April 2021 - Page 2 of 2

Grove Group and Fleet Factors create Amicus

13 April 2021

Bodyshop, People, Supplier, Technology and Words

Grove Group and Fleet Factors have teamed up to create Amicus, a new national distribution network.

Under the ‘Working Together’ slogan, Amicus aims to bring together innovative and creative supply solutions via multiple organisations to form a single distribution network.

Grove Group and Fleet Factors are using their close partnerships, expertise, knowledge and standing in the industry to deliver what they claim will be an ‘industry-leading service’.

Commenting on the rationale behind creating Amicus, Grove’s Sales Director Paul Newman, said: “Our aim is to provide a simplified structure with a core aim of working together as distributors, suppliers and customers in all areas of the supply chain.

“We have huge ambitions for Amicus which we can’t undersell. For us, creating our own network is one of the biggest and most important moves in our company history but this is just the start as we undoubtedly will be speaking to other organisations driven to deliver industry leading services.”

Joe Hunter, Fleet Factors’ Managing Director, added: “Amicus will be a truly one-stop-shop for our customers’ needs. Working together with similar, highly driven organisations, increases our strength and collective ability and places us, as Amicus, in a far greater position to serve repairers.

“There can’t be many distributors with such a well-established network as ours and there can’t be any out there with Grove’s heritage. Teaming up to create Amicus seemed the obvious move for both businesses.”

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Data shows big shift in traffic

13 April 2021

Covid 19, Mobility, Technology and Words

Data from TomTom shows that traffic across many UK cities exceeded 2019 levels yesterday (12 April) as further steps to ease restrictions were made across the UK.

With hairdressers, hospitality, leisure facilities and non-essential retail making a return, Tom Tom’s Traffic Index data shows that for long periods throughout the day traffic volumes exceeded those of 2020 and 2019 figures.

Tom Tom data from Birmingham-Wolverhampton; Bristol; and London showed a significant uplift in traffic congestion between the hours of 9am to 4pm – where levels were up by as much as 27%.

From 9am to 4pm, Birmingham-Wolverhampton traffic congestion was up, peaking at 20% up on the 2020 average and 13% up on 2019 figures at 3pm. Between 9am and 3pm, figures for Bristol were up by as much as 27% on 2020 figures and 22% on 2019 at 1pm. In London, between the hours of 10am to 3pm traffic congestion was up and reached a peak of 11% above the average 2020 levels and five per cent up on 2019 volumes at 1pm.

‘Rush hour’ (historically peaks at 8am and 5pm) traffic congestion was varied. At 8am figures across the three cities remained up to 10% down on 2020 levels and well below 2019 figures.

The evening rush hour saw levels up on 2020 figures, although Bristol and London were still down on 2019 volumes. Birmingham-Wolverhampton was the exception to the rule, with evening rush hour traffic one per cent up on 2019 figures.

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Weekly News Round Up: Friday 9 April 2021

9 April 2021

Environment, Finance, Mobility, People, Supplier, Technology, Training, Uncategorised, Vehicle Repair and Words

Next webinARC…

ARC360’s bi-weekly live webinARC’s will be back on Wednesday 21 April 1.30 – 2.15pm where we’ll be delving into the insights from the latest Trend Tracker, in partnership with ARC360 and NBRA, market survey.

Registration for the event will go live next week.

In the meantime, catch up on all the highlights from the recent ARC360 digital event week – The Future in Focus.

Still time to share insight

There is still time to participate in the Trend Tracker, in partnership with ARC360 and NBRA, latest survey: UK Body Repair Market – Emerging from COVID-19 lockdown, Spring of 2021.

The survey will form the basis of an industry report on the motor insurance market offering the very latest position as lockdown restrictions ease and the sector begins to look forward.

Click here to take part in the survey.

Aurelius acquires AutoRestore Ltd

Aurelius Equity Opportunities SE & Co KGaA has acquired AutoRestore Ltd – previously trading as Autoglass BodyRepair – from Belron International Ltd.

AutoRestore, a leading provider of mobile accident repair services, will complement Aurelius portfolio companies Rivus Fleet Solutions and Pullman Fleet Services which have offerings for commercial fleets focussing on light commercial vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, respectively.

Headquartered in Rushden, Northamptonshire, AutoRestore traded as Autoglass BodyRepair under Belron. Established as a division of Belron in 2010, AutoRestore currently operates a fleet of over 130 mobile repair vans, providing over 30,000 repairs a year to B2B customers, including insurance and fleet management companies, as well as growing its B2C offering.

SMMT reports market ‘growth’

The UK new car market recorded its first ‘growth’ since August 2020, with 29,280 more units registered during March compared to the same month last year, according to figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

At the same time 56,122 new vans were registered in March, up 85.5% albeit compared to first month of 2020 Covid outbreak, a 20-year low for the market.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The past year has been the toughest in modern history and the automotive sector has, like many others, been hit hard. However, with showrooms opening in less than a week, there is optimism that consumer confidence – and hence the market – will return.”

Source

Mark Bull joins M&M Group executive team

Staffordshire-based M&M Group, also trading as Fix Auto Stoke and Fix Auto North Staffordshire, has appointed Mark Bull as Commercial Director.

Mark has worked within the automotive sector for over 40 years, his most recent roles have been Market and Research Analyst of Trend Tracker, concurrently with being the Managing Director of Auto Body Projects Limited.

Mark will join the executive board and will work alongside M&M’s business development and operations team as the company bolsters its commercial opportunities.

Trend Tracker highlights key indicators

Trend Tracker is pointing to ‘encouraging signs’ for the sector with a host of data showing positive trends. It comes following its predicted repair volumes for March were less than four per cent out on Audatex ‘actual’ data.

Trend Tracker points to repair volumes being higher than March 2020 but still circa 30% down on 2019 (Audatex). This is further verified when considering CAPs data (‘CAPS data displays claims volume exchanged and may differ from data that shows new claim volumes’) which is trending up, yet is 33% below January 2020 baseline.

Source

AGM Services commits to carbon neutrality

AGM Services has committed to become carbon neutral in the Summer of 2021 and aims to be the first company in the spraybooth service sector to achieve the accolade.

AGM has partnered with energy and carbon specialists – ECA Business Energy and will be working towards the PAS2060 standard for carbon neutrality.

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14-04-2025

ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

11-04-2025

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Aurelius acquires AutoRestore Ltd

6 April 2021

Insurance, Mobility, Supplier, Technology, Vehicle Repair and Words

Aurelius Equity Opportunities SE & Co KGaA has acquired AutoRestore Ltd – previously trading as Autoglass BodyRepair – from Belron International Ltd.

Currently providing same-day mobile accident body repair services through a virtual garage network, AutoRestore will benefit from operating alongside Rivus, which boasts 55 locations, supported by 800 employees and mobile technicians servicing commercial fleets with a focus on LCVs.

In addition, AutoRestore’s customers are expected to benefit from accessing Pullman’s full suite of services for HGV and LCV fleet management outsourcing, repair and maintenance from 25 service centres with over 70 mobile service vehicles and more than 430 employees.

Rivus, Pullman and AutoRestore together solidify the fleet management and accident repair offering developed by Aurelius since its first acquisition in the sector in a complex corporate carve-out from BT Group in 2019.

Matthias Täubl, CEO of Aurelius Equity Opportunities SE & Co KGaA, said: “The acquisition of AutoRestore is the latest in a series of corporate carve-outs Aurelius have executed in recent months, following HÜPPE GmbH and the co-investment in Panasonic’s European Consumer Battery Business Units as well as Bring Frigo. It demonstrates our continued ability to identify new growth potential in businesses which complement our existing portfolio, in this case significantly expanding and enhancing the full suite of fleet management services AURELIUS provides in the UK.”

Tristan Nagler, Managing Director of Aurelius in the UK, said: “The acquisition of AutoRestore will further strengthen Aurelius’ fleet management offering in the UK and is another demonstration of Aurelius’ buy-and-build approach. The partnership between AutoRestore, Rivus and Pullman presents strong growth potential for the businesses. Our operational experts will ensure a smooth transition of ownership for AutoRestore and drive partnership with our existing platform, bolstering an already compelling offering we have established in the sector.”

More Insights

ARC360 Conference 2025: Unpacking the future of claims and collision repair

16-04-2025

Repair sector urged to act now to secure apprenticeship talents

14-04-2025

ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

11-04-2025

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Weekly News Round Up: Thursday 1 April 2021

1 April 2021

Bodyshop, Covid 19, Finance, Insurance, Supplier, Technology, Training, Vehicle Repair and Words

Listen up…

In this week’s ARC360 podcast we catch up with well-known and highly respected industry figure – Steve Plunkett, Volvo body and paint business development manager. We focus on his career path to date; how the ‘day job’ has evolved in recent times; his perceptions of the repair sector; and where he sees the future of the industry. And it will come as no surprise to anyone that knows him… there’s also a mention (or two) of football.

IIR comes into force

The UK Insurance Industry Requirements (IIR) for the safe repair of ADAS-enabled vehicles is now in force.

The requirements aim to provide the motor insurance and repair industries with clarity to ensure the safe calibration and repair of ADAS-equipped vehicles.

To find out more

Claims volumes down by 5%

Claims exchange volumes dipped by five per cent for week ending 27 March 2021, according to the CAPS Claims Analysis Report.

The reduction in volumes follows a steady rise since week ending 20 February which saw unique claims exchange volumes increase from 74% to 85% week ending 20 March. The latest figure now stands at 80%.

New Trend Tracker survey goes live

Trend Tracker, in partnership with ARC360 and NBRA, has launched its latest survey: UK Body Repair Market – Emerging from COVID-19 lockdown, Spring of 2021.

The survey will form the basis of an industry report on the motor insurance market offering the very latest position as lockdown restrictions ease and the sector begins to look forward.

Click here to take part in the survey.

Elder and Paton in Scottish first

Elder and Paton has become the first accident repair centre in Scotland to become a carbon neutral organisation.

Working alongside energy and carbon experts – ECA Business Energy – the multi-site repair operation has achieved carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS2060.

Source

Fix Auto Mitcham increase capacity

Fix Auto Mitcham has relocated to a new building on the same industrial estate to increase repair capacity.

Owner, Daniel Lawes has moved the entire operation from his previous 5,500sqft repair centre that had to utilise two adjoining buildings into a 16,500sqft building with a layout ideal for a seamless workflow.

The new site increases the operation’s capacity to repair more than 45 vehicles a week once full work volumes return.

Source

Broker Direct and Proficient launch CAPS pilot

Broker Direct and subsidiary Proficient Insurance are both piloting CAPS as the preferred data channel for their vehicle repairer networks.

CAPS automatically uploads data to Broker Direct group’s system as it is keyed in to the repairer’s bodyshop management system. This provides seamless data transfer into its customer care systems.

Ann Golder, Broker Direct and Proficient Operations Director, said, “We can see that CAPS starts working straight away where it is already embedded in the bodyshop management system. It’s all about having the information straight away in our system without any double keying or any actions on our part.

ABL opens site number 14

ABL 1 Touch has officially opened its 14^th repair centre – its flagship site for future plans in Milton Keynes.

The site is fully equipped to repair electric vehicles and promote the company’s Carbon Neutral status.

Source

Thatcham Research on-boards 15 VDA apprentices

A new cohort of 15 Vehicle Damage Assessor (VDA) apprentices met virtually this week with Thatcham Research for its on-boarding process which includes a virtual tour of Thatcham Research’s state of the art Academy workspaces using ‘mixed reality device’ HoloLens.

Dean Lander, head of repair sector services, Thatcham Research who joined the online session to greet the group, said: “We are really pleased to welcome our latest VDA apprentices, and to do so using the latest technologies to create a seamless blended learning programme. Lockdown has created huge barriers to apprenticeship development, but we have adapted the delivery of learning to ensure continual supply of the essential skills the repair industry needs.”

Source

Drivers spend £25bn less on vehicle expenses

Drivers have spent £25.6 billion less on vehicle expenses since the start of lockdown in March 2020, according to new research from Direct Line Motor Insurance.

As restrictions and changes to working patterns have reduced the usage of vehicles, owners have spent £670 less annually than they would normally, or £56 a month. This equates to a combined total of £2.1 billion reduction in vehicle related costs every month across the UK.

According to the research, the pandemic has led to an uplift in vehicle ownership, even as motorists are saving significant amounts in running costs. In fact, 1.4 million people have purchased a car for the first time since Covid-19 restrictions came into force last year as they look for ways to travel which don’t involve public transport.

Source

Look out…

Next week we’ll be releasing a 30 minute showreel of some of the highlights from last week’s ARC360 digital event week – The Future in Focus. The session will allow you to catch up with all the action from last week which included contributions from some of the industry’s key persons of influence focussing on the habits of highly effective repairers; vehicle technology; the evolution of insurance; how to create great cultures; and management buyouts and finance.

More Insights

ARC360 Conference 2025: Unpacking the future of claims and collision repair

16-04-2025

Repair sector urged to act now to secure apprenticeship talents

14-04-2025

ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

11-04-2025

Corporate Partners

Partners

Associate Partners

Broker Direct and Proficient launch CAPS pilot

1 April 2021

Bodyshop, Insurance, People, Supplier, Technology, Vehicle Repair and Words

Broker Direct and subsidiary Proficient Insurance are both piloting CAPS as the preferred data channel for their vehicle repairer networks.

“The pilot is going well and we’re actively encouraging our network to use CAPS. We will be working with our core network to integrate with it.”

Broker Direct’s and Proficient’s long-term focus is to push more messages to customers to avoid policyholders having to log in or call. Data would be sent to them automatically either by text or an app.

This forms part of a digitisation programme that will enable customers to self-serve through the claims journey, with web reporting and chat capability across every platform.

East Bilney Coachworks is an existing CAPS bodyshop group that is also part of the Broker Direct pilot. David Baldwin, Systems Director, said “With CAPS we can focus on the repair and also make sure all of the organisations involved in the process are up to speed with how things are going. It means that we get the driver back into their vehicle as quickly as possible.”

CAPS is already used by more than 1,250 of the UK’s top collision repair bodyshops as well as 72 work providers and suppliers. It connects seamlessly to all the leading bodyshop management systems and third-party software platforms with no need for additional development.