Andrew Page rejoins Parts Alliance

On Tuesday 8 July Andrew Page Group (one of the top three independent UK aftermarket suppliers), announced that it is rejoining The Parts Alliance, the major UK and Ireland buying and distribution group. The company’s decision to rejoin came after an absence of six years. It also came the same day that Unipart Automotive confirmed that it had put the administrators on standby in the event that it would not be able to negotiate a rescue deal with the at least three parties it has been talking to.

Andrew Page is a national motor factor, with 93 branches and annual turnover of more than £170 million. The company was a founder member of The Parts Alliance in 1999. The decision to rejoin sees the total The Parts Alliance branch network grow from 155 to 248 branches with a collective turnover above £475 million.

The latest United Aftermarket Network data suggests three companies – Euro Car Parts, Andrew Page and Motor Parts Direct – collectively share around 27 per cent of the £2.5 billion segment (£675 million). Therefore the average market share of this group is 9 per cent worth roughly £225 million. However, with Andrew Page reporting turnover of around £170 million (although records at Companies House put this figure at £126 million in May 2013), assuming that there are other income streams from the rest of the Andre Page group which are not listed on the accounts we read, this would suggest that this company’s share would be 6.8 per cent.

Jim Sumner, executive chairman of Andrew Page, said: “We’re delighted to be back with the Parts Alliance. This provides us both with significant opportunities to grow and develop our respective businesses given the obvious synergies that exist.

“Our decision also follows four months of excellent trading at Andrew Page, with a particularly strong performance in June. A major factor in this has been the introduction of a new overnight replenishment process for parts from our Markham Vale Distribution Centre in Derbyshire. We have also progressed major investments in new telephony systems, in vehicle telematics and in our IT systems all designed to augment our market leading service and expertise to national and local customers alike”, said Mr Sumner.

Peter Sephton, chief executive of The Parts Alliance, said: “Andrew Page is a long established major force in the automotive aftermarket – it is thrilling to have the business back in the fold. I and my colleagues can’t wait to start working closely with Jim Sumner and all his team and sharing best-in-market systems and practice that exist across The Parts Alliance group and Andrew Page.