HB Accident Repair Network opens new Manchester site
HB Accident Repair Network, incorporated by three former directors of Howard Basford, have opened a new facility in Manchester.
The business has opened its first bodyshop site – a 23,000sqft facility in Swinton – creating 45 jobs, with plans to create more than 200 in the North West over the next three years.
After a five-year interlude, original company chairman Tracy Howard, finance director Nick Orr and operations director Martin Isaac have said they have reassembled after spotting a gap in the current market.
The trio plan to expand the HB Accident Repair Network to five sites over the next three years – and will focus on building the business in the North West.
Fix Auto UK secures ombudsman accreditation
Fix Auto UK has secured accreditation to the Motor Ombudsman’s Service and Repair Code to further customer confidence in its services.
The Motor Ombudsman is the Ombudsman dedicated to the automotive sector, and the repairer will now have a working relationship with the organisation. Fix Auto UK will actively and openly promote The Motor Ombudsman’s services at every repair centre within the network to highlight that they are there to help retail customers in the event of a dispute.
Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “With more than 100 Fix Auto UK repairers gaining accreditation, this once again expands the extensive coverage of our Code offered to consumers across the UK. This is a very exciting start to the year, and we are very pleased to be a part of the Fix Auto UK journey.”
Price of insurance hits four year low in 2020
The average price of motor insurance in 2020 was at a four year low according to the ABI’s latest Motor Insurance Premium Tracker.
The average price paid for comprehensive motor insurance in 2020 was £465. This was down one per cent on 2019, standing at its lowest level since 2016.
The average premium paid in Q4 2020, at £468, was down three per cent on the same quarter 2019, although, reflecting the seasonal trend, was up two per cent on Q3 2020.
The ABI’s Tracker is based on the price consumers pay for their cover rather than the price they are quoted.
Rye Street Group begins carbon neutral journey
Rye Street Group’s accident repair centres in Borehamwood and Hoddesdon, both LV= sole sites, have been selected as the first of its seven locations to become Carbon Neutral accredited in line with the PAS2060 standard.
Working closely with ECA Business Energy, the business will follow a structured three step process – measure, reduce and offset – to achieve carbon neutrality.
Rye Street Group has already made many changes to reduce its impact on the environment including energy efficient equipment, motion activated LED lighting, a water harvesting system, and only purchasing 100% renewable electricity.
Bill Duffy, Managing Director, Rye Street Group said, “We are delighted to have taken another step forward on our carbon neutral journey. This is something which benefits everyone.”
Copart adds 360° imaging to online auctions
Copart has added to its suite of services available via its patented online auctions with Copart 360° imaging feature (C360).
Part of its ongoing digital transformation programme, C360 imaging sits alongside existing vehicle information that includes 20 quality HD images, detailed Lot descriptions and HPI data, all of which is already provided on every unit. C360 provides 360° exterior and interior HD footage.
Meanwhile, Copart UK plans expand its Wisbech Operation Centre as part of its ongoing growth programme. Currently a 16-acre site, plans to develop a further five acres will increase overall vehicle storage capacity by around 35%.
This follows the company’s recent announcement of its plans to develop a further 23 acres at its Bristol Operation Centre, making it a 63-acre ‘Super Centre’ for the South West.
AW Repair Group achieves Nissan approval
AW Repair Group’s LV= General Insurance (LV= GI) Sole Supply site in Derby is the first to achieve Nissan approval across its Sole Supply Network.
LV= GI nominated AW’s 12,000sqft site in Derby to achieve the Nissan approval, which AW achieved in six weeks.
James Dunn, AW’s Group Operations Director said, “Partnering with Nissan is a strategic move for AW. Not only does it secure Derby’s first manufacturer approval but electric vehicles are the future and we must invest to stay ahead.”
Tractable partners with Mitchell
Tractable has partnered with Mitchell in North America to enable automotive insurers to produce collision repair estimates automatically from photos.
The pairing claim that Tractable’s artificial intelligence combined with Mitchell’s collision repair data allows repair estimates to be produced in seconds from a smartphone.
“We’re excited to combine our solutions to accelerate accident recovery,” said Alex Dalyac, co-founder and CEO of Tractable. “The Tractable-Mitchell band is here and ready to rock.”
Olivier Baudoux, senior vice president of global product strategy and AI at Mitchell, said: “By collaborating with Tractable, bringing them into our Mitchell Intelligent Open Platform, and combining Tractable’s AI engine with Mitchell Intelligent Estimating, customers can access an advanced, turnkey solution.”
UK car production down by a third
UK car production declined -29.3% in 2020, to 920,928 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
December output was down -2.3% to 71,403, with some firms affected by border closures and thus component supply issues.
This rounded off a dreadful year, the worst since 1984 for UK car makers. Manufacturing operations were severely disrupted throughout 2020, with lockdowns and social distancing measures restricting factory output, Brexit uncertainty continuing until Christmas Eve and depressed market demand in key export destinations.
UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing declined -15.5% during the year, with just 66,116 vans, trucks, taxis, buses and coaches leaving production lines.
AGL adopts Solera’s PlanManager
Activate Group Ltd, part of the Activate Group of companies, has adopted Solera’s PlanManager bodyshop management system to help streamline the management of its repair operations.
Activate Accident Repair has already successfully integrated PlanManager into three of its repair sites to date and will be working with the Audatex team to continue the roll out across all of its UK sites throughout 2021.
Victoria Turner, CEO, Activate Accident Repair said: “Working with an innovative partner like Solera complements our mission of being totally tech-led and presenting a transparent, open-book approach to accident repair with our customers. Using PlanManager allows us to implement a more streamlined and efficient workflow process, and is already establishing itself as an integral part of achieving our future expansion plans in the UK.”
Pennings Group becomes paint protection distributor
Pennings Group has become the sole UK distributor for all Ngenco sprayable paint protection coating products, and global training provider for all UK installers and worldwide distributors.
Ngenco originally worked with the Pennings Group to develop the Ngenco Pod – a standalone facility for installers which offers a unique and revolutionary environment to apply the sprayable protective coating.
Matthew Penning, Managing Director of the Pennings Group, said: “This partnership supports our business objective to invest in new technologies, to not only support our core collision repair business, but also to diversify and grow within the automotive sector. Myself and my team are passionate about the product, and are looking forward to growing the business, and working with new and existing installers.”
