For three generations, Hess Salvage has been collecting metal and parting out vehicles. Located on the south end of Clay Center, the six-plus acre lot is full of wrecked and broken down vehicles, crushed aluminum cans, former appliances, and more. 

To owner, Elton Hess, it’s a balance of nostalgia and a solid business plan built on sorting and re-use.

The business began in 1952 with his grandpa, Elton D. Hess, who he was named after. 

Family lore states that town forefathers wanted to clean up the town and prompted residents to clean up their yards, including old vehicles that no longer ran. Elton D. had six or seven junk vehicles and used them to start Hess Salvage. He found open land on the south end of Clay Center and began disposing of vehicles full-time. 

“He rented it from his friend, Charlie Mullin,” Hess said. “The funny thing, rent was $365 a year. Charlie stopped in every day and got the dollar. Money was different then.” 

Hess said it was a time where metal was valuable and multiple salvage yards operated within the town. At one time, Elton D. alone had two salvage locations. 

Residents brought in their scrap metal, appliances, and more, and Hess Salvage paid by the weight. Aluminum, iron, copper, and more all received a price by their weight. Then the fare was cut with a crude torch and taken to the local rail yard and loaded onto a train. Vehicles bought whole were $10-$30 each. ($122-$366 in 2025.)

Hess said the original lot was not only sloped but covered in trees.

In the 40 years since, they’ve expanded to the current boundaries to over six acres, meeting with the south edge of Fifth Street.

By the early 80s, Hess’s Dad, James, took over, before selling out to Hess upon his retirement five years ago. The duo worked together for 40+ years.  

In 1983, Hess Salvage became incorporated. However, the market changed in the mid-80s when the rail left town, causing Hess Salvage to work with a trucking company instead. Inside the yard, they widened the road, allowing semis to back in to load out, Hess said. 

At one point, Hess Salvage was turning in eight semi-loads per month, though Hess said additional market changes have brought them down to two.

Today, when customers bring in items, they’re sorted and separated by metal type or held for parts. That includes tin, farm machinery, structural steel, copper, brass, and ferrous metals. Everything is hand-sorted, then sold in bulk depending on type. 

For instance, steel prices rise in the winter; with fewer machines running, mills increase the price, he said. This causes Hess to keep the price to customers steady, while cashing in on the higher price annually. 

Meanwhile, more than 750 vehicles are stored on-site for parts. They’re sorted by make and model, allowing customers to hunt for what they need. 

“The vehicles are kind of my pride and joy,” he said. “Every time I buy one it makes me feel good.” 

Hess said he will cut out body sections upon request, while replacement parts can be removed by the customer. 

“Years ago we did it but now we let the customer go and take parts,” he said. “It works pretty good. They know what they want and it saves us time.” He added that buying cars for parts is a good way to give customers a baseline and determine if a car is fixable. 

“If somebody has a vehicle and doesn’t know if they want to put more money into it, at least I can give them a bottom price.” 

He said by far the largest collection are Chevy and Ford pickups, with foreign makes being the least. 

“There are just so many different kinds,” he said. “But almost every family has a pickup. Even if it’s just a beater it’s nice to have a pickup.” 

Since childhood, Hess remembers visiting the salvage yard and finding treasures. He grew up across the street and regularly brought friends over to explore. 

“After school we’d pop the seats out and dig for money. We were always seeing what we could find. Or we’d jump from car to car.” 

In high school he began working the yard and cutting iron on weekends with his Dad. At 16 he began working at the salvage yard. 

“To me, it just gets in your blood. I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter but I’ve gotten used to it, so it doesn’t bother me much.” 

Hess said when his own daughter, Victoria, was young, he did the same for her.

Today, Hess employs two others along with himself. They each have their own responsibilities, from sorting piles, to taking vehicles or appliances apart, to paperwork. 

The latter includes documenting an oil spill due to the Salvage Yard’s proximity to Huntress Creek. 

“We have to remove gasoline and transmission fluid, and spilling happens; we try to avoid it, but sometimes it just does,” he said. 

“We document it, write it down which spill kit, it’s alright just a lot of paperwork,” Hess said there is also a necessary filing if a customer brings in copper, aluminum, or brass. The Salvage Yard has to send the customer’s license to KBI, who tracks it to prevent stolen metals. 

“Sometimes it’s crazy because it’s just a minuscule amount of metal, but that’s what we have to do so we do it,” he said.