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March 2000
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Delco Remy Opens New Hungarian Factory
The purpose built, 5,230 sq m factory (pictured) is at Miskolc, Hungary's second largest city. All of the factory's capacity is specifically for the UK aftermarket. It has an initial planned capacity of 250,000 units per year - both starters and alternators - with further expansion intended as demand from elsewhere in Europe increases. (3/00) EADL Makes Offer to Acquire Finelist Goldman Sachs has made a recommended offer to acquire the entire issued and to-be-issued share capital of Finelist Plc on behalf of Europe Auto Distribution Limited. EADL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of a French company to be renamed EA Holding, will be offering 192 pence in cash for each Finelist share. Walter Butler, Chairman of EADL, said that the offer would provide the opportunity to invest in Finelist's growth and development as well as improving its operational efficiency and customer service. The company would also have the possibility for international growth though cooperation with Autodistribution, an independent auto parts distribution company, partly owned by some of EA Holding's shareholders. Chairman and Chief Executive of Finelist, Christopher Swan saw the collaboration with Autodistribution as a means of achieving his company's stated goal of creating a successful automotive aftermarket business covering the whole of Europe Speedpart Announces Re-Structure of Garage Parts Division The Speedpart Group, parent company of parts distributors Auto-Delta and GP Automotive, has announced a re-organisation of its garage parts division. Graham Trevitt, who joined at the beginning of 1999 as Divisional Director - Marketing, has been promoted to act as Deputy Managing Director to Richard Anderson, Managing Director of Speedpart's garage parts division and Group Chief Executive. Trevitt, who is also responsible for the telesales function, is assisted by new Marketing Manager Ian Hodson, who has joined the company from Wipac where he was Aftermarket Production Manager. Meanwhile, Richard Bennett is Speedpart's new Divisional Director - Sales, with responsibility for both Auto-Delta and GP Automotive's sales teams, whilst Tony Strutt, previously GPA's Sales Director, has accepted a new role in line with his own retirement plans as Divisional Director - Business Development, with special responsibility for national retail customers. (3/00) British Army Receive Clean Vehicle Assistance From Lex
A bi-fuelled Peugeot 406 and an all-electric Citroën Berlingo van have been supplied on a temporary basis as part of Lex's role as support service provider. They join a fleet which already includes 16 dual fuel vehicles. Peter Knights of Lex Vehicle Leasing is pictured delivering the Peugeot 406 bi-fuel. (3/00)
Motor parts distributor, GP Automotive, has achieved accreditation to the international standard ISO 14001 following an assessment by the British Standards Institute. The company earned the accolade by adopting environmentally friendly measures in areas such as energy consumption and waste disposal. GP Automotive already holds the quality standard, ISO 9002. Karen Green from BSI is pictured presenting the award to Alan Griffiths, GP Automotive's Quality Manager (right) and Warehouse Manager Bill Marks. (3/00) Kwik-Fit To Double Number of Service Points By 2005 Kwik-Fit's Chairman and Chief Executive, Sir Tom Farmer, has revealed that he has set the company the target of doubling the number of service points over the next five years. This follows the achievement of last year's target of operating through 2000 service points by the year 2000. He made the announcement at the opening of Kwik-Fit's new one-stop motoring centre in Edinburgh. The new development features a "Stop'n'Steer operation providing fixed price car servicing and MOTs and a new motoring service, CarScan, an independent performance analysis system claimed to offer a fast, accurate and comprehensive run down of a vehicle's mechanical condition. The new motoring centre is a pilot development which the company plans to expand across the whole of the UK and into Europe. (3/00)
Mahle Filter Systems have appointed Peter Jones (pictured) as Regional Manager for South West England and South Wales. He joins the West Midlands based company from Coopers Filters, where he was Area Sales Manager for the same region. Mahle currently has a 2% share of the UK filter aftermarket. The company is also developing its original equipment business with domestic vehicle manufacturers and has formed an Industrial Division to exploit its potential in this sector. (3/00) Delphi Acquires Automotive Products Distribution Services Delphi Automotive Systems Corporation has reached an agreement to acquire the AP Distribution Services (APDS) business of AP Group Limited for approximately US$65 million in cash. The company, a distributor of aftermarket products for passenger cars and commercial vehicles throughout Europe, will be renamed Delphi Lockheed Automotive and be integrated into Delphi's Aftermarket Operations division. José Maria Alapont, President of Delphi Europe, stated that the acquisition is in line with the company's five-year strategy to generate profitable growth and more than double European aftermarket sales. He listed several strategic advantages of the move: it would be accretive to earnings in the first year, give allowance for strategic growth in product lines, expand the customer service base and add managerial and aftermarket expertise to the Delphi organisation. Frank Ordonez, General Manager of Delphi's Aftermarket division saw the purchase of APDS as bolstering his company's position in the market because it can now offer broader product lines and services in an established distribution channel. APDS has a total annual sale of approximately $175 million and employs over 700 people in 5 countries. For Delphi the acquisition exceeds a 20% return on invested capital and meets its financial objectives for acquisitions, including the immediate generation of shareholder value by adding to earnings in 2000 and beyond. The business is expected to contribute towards Delphi's target of attaining a 5% net income margin and 12.5% return on net assets by 2002. (3/00) Arvin Creates Task Force 2000 Sales and Marketing Team Following the expansion of its core product base to include Purolator Oil, air and fuel filters and EuroCat, its second catalytic converter range, Arvin Replacement Products have formed a new 30-strong UK sales and marketing Task Force 2000 with the creation of ten new posts.
Chris Shilton's Sales and Marketing Team incorporates Mark Norris, who becomes Sales Development Manager Exhausts, Mountings & Consumables, working alongside Ian Hesp, Sales Development Manager Catalysts. Steve Ross and James Asquith support them in the newly created posts of Sales Administration Team Leader and Sales and Marketing Administrator. John Battersby remains as Marketing Officer and Julie Ryder is the newly appointed Mountings Co-ordinator. Stuart Bates, previously UK Sales Manager Gabriel Shock Absorbers, becomes Shock Absorber Product and Key Account Manager reporting directly to Bryan Partridge. The Field Sales Division is lead by Robyn Wheeler, Regional Sales Manger South, and Paul Pickering, Regional Sales Manager North, with responsibility to Bryan Partridge. (3/00) RAC Launches New Motorcycle Repairer Network Following a recent growth in motorcycle sales, RAC has launched a new branded motorcycle repair network. The motoring organisation is canvassing its existing approved accident repairers to gauge the level of interest in creating a network of RAC Authorised Motorcycle Repairers. The company believes that repairers choosing to develop a motorcycle repair facility would have several benefits, for instance: the generation of extra business, the lack of repairers in this market, higher hourly rates for motorcycle repairs and also most repairers would need relatively little investment to expand to this kind of work. (3/00) |
Starter
and alternator manufacturer, Delco Remy, has announced the opening
of a new remanufacturing factory in Hungary, built specifically to
service the demands of the UK aftermarket.
Lex
Vehicle Leasing has provided two vehicles to the British Army's Aldershot
Garrison to help keep them informed about clean vehicles.
Chris
Shilton (pictured), former Sales Administration Manager, has been
promoted to Sales Manager. His responsibilities will cover the sales
and marketing of exhausts, catalysts and filters. Mr Shilton will
replace John Webb who moves to a new position as Key Accounts Manager
Exhausts. Both will work alongside Claire Miller who is given the
new post of Secretary and Sales Co-ordinator. Each will report directly
to Director of Sales, Bryan Partridge.