Will Rimell

GSF is to create a new department within its Birmingham head office to focus on the accident repair market. The new team will cover the service and sales/administration of bodyshop equipment, components, service parts and consumables.

The Federation of Automotive Remanufacturers has been launched by the FER in the hope of attracting members from the wider reman community, including those working on rotating electrics, brakes, suspension and other parts, and giving the industry a better voice

Unipart Automotive is moving from its current offices in Cowley, Oxfordshire to a new site in Bicester. After 20 years in Cowley, the automotive parts supplier is moving its business operations to a refurbished premises with almost 8,000 square meters of space.

The Institute of the Motor Industry has launched a new route for technicians wanting to start MOT testing. A new ATA module has been launched to act as a pre-requisite to VOSA’s MOT tester training course. The IMI says this announcement follows months of working closely with VOSA.

More garages should offer car cleaning as part of a service. That’s the result of a new survey from The Parts Alliance, which shows that 60 percent of motorists recommend a garage to a friend or family member based on the cleanliness of their car.

"73 percent of UK internet users are currently using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, can we afford not to get social?" That's what Mill Auto's Damian Milling thinks - do you agree? Click the links above to see what the rest of the CAT Council has to say.

Independent garages are offering exceptional value for money for customers, a new study by the RMI has found. The Labour Rate Survey, which polled over 2000 members of the RMI’s Independent Garage Association, found that the average national labour rate at an independent garage is around £40 per hour.

As you can see, we've had a bit of a spring clean on our website. We're hoping the new layout will make it easier for more readers to find the content that matters. Aftermarket news takes pride of place at the top of our new homepage, while underneath you can find regular updates from the CAT Council, our know-how contributions and a new section

John Ball will step down as MOT Chairman of the RMI in May. Ball says he has enjoyed his time as Chairman of the federation’s MOT wing, and he is pleased to have played a lead role in defeating the frequency challenge. He says his efforts have been more than justified.

Three companies are taking on the infamous three peaks challenge for BEN in the coming months. Throughout June and July teams from KYB, Inchcape UK and Porsche will be taking on the tallest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales to raise funds for the automotive industry charity.