Rapidly growing Smart Repairs.co.uk sees turnover rocket by 25 percent

Smart Repairs.co.uk, the UK’s largest independent cosmetic vehicle repairer, has announced an increase in turnover of 25 per cent this year.

The Leeds company, based at 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, has also smashed its target of creating over 100 new and sustainable jobs.

Overall turnover is set to rise to more than £9.5 million by the end of this year.

Managing director Darryl Short explained: “Since 2019, we have achieved sustained growth across the UK, disrupting the fragmented cosmetic vehicle repair sector, creating over 110 new jobs, buying brand-new premises in Leeds and working closely and rewarding our mobile technicians all over the country.

“We expect to employ 140 within three years, with turnover rocketing to £12m. This increase is totally sustainable as we steadily grow our share of the cosmetic vehicle repair market year on year. Currently we carry out 165,000 vehicle repairs a year.

“Our turnover in 2020 was £3,582,865; in 2021 it was £5,403,674; in 2022 it was £7,530,000; and this year it is projected to be £9.5 million, a year-on-year increase of almost 25 per cent. It is fair to say that the past 12 months have been our most successful ever in terms of growth.”

The company has recently extended its leadership team, employing a key account manager in the Midlands and, from this month, a financial controller. This will ensure Smart Repairs provides the best possible service levels to customers and also support all its team members on the ground.

Smart Repairs has already committed to 15 new vans early next year, an investment of £800,000. This year the company has bought 21 vans and have invested £1.2m in vans and equipment.

During the past year Smart Repairs has diversified, increasing its customer portfolio to fleet management companies and are doing more work on Commercial and Heavy Goods vehicles, all this while adding more dealer groups and insurers to our list of customers. The company operates from Torquay to Dundee.

Darryl explained: “We truly operate nationally now. We are really gaining a foothold in the South West and this has been our fastest growing area. Meanwhile the business has continued to grow in the North West, North East, Thames Valley and Scotland. In 2024 we will focus on expanding our reach in all areas as the demand for our national coverage continues.

“The secret of Smart Repairs’ success is very simple. Every day we look after our team, listen to their needs and enable them to be the best they can be. In turn this ensures we provide the very best service to our customers.

“We also deal with and resolve issues quickly. We aim to understand the needs and demands of individual customers and ensure we provide tailor-made solutions, making customers feel important which, of course, they are. This approach is supported by consistent investment in training and performance and effective marketing, including a strong presence on social media and in print.

Founder and co-chairman Dan Besau explained: “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 on board, the sky is the limit. The future is incredibly bright. Let’s bring it on.”

“So this has been a record-breaking year, as we embark on a period of sustained and sustainable growth. Smart premises, new staff, new markets and new customers all point to a very bright future.

Co-chairman Phil Newstead commented: “We have a simple, but effective, business plan. We pride ourselves, not just on the way we treat our customers, namely car dealerships, insurance firms and company fleets, but also our staff. We work quickly and effectively and ensure that all our work is exemplary.

“Our expansion plans, which have gathered pace post-Covid, are very carefully targeted at geographical areas which are not especially well served by cosmetic vehicle repair companies. These plans have been massively backed up by the talented and hard-working team leaders and technicians we have been able to hire.”

“The second-hand car market remains buoyant, despite the cost-of-living crisis and the current economic uncertainty. The supply of new cars is also starting to normalise and this will have a further positive impact on our business. The outlook for the sector is positive and we have every reason to be confident about the future, though we will never be complacent.

“We can see that our future lies in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies. Our key aim is to be the largest smart repairer in the UK.”