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Join us for the highlights reel of ILC’s first ever Exclusive Motor Claims Conference.
The event included a spectacular line-up of speakers from across the industry, discussing the day’s most pressing topics, such as understanding data, evolving market dynamics, legislative reforms, and the many moving parts needing to fit together to provide a seamless motor claims journey.
Enterprise appoints new Senior VP for Europe
Enterprise Holdings has appointed Khaled Shahbo as Senior Vice President for Europe. He takes over from Mike Nigro, who has retired from Enterprise following a distinguished 38-year career.
Khaled has served as Senior Vice President for the UK and Ireland since 2018. Under his stewardship, Enterprise expanded its range of services, technologies and branch network in both countries. This has included the development of the Enterprise Car Club business, along with the integration of SHB Hire into Enterprise’s Flex-E-Rent division to create one of the UK’s largest commercial vehicle rental companies.
Meanwhile, Enterprise Car Club service is now available in Ireland. More than 30 cars and vans have been sited, in eight towns and cities. These include 16 on-street sites in Dublin, from Merrion Square north to the Docklands, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Tralee, Drogheda and Naas. The vehicles are available to rent on an hourly basis and so provide a convenient travel option for when a car is the best choice for a journey.
LV= adds to repairer support
LV= has worked with Audatex to fully fund its repairers LV= Audatex costs.
LV= will continue to cover its repairers Assessment, AudaVIN+ and Audainvoice fees, as well as now cover the LV= proportion of the Software and Solutions fees. This expanded contribution will be effective 1 November and will be applied to repairers invoices 1 December.
Brian Hodge, Director of Customer Claims at LV= General Insurance, said: “Our Network have been incredible over the course of the pandemic and we see them as a critical extension of our customer service proposition. In today’s environment, where so many costs are escalating and repairers are having to find increasingly innovative solutions to stay profitable, we are proud to support them with full funding of their Audatex costs.”
Used values continue to break records
Average monthly used car values at BCA climbed during September to reach £11,817, making it the fourth consecutive month that BCA has reported record used car values.
The substantial rise is the largest monthly increase in average car values ever recorded at BCA and was heavily influenced by the rich mix of stock on offer across BCA’s online sales platforms and the impact of a shortage of new product in the market.
Year-on-year, average monthly values are up by 41.3%, the highest annual increase recorded.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group UK has renewed its long-standing relationship with BCA for outsourced remarketing services. The new three-year contract with the option of a further two-year extension will support Volkswagen Group UK brands; Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Cupra and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. BCA will handle the sale of over 40,000 vehicles per annum, repatriating the Volkswagen Group’s used vehicles into its franchise network.
SMMT: vehicles top UK’s export values
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called on government to put the automotive sector at the heart of future trade negotiations, after publishing a new report confirming vehicles as the UK’s single most valuable goods trade export.
Vehicle export revenues reached £27bn in 2020, making them more valuable to the UK than power-generating machinery and gold, even during a year when the global pandemic disrupted trade flows and shut down markets around the world.
The UK automotive sector, as a whole, generated a total trade revenue of £74bn, underlying its importance to international trade, with more than 80% of British-built cars and more than 60% of light commercial vehicles destined for export.
The SMMT highlights that the UK’s trade policy must now take advantage of the opportunities from a post-Brexit, post-fossil fuel world to restore growth and jobs with automotive central to this ambition.
Insurance fraudster jailed
A man from Cambridge has been jailed after selling fraudulent car insurance deals to Polish community members living in the UK.
Marek Complak set up false or invalid car insurance policies by posing as a broker for well-known insurers. Complak was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment for money laundering at Cambridge Crown Court following a four-week trial.
The outcome follows an investigation lead by City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), which was supported by the Insurance Fraud Bureau.
Grove Group appoints new head of sales
Grove Group has appointed Damon Curtis as head of strategic sales – a new role created to forge greater collaboration between vehicle manufacturers, insurers and the wider accident repair sector.
Damon, who has almost 40 years’ experience in the automotive repair market, joins from ACIS Ltd.
Damon said, “The market continues to change and Grove Group understands what is required, not only in the way of day to day product supply and support but by developing and positioning technology.”
Anthony Thorpe, Grove Group’s Business Development Director, said, “Damon joining the business will certainly help us take another progressive step forward.”
Copart supports Ben’s Big Breakfast
Copart team mates proudly put on their pajamas recently to support the Ben Automotive Charity’s ‘Big Breakfast’ fundraising event, as part of our ongoing Copart Cares CSR commitment.
The fundraising event for Ben took place across one week in October, ending on World Mental Health Day – 10 October.
Jane Pocock, Managing Director of Copart UK & Ireland, said, “I’m delighted with the effort our teams across the UK put into the Ben’s Big Breakfast events. Everyone had a lot of fun and together they raised a fantastic amount of money for Ben, which will help them to provide even more support services to the automotive community.”
JLR trials blockchain supply chain
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has trialled the use of secure blockchain technology to ensure full transparency within a sustainable leather supply chain.
In the world-first, JLR partnered with supply chain traceability provider Circulor, leading UK leather manufacturer Bridge of Weir Leather Company and the University of Nottingham to trial the use of traceability technology in the leather supply chain.
As well as tracking compliance, the digital process enabled JLR to assess the carbon footprint of its leather supply network, working with UK-based Bridge of Weir Leather Company to trace its lowest carbon leather from farm to finished article – all part of JLR’s commitment to reducing the environmental and ethical impact of its products across their lifecycle.
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Join us for ARC360 Gaining Ground Together Q4 2021 event – themed Back to the Future – where we will focus on understanding just what the past means for the future. Is it a completely new world the incident repair sector is operating in or does the past still provide some meaning for the future?
To find out more and secure your place.
