Plasnomic announced Feb. 24 the appointment of Michael Golding, network manager for Allianz UK, to the Plastic Repair Alliance Council. “Michael’s appointment signals the level of collaborative work Plasnomic is undertaking with collision repairers, supply partners, training organizations, and insurers across the UK and EU markets,” said Mario Dimovski, head of the Plasnomic Council. “Having […]
Volvo Car UK Renews Three-Year Paint Partnership with BASF Coatings
Volvo Car UK announced Feb. 23 it has renewed its partnership with BASF Coatings UK Ltd for three years, continuing BASF’s role as the preferred paint coatings supplier for the Volvo Car UK Approved Bodyshop Network. Under the agreement, BASF will supply Volvo’s 78 approved body repair centres across the UK with its Glasurit and […]
Thatcham Research Survey Finds 73% of UK Repair Professionals Report Growing Skills Shortage
More than 70% of vehicle repair and salvage professionals in the United Kingdom say the sector is facing a skills shortage driven by increasing vehicle complexity, an aging workforce and competition from other industries, according to a survey released Feb. 11 by Thatcham Research. The survey, conducted in partnership with the Centre for Economics and […]
Fix Auto UK Adds 25,000-Square-Foot Sustainable Collision Repair Facility in Basingstoke
Fix Auto Basingstoke has opened a new 25,000-square-foot collision repair facility in Basingstoke, England, that the company says is one of the most environmentally friendly vehicle repair centers in the UK. The fully electric facility on Wade Road is powered entirely by solar panels and incorporates energy-efficient technologies, waste management systems and processes designed to […]
Fix Auto UK Adds Two Collision Repair Centers to Network
Fix Auto UK announced the addition of two collision repair centers to its network of independently-owned facilities. Both facilities, one in Scotland and the other on the Isle of Wight, are additional locations opened by existing network members. Fix Auto UK announced another addition of Fix Auto Fife to its network in Scotland. The development […]
Fix Auto Adds Collision Repair Center to Network in UK
Fix Auto UK announced Worcestershire-based Carsmetix has joined its collision repair network, with the body shop now operating as Fix Auto Pershore. The latest addition to the Fix Auto UK network is owned by Robert Stern, the businessman behind the multi award-winning Robert Stern BMW dealerships. The body shop is managed by Ray Bower and […]
Group 1 Automotive Acquires Beadles Group in UK
Acquisition expands dealer group’s collision repair operations in the UK. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) announced the acquisition of Beadles Group Ltd, a large UK-based automotive retailer, which consists of seven brands across 12 dealerships in the southeastern portion of the greater London metropolitan market. The seven brands include Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Skoda, Toyota, […]
Fix Auto UK Adds Five Collision Repair Centers to its Network in Scotland
Fix Auto has announced that it has taken another significant step to develop its UK coverage by doubling its presence in Scotland after signing five new franchisees in a single day. The five new Fix Auto bodyshops – who officially joined the network at the Scottish Region’s Quarterly Business Meeting in Cumbernauld in late November […]
RMI Bodyshops Recovers £100,000 in Debts for Members
As part of its ongoing challenge for bodyshops to treated fairly, RMI Bodyshops (NAB & VBRA), the UK trade association for the vehicle body repair sector, has reached a milestone in its debt recovery service. The association, which provides a variety of services designed to provide support to its members and allows them to focus […]
Tom Hudd Named Operations Manager at Thatcham Research’s Repair Technology Centre
Tom Hudd has been appointed as Operations Manager for the UK-based Thatcham Research’s Repair Technology Centre (RTC). He joins on 22 August and will report directly to Dean Lander, Head of Operations. Hudd will lead a team of 32 technical repair experts with a focus on continuing to offer customers unrivalled technical information and expertise […]