Factor & supplier news

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

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.

The Parts Alliance has announced plans for major investment in training and support for its employees across its four brands. The news comes following the recent developments across the business, with Group CEO Peter Sephton calling for a greater focus on helping those who work for GMF, CES, SCMF and Allparts

Carrying on the Inside Line series, we move on from looking at the BMW 1 Series and turn our attention to the Ford Ka. Now in its second generation, this car remains a firm favourite with those wanting an entry-level car to run around in a town or city, or as a first vehicle. In this issue we are focusing on the first generation Ka which entered the market back in 1996 as a budget city car. A testament to its success is its longevity, with huge numbers sold for over a decade until it was replaced in 2009 with an updated model

Lucas Oil has reinvigorated its Deep Clean Fuel System Cleaner for petrol engines by making it even easier to use. The new design by adopted by the American firm has been developed with capless fuelling systems in mind, where it makes dispensing fuel additives from traditional bottles difficult without the use of an aperture-widening tool.

The Parts Alliance has become a founder member of a new international distribution group called Nexus Automotive International. Branded as N!, the group covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa and will have its first suppliers conference in Geneva on March 5