Beginning this year, The Locator has made its entire annual Directory available to customers in PDF format on a CD. "This gives us the capability to distribute the Directory to more people," explained Wendy Lloyd, The Locator's marketing director. "It also makes the ads and listings in the Directory more readily searchable to users. This CD offers many added features."

While customers can still choose to receive the hard-copy version, the CD includes bonus features not available in the printed Directory.

"Over 800 additional search pages are available on the CD that aren't included with the spiral-bound copy," Lloyd noted. "Complete product catalogs from Brock Supply and The Connection are included. And an issue of The Locator Magazine and Locator UpFront have been saved in an electronic format."

The CD also offers expanded search capabilities.

"The search function is remarkable. You can scan text in display ads and listings, providing even more results," she explained. "For instance, a search for doors returns all listings with doors, as well as any display ads or any pages in the bonus catalogs."

Users can conduct searches by any keyword or phrase, such as company name, geography, product type or business type. The CD also offers direct live links to customer web sites, Locator Online's VIN Decoder and Parts Wanted.

"Our goal with the CD is to help the user find what they're looking for quickly and effectively," Lloyd said. "However, if a customer prefers to receive the hard copy, we'll have that available for them as well."

Customers can request their free Directory on CD by calling 800-831-0820, or e-mailing a request to sales@partslocator.com. There's also a mail-in form at the back of the Directory.

"Attendees at the ARA trade show will get the first look at the new format and be given a copy," she said. "And we'll be sending 800 CDs to NACE in November to hand out to body shops."

The CDs will also be mailed to insurance companies, which Lloyd said she believes will take advantage of the added features and easier searches. "We wanted to create a Locator's Directory that was even more beneficial and easier for the insurance companies to use. The more they use it, the more our advertisers benefit.

"There's a trend in the media to offer publications in digital formats, thus giving readers additional content beyond what is available in the printed version, more compact storage capabilities and faster, easier searches for the desired information," Lloyd explained. "We want to keep up with that trend by making The Locator's Directory a cutting-edge publication for the automotive recycling industry."

The 2006 Locator's Directory features more than 1,500 companies from across the United States and Canada.