Will Rimell

Parts Alliance member CES (UK) has attached ‘significant investment’ to accelerate expansion plans and strengthen its already key position in the UK aftermarket. The exact source and size of the investment is not being revealed at this stage.

Great news to hear that the service, maintenance and repair industry has increased in value to nearly £9 billion in 2011. That figure excludes the value of MOTs, too, so the pickings are even more rich than this total suggests.

The value of the service, maintenance and repair (SMR) industry has grown to be worth almost £9 billion in 2011, the latest Castrol Professional Car Servicing and Repair Trend Tracker report has revealed. Data in the report shows that the value of SMR, excluding MOT work and VAT increased by 6.3 percent between 2010 and 2011.

Autodata is celebrating its 40th year of business, having first been registered in 1972. August marks the technical supplier’s 40th birthday, and the brand has taken the opportunity to re-inform technicians of its offering. At the front of Autodata’s package is the Online 3 system, which Autodata says is now used by the majority of its subscribers.

A motorist paralysed in an accident believed to be caused by part-worn tyres is warning other drivers to think twice before using them. Keith Johnston from Tyne and Weir suffered his injuries following an accident earlier this year.

ACDelco’s Lee Quinney has been appointed as Director of the company's aftermarket activities in the UK and Europe. As a reward for his five and a half years of service to ACDelco, as well as the company’s growth within the UK and European markets, parent company General Motors announced the appointment late last week.

GSF is hoping the development of its bodyshop business will be boosted thanks to a new national distribution agreement with Autel. The diagnostic equipment manufacturer has signed an agreement with GSF which will see the distributor offering Autel diagnostic and analyst systems to its UK bodyshop customers. As part of the agreement GSF will be offering free on-site assessments and Autel product demonstrations at customer premises. The assessments will be conducted by a support team of five technicians based at GSF’s Head Office in Birmingham.

Frogs Island is a workshop with a difference. While the garage still gets its daily bread from servicing and repair work, many of its jobs are on a much larger scale than the average workshop. The 4x4 specialist started out as a one-man band in the early 1990s. Manager Gary Arnold says that the biggest change in the company came in 2008 when it was bought by 4x4 components supplier AllMakes