Sales in its National Small Business Week 2026 Portraits of AI campaign after the Milwaukee auto recycler used AI to cut owner dependency and improve operations. Over three years, the company raised inbound call capture, handled more volume without adding staff and lifted revenue 30 percent.

Why it matters: - AI is moving into industrial small businesses, not just software firms. - Select Auto Parts & Sales used AI to reduce reliance on the owner and improve day-to-day execution. - The results show measurable gains in call handling, staffing efficiency and revenue inside a traditional operation. - Google’s decision to feature the business during National Small Business Week signals that practical AI adoption is now part of mainstream small business modernization.

What happened: - Google selected Select Auto Parts & Sales as one of six businesses nationally featured in its Portraits of AI campaign during National Small Business Week 2026. - Google filmed at the company’s 125,000-square-foot Milwaukee facility on April 21, 2026. - The national feature launched on May 8 across Google’s small business channels. - Select Auto Parts & Sales is Milwaukee’s only fully indoor auto recycling facility.

The details: - Over three years of phased AI implementation, Select Auto Parts & Sales increased inbound call capture from 61% to more than 90%. - The company handled roughly 2,000 to 3,000 calls each month without adding headcount. - Revenue grew 30% during the same period. - Natasha Broxton, founder and CEO of Select Auto Parts & Sales, said the business started by fixing missed after-hours calls, inconsistent pricing, slow inventory lookups and owner-heavy decision making. - Broxton said AI addressed those problems one by one rather than changing everything at once. - The company has operated for 14 years and combines recycled auto parts, industrial operations and systems-driven business practices.

Between the lines: - The Google feature highlights a broader shift: AI adoption is becoming about operational infrastructure for established businesses. - Broxton’s example suggests small businesses can use AI to reduce owner dependency without sacrificing speed or quality. - The emphasis on a non-tech business shows the next wave of AI interest is being shaped by practical workflow problems, not hype. - Broxton is extending that experience through Alitura Group, an AI modernization consulting firm focused on operations-heavy businesses.

What’s next: - Broxton is using Alitura Group to help other owners strengthen systems, reduce dependency and improve communication workflows. - The consulting work is being shaped by implementation methods developed inside a live operating company. - More small businesses facing staffing pressure and communication gaps may look for similar practical AI deployments.

The bottom line: - Google’s spotlight on a Milwaukee auto recycler shows AI is now producing real operating gains in businesses far from Silicon Valley.