Smart Repairs, the country’s largest independent cosmetic vehicle repairer, has announced a record-breaking year.
The Leeds-based company, which recently bought 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, has seen its turnover grow by 34 per cent.
This year turnover will soar to £7m, with net profit set to exceed seven figures.
Darryl Short, managing director, explained: “This has been a game-changing year for us. We had previously concentrated on looking after customers and clients in the north of England, but this year we have expanded our operations to service the whole of the UK.
“One of the keys to our rapid – and sustainable – expansion has been our flourishing new relationship with Insurance Underwriters Fortegra, which has come about because of a number of factors.
“Fortegra were looking for a working relationship with a company that had a proven track record for outstanding levels of service, a company which wanted to grow with their own client base and showed a genuine desire to go above and beyond.
“This contract is gaining momentum by the day, with repairs of more than 300 cars per week for this one client alone. Significantly, Fortegra is one of the many new clients added to our portfolio this year.”
A spokesman for Fortegra commented: “We were looking for the right partner to provide services for its repair insurance customers in the North of England. Smart Repairs stood out as a professional and accomplished company with well-equipped and scalable operations.
“Since then, Smart Repairs has expanded its network from the north of England to national coverage. The quality of repair has been superb, and the feedback we receive from our customers has been excellent. We at Fortegra are very grateful to have a dedicated partner that takes the utmost pride in their work and customer service."
Smart Repairs, which boasts most of Yorkshire’s major car dealerships among its clients, is co-owned by its founder Dan Besau and major investor Phil Newstead. The company carries out 180,000 vehicle repairs a year. The company currently employs 92 staff across the UK with that number expected to rise to 110 by the end of this year.
Other new clients include Auto Protect, who commented: “Just over a year ago we challenged Smart Repairs to look after our national repair needs for our alloy wheel solution. This came about after a long-standing previous relationship with the owners and key team members.
“It's fair to say they have excelled in the task we have set them and we are delighted with our working partnership. We receive excellent feedback from both customers and our own team members regarding work carried out and the 'can do' attitude of the Smart Repairs team.”
Meanwhile Leeds-based dealer JCT600 added: “Smart Repairs are a valued partner who are very much aligned with our own company values and ethos. We are delighted to have worked together over numerous years and watch their business grow across Yorkshire. Their attention to detail and high regard for Customer Service is second to none resulting in Smart Repairs now supplying services to JCT600 exclusively across Yorkshire. We see them as a trusted and long-term partner for our business”.
Dan Beau commented: “We are very proud and very humbled by these wonderful testimonials. Every single member of our staff works exceptionally hard to achieve and maintain the highest of standards. It is vital this continues as we expand across the UK.
“We believe a key part of our success is the way we treat our staff. This, in turn, translates into the friendly, positive and efficient service we provide for our customers, so it’s a win-win situation.”
Phil Newstead added: “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 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.
“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.”
Smart Repairs already has a formidable client list, including many of the quality Yorkshire and UK 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; Unity Group Coventry and Leicester; Porsche Nottingham; VW and Audi Epsom; Wellington Nissan Taunton; BMW and Mini Derby; Kia Nottingham; Porsche Wilmslow; Pentagon Vauxhall Oldham; and NHS Fleet Northumbria and North Lincs.
