A Leeds independent cosmetic vehicle repairer is set to expand throughout the UK following a record-breaking year.
Smart Repairs, which has recently bought 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, is looking to hire 100 new technicians across the country this year.
The recruitment drive follows a stellar year for the company, which saw turnover rise to £5m from £3m in 2020, despite the challenges of Covid. This year turnover is forecast to soar to £7m, with net profit set to exceed £1m.
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Smart Repairs, which has most of Yorkshire’s major car dealerships among its clients, is co-owned by founder Dan Besau and investor Phil Newstead and carries out 180,000 vehicle repairs a year.
Mr Newstead said: “These are tremendously exciting times for the company. The move to our superb new Falcon House premises in Weaver Street, close to Leeds city centre, has given us much more space and has put us in charge of our destiny.
“Clearly the global pandemic had its challenges last year, but one of its consequences was a boom in the second-hand car market, which naturally led to a great deal more work for us. We managed to stay open and working most of the time, despite the difficulties of the various lockdowns.
“We are now expanding across the UK this year, with a special focus on the M25, Essex, the North West, the North East and Scotland. We are now hiring experienced mobile technicians to help with this expansion drive, which will see full UK coverage by the end of the year.
“At the moment, our sector is very fragmented and dominated by small independent operators. We believe that by strategic expansion and acquisition, we can build a national network that can then service customers with a national requirement. Whilst all growth to date has been organic, we are also keen to look at acquisitions and we will target similar successful independent cosmetic vehicle repairers.
“We can both see that our future is in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies.”
Mr Besau said: “It has given me tremendous pleasure to see how the company I founded in 1995 has developed. We have gone from strength to strength in recent years. The mobile business has proved popular and successful and, when I spotted a gap in the market for high-end alloy wheel repairs, I had the confidence to go for that, too.
“We already have a formidable client list, including many of the quality Yorkshire dealerships such as Bentley Leeds; BMW Leeds, Harrogate, York and Bradford; Mercedes Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield and York; Ferrari Leeds; Aston Martin Leeds; and Audi York and Harrogate. With Phil now on board, the sky is the limit. The future is incredibly bright.”
