News

Small and medium-sized businesses hit by flooding could benefit from financial support in a new £10 million package announced by Government today. Although there is no cap on maximum payments under the Business Support Scheme hardship funding, Government suggests that equivalent schemes have seen average claims of £2,500 per business

More young people are thinking about a career in engineering following a campaign to stimulate interest amongst school goers. The Tomorrow’s Engineers Week ran in early November last year and aimed to get government, employers and educators enthusing about the potential with jobs in engineering

A well-recruited and trained apprentice can generate a return on investment of up to 300 percent for automotive businesses, according to a new study from the Institute of the Motor Industry. Based on a £50 hourly charge out rate, the report says businesses stand to benefit between £1.50 and £300 for every £1 they put in.

Gates says that technicians in the Midlands are installing more timing belt kits to vehicles than anywhere else in the UK. The biggest supplier of auxiliary belt drive systems (ABDS) and synchronous drive belt system to workshops was Stoke-on-Trent’s A-Z Motor Spares

Garages can use the latest MOT regulations on the diesel particulate filters to their advantage and maximise their profits, says Randstad. It suggests that workshops look to revive a failing DPF rather than falling foul of legislation by removing the exhaust after treatment device.

The NAB has warned the Competition Commission that its research into the quality of car repairs contains crucial documentation deficiencies. It claims that the study carried out by MSXi for the investigation into the private insurance market published last December offers minimal value due to the nature of the inaccuracies.

Autoparts UK has introduced a 20/20 braking warranty on its Padtech and Disctech pads. The new scheme will see these brands braking parts come with a 20,000-mile or 20 month guarantee on the products. Further good news is that independent garages will not need to register in order to take advantage of the warranty.

The Sogefi Group has been named as an exclusive tier one supplier of key components for the new PSA Euro 6 compliant diesel engines. PSA is producing the new 2.0-litre Blue HDI DW10F engine series in three variants, each producing 132, 147 and 176 bhp respectively.

In reaction to the Prescience report on ECP/LKQ, the company has provided the following comment from Martin Gray, CEO of Euro Car Parts and Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman of Euro Car Parts and LKQ Europe

The aftermarket is crackling with chat around the publication of a new report in the US which describes ECP-owning LKQ as a cashless clunker driving ‘rabid’ and ‘desperate’ branch expansion in the UK with little regard for long term value.