Will Rimell

A1 motor factors members have agreed to increase the scope of their trade marketing program. At a recent meeting of members of the group, it was agreed that independent factors need to fight harder to stay afloat in a turbulent market. As part of the new initiative, the A1 group will be providing its factor members with a range of new marketing material.

Rhino Products says it is pleased to have lent a hand to BBC programme, DIY SOS. Rhino stockist VANRAX was able to help out the production crew of the hit BBC show by supplying new aluminium racks for the show’s vans. The stockist had previously already supplied one rack to the show.

A record number of accident repair technicians graduated from Thatcham’s Apprentice Academy this month. The annual graduation from Thatcham’s has become something of a calendar event in the trade, not only for the apprentice taking their first steps into the business, but also for the industry benefiting from a fresh influx of new talent.

A rouge trader selling counterfeit and out-of-date Autodata CDs to garages in Slough has been arrested. The arrest was the end result of an operation involving the Police, Slough Borough Council trading standards and Autodata. The rouge trader was caught in the act of selling the counterfeit CDs.

The Good Garage scheme is introducing its new face and mascot, Miles Better, to UK motorists thanks to a new advertising campaign. The animated character will be delivering helpful tips and advice to motorists and garages via a TV advertising spot on the Sky network, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

A rumour is a powerful tool, and rumours were already circulating that it was Tetrosyl who had stumped up for the MotorMania chain when I went to see the company last week. We now know of course that those rumours were true, and not for the first time I find myself wondering if the aftermarket grapevine - given its success and accuracy scores in recent months - shouldn't turn its attention to predicting Euro 2012 scores as well as business moves.

TecDoc will be launching its own application for the Apple iPad at Automechanika. UK visitors to the Frankfurt show will be able to see the launch of the new app, as well as sample some of TecDoc's other mini-web applications. The company will also be showcasing its screen size optimisation software for iPhone and Android devices.

Part of the MotorMania chain, which was recently put up for sale by owner Richard Hartley, has been bought by Tetrosyl. 11 stores from the original 17-strong chain have been purchased by the car care manufacturer.

According to pay monitoring site Payscale, motor mechanics can earn as little as £9474 per year, while a parts advisor earns, at the lowest point, just £15,510. Considering that these numbers are the mid point of the salaries reported, the pay might actually be much worse. The Low Pay Commission has reported in the past that motor trades and retail are problem areas for them.

The UK aftermarket has long had a love affair with British built models. While many cars assembled in the UK are destined for export, a significant portion can be seen on British roads and, more importantly, British garages too.