Hidden behind a house at 1342 North Hixville Road, a small shack houses a steel wood stove and a small box TV that hums classic country. Sloppy piles of screwdrivers neatly tucked onto lipped shelves line the front end of the shack, while about a dozen tractor-pulling trophies dull under dust toward the rear.

It's the hub of Will & Son's Auto Salvage, a business Wilfred Croteau, 89, has run since 1957. He sits by the wood stove and answers a ringing phone tethered by a curly cord.

"So far, we've made $10 all day," said his son, Wayne Croteau, 54, shortly after their 12-12:30 p.m. scheduled lunch break.

"But we've had a lot of good calls," added Croteau.

The men — along with Croteau's elder son, Wilfred "Willie" Jr., 64 — have about 600 cars on the five acres they run their business on, although their property totals about 34 acres. They sell used cars and auto parts, as well as buy used cars, but daily they feel the pressure of competing chain stores.

"It's a struggle. Back then, there was no AutoZone. Today, they kill you, but when you average out almost 60 years, it ain't too bad," said Wayne.

Croteau started the business on the then-farm owned by his parents, after finding varied success at ice cutting, silk screen printing, and recycling chemicals at a nearby plant.

"We had some cows here, and my father used to rent [the land] to one of the farmers," said Croteau. "They let me use [some land], and if it didn't work out, I'd just give it back to him."

Companies closed their doors, and part-time work didn't pay the bills, but cars were in demand, said Croteau. He started building up his inventory, selling a used car to buy two or three more.

"During the war, you couldn't buy a car. They were building cars for the army, and they were painting them that dull color," he said. "There was nothing available after the war."

After his parents passed, Croteau officially bought the land for his auto salvage. Willie started working with him in 1972, and Wayne joined the team in 1983.

"There's nothing super about running an auto salvage. Just a lot of work, that's all," said Croteau.

Despite having equipment that nearly dates to the beginning of the Croteau business (both the wrecker and $5,200 front-end loader were put together in 1960; the crusher — which can only squash about 30 inches of metal at a time — dates to 1985), there's still a lot of accomplishment to be proud of.

"We've never been brought to court by any customers," said Willie.

The family is realistic about their company's future, though. They try to sell parts, and the rest is scrapped, but prices depend on the world market, explained Croteau.

"It's up and down, just like gasoline," he said. Croteau explained that he saw a surge about four years ago, when both India and China were buying steel for bridges and reconstruction.

Heading into 2017, the trio continues to quietly run the business Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. They used to be open on Saturdays too, but buyers stopped showing up, they explained.