Ingrid Celebrates 21 Years at Autofit Ipswich

Ipswich businesswoman, Ingrid Ward, has just celebrated an amazing 21 years as a director of the town’s Autofit garage, which she founded with husband Kevan. During this time, the couple – along with fellow director Dave Chapman – have watched the Britannia Road firm go from strength to strength, winning an army of loyal customers along the way.

“The past 21 years have flown by,” says Ingrid. “There have been some big changes and challenges here over the years, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Autofit, which is a member of Bridgestone UK’s 200-strong network of independent First Stop tyre dealerships, was opened by Ingrid and Kevan, a former RAF officer, in 1986.

They had been encouraged to launch the business by Ingrid’s brother, Mike Furner, who had already opened his own tyre dealership, TW Tyres in Rugby. “When we opened, Kevan was front of house, while I looked after the office,” says Ingrid. “I was pregnant with my third child at the time, and a lot of people were amazed that we were taking such a risk in opening a new business.

After 14 years building up the business together, Kevan left to pursue a career as a maths teacher – leaving Ingrid to run the garage with Dave Chapman. “It was a very steep learning curve,” she says. “We were growing so much that we needed a bigger building, so the first thing I had to do was get planning permission for it. To my delight, I succeeded.

In the seven years since then, the business has expanded at an astonishing rate. Ingrid and Dave now manage a team of 22 staff who offer a full range of vehicle services, including MOTs, servicing, exhausts and brakes. Ingrid admits that being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated world is unusual, but she says she wouldn’t have changed a thing.

“I’ve never had any problems being a woman in this industry,” she says. “I’ve brought up three sons, so I’m used to dealing with men. I like the fact that they’re usually very upfront and straightforward.

“And I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty. Having said that, I’ve never changed a customer’s tyre, but the lads are always offering to teach me. They’d love it if I did, but I’ve got my hands full with my own job.”

And she says that the vast majority of her customers appreciate the fact that there’s a woman in the business. “They love it,” she says. “In all the time I’ve been here, I’ve only once had someone tell me that they’d prefer to deal with a man. But most of our customers have been with us for so long that they know me – and I know them.”

Earlier this year, Kevan Ward returned to Autofit and the couple once again run the company together with Dave. “I think he’s secretly quite impressed with what we’ve done while he’s been away,” says Ingrid, who recently started holding car maintenance classes for women at the centre. “Now we’re enjoying working together again, and we’re looking forward to many more years of business to come.”

Chris Hawkins, business development manager for Bridgestone UK, adds: “Twenty-one years in the business is a fantastic achievement, and we’d like to congratulate Ingrid, Kevan and their dedicated team. They are outstanding members of the growing First Stop network, and we know that their success will go on and on.”

The First Stop network currently has nearly 200 members across the UK. It allows businesses to retain their independent status while benefiting from the support and kudos of being directly associated with Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre manufacturer.