LKQ vs LECO Comparison

Since forming in 1998 to consolidate the auto salvage business in the United States, LKQ has developed into a leading distributor of aftermarket and recycled auto parts with around 1,700 facilities across North America and Europe. The company primarily sells into the professional, or do-it-for-me, channel and offers an assortment of collision and mechanical parts to both body shops and mechanical repair shops. It also continues to operate more than 70 LKQ pick-your-part junkyards. Separate from the self-service business, LKQ typically purchases around 250,000 salvage vehicles annually that are used to extract vehicle parts for resale.

Lincoln Electric is a leading manufacturer of welding, cutting, and brazing products. The firm's portfolio of products includes arc-welding solutions, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting systems, and brazing and soldering alloys, as well as automation solutions. Lincoln Electric serves clients in the general fabrication, heavy industries, automotive, construction, shipbuilding, energy and process industries, among other end markets. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln Electric has operations in 19 countries and has 11,000 employees worldwide. The company generated roughly $4.2 billion in sales in 2023.