Will Rimell

One day Paul Hambleton will inherit an empire. He’s married to the daughter of Maypole Ltd founder Stuart Howe, and he’s got big plans for the company. Maypole Ltd is firmly entrenched in its core business of manufacturing and supplying trailer components and towing accessories.

Do you know a factor that goes above and beyond your expectations every time? Is one of your customers a garage that's beating the franchises at their own game? Perhaps you know an independent retailer that's staying strong on the high street? The CAT Awards is your chance to get them recognised by the industry.

Just like the ‘find the lady’ card trick where sleight of hand defeats the eye, in the background of my mind there has always been a nagging question about registration statistics. I’ve always considered that bumper vehicle registrations, year on year must expand the service market downstream – but it didn’t appear to happen.

Automotive industry charity BEN has started work on its new, state-of-the-art facilities and headquarters in Berkshire. The multi-million pound project will create a new retirement community and care facilities on the charity’s existing Lynwood site in Sunninghill near Ascot.

The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation has warned the sector it is at risk of unravelling. Chief Executive Brian Spratt expressed his concern that the fighting in the sector over the matching quality debate will be to the detriment of the aftermarket.

Saab Parts UK has announced a new initiative to improve the availability of parts to the independent sector. It hopes to be able to better cater for the trade by increasing inventory and improving delivery. A range of 160,000 parts are available from 80 locations across the UK.

It’s all in a day’s work for Holts’ Research and Development Manager Bruce Ellis who takes CAT around the firm’s laboratory in Manchester. Just around the corner from where Kellogg’s makes cornflakes in Manchester, men in white coats are defrosting locusts and grinding them up.