Retailer news

The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation has heralded its first network meeting a success. The new series, available to IAAF members, was described as excellent, very informative and thought-provoking by the 30 attendees

TecDoc has added braking specialist Apec to its growing list of suppliers using its cataloguing and parts identification system. The braking supplier with more than 30 years experience of working with motor factors and garages will become an official data supplier for TecDoc’s CATALOG system

Officials from the European Commission have swooped on several exhaust manufacturers in the EU over concerns of cartels, restrictive business practices and/or the abuse of dominant market positions

The aftermarket needs to be in a position to take advantage of the expected growth of the cabin air filter market, says Sogefi. The aftermarket giant says it is the only sector in the European filtration market that has continued to grow and has seen increases in excess of 10 percent

Details on the extra grants announced in the budget for businesses recruiting apprentices have been released.
An extra £170 million is being made available for Apprenticeship Grants for Employers (AGE) in total, half for 2014-2015 and the remainder for the following year

Metropolitan Police figures on catalytic converter thefts indicate no vehicle is safe, have given the aftermarket an opportunity to target sales and boost its revenue. CatLoc has received a Freedom of Information report from the Met on thefts of cats over the last four years in London up to June 2013

John Genge on how get around a miserly bank manager and find finance. This is a question that I am asked a lot. It seems that when you don’t need money, banks are throwing it at you but when you are desperate, they don’t want to know. Is this a simplification of the real situation, and can we adopt other tactics to present a better case to our bank?

Swarfega has gone online to try and expand the markets awareness of its products by launching swarfega.com.
The brand famous for its green cleaning gel is looking to educate distributors and the end users that it has a range of 40 products including cleaners for hands, parts, vehicles and degreasers

TJ Filters has returned to the market with 500 new references after spending 15 years in the wilderness. Tetrosyl has pumped in £10 million into the project to revive the famous brand and created 60 new jobs as a result

Euro Car Parts has released the first premium range of remanufactured self-adjusting clutches into the UK. EcoTech clutches are promoted as a responsible choice for those who care. They are manufactured in Europe to SAE J1915 standard and are fully guaranteed with a two-year or 20,000 mile warranty