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Kwik-Fit Sells Pit Stop to BluO

The Kwik Fit Group has sold Pit Stop, its German fast fit operation, to BluO International Affiliates, a German private equity investor. The deal, which was confirmed in an email to Tyres & Accessories and is subject to the completion of certain German regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed by the end of June 2009. Bluo has a reputation for investing in restoration and reportedly aims aims at a nominal purchase prices. No details of the price-tag associated with this purchase have yet been revealed.
Ian Fraser, Kwik Fit Group CEO commented: “The German market has seen particularly tough trading conditions over the last two years and Pit Stop has not been able to deliver the same levels of growth as other Kwik Fit group companies – which are continuing to deliver impressive results in a challenging climate.”

26th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik Fit Set to Open New Northants Distribution Centre

Kwik Fit is readying its new distribution centre in Corby, Northamptonshire for its operational opening later this month. The £10 million facility provides 200 new jobs as drivers, distributors and administrative staff.

Kwik Fit’s marketing and business development director Chris Bosworth complimented the Northants town as a “great location”, chosen for its centrality: “We’re very excited about our new depot… We’ll be taking more workers on as and when we are ready and there is a great potential for more growth at the site.”

4th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit to Open Distribution Centre in Corby

A new £10 million Kwik Fit distribution centre is planned for the Northamptonshire town of Corby, and according to the company it will be operational by mid-July. The facility, to be managed by Ceva Logistics UK, will employ more than 200 drivers, distributors and administrative staff.

“The tyres are just starting to arrive at the centre and distribution will begin in stages,” said Kwik-Fit marketing and business development director Chris Bosworth. He added that some 40 trucks will operate out of the facility, with another 34 from satellite depots nationwide.

6th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Reflex Vehicle Solutions Chooses Kwik Fit

Stockton on Tees based Reflex Vehicle Solutions, operator of a 6,500 vehicle strong fleet of rental cars and light commercial vehicles, has entered into a repair agreement with Kwik Fit Fleet. The new deal will give Reflex Vehicle Solutions clients access to Kwik Fit Fleet’s 670 outlets and 200-vehicle strong mobile fleet network.

10th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

NETE Appoints New Retail Director

North Eastern Tyre & Exhausts has announced the appointment of Roger Griggs to the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Griggs joins the board following the announcement of Ray Darcy’s retirement, and he will take on the role of Retail Director.

Roger Griggs brings considerable experience with him to NETE, having spent over thirty years within the tyre industry, twenty-seven of which have been with Continental. Between 1993 and 2000, Roger was Sales Director UK/Eire before he was asked to spearhead Continental’s successful development with Europe’s largest independent tyre retailer, ‘Kwik Fit’.

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Faces £200,000 Claim for Playing Radio

Kwik-Fit has been before the Court of Session in Edinburgh, where the UK’s largest independent tyre retail chains faces a claim of £200,000 in damages from the Performing Rights Society (PRS). PRS is suing the company because it objects to the volume at which mechanics play the radio while working. PRS say that Kwik-Fit’s technicians have been playing music loudly enough to be heard by colleagues and customers, thus constituting a “performance” and therefore royalties payments. Presiding Judge Lord Emslie refused to dismiss the action, but also said he should not be taken as accepting that the PRS would necessarily succeed in their claims.

For its part Kwik-Fit said that it will fight the case and operates a no-radio policy at its branches. However, PRS reportedly has evidence that music has been played at Kwik-Fit on 250 occasions in and after 2005.

10th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

“We Shall Not Be Moved” – Kwik-Fit

Kwik-Fit is single-handedly holding up the start of Basildon’s £900million town centre regeneration by refusing to move from its centre in Cherrydown East, Basildon. The firm’s refusal to move has hit plans by the Essex Ford Group to sell the site it shares with Kwik Fit, allowing it to be developed into 445 luxury flats, for which developer Western Homes already has planning permission. Essex Ford owns the site and had hoped to relocate its garage and car sales business to Dunton in December.

25th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Fleet Launches ‘Intelligent’ Online Tyre Management

Kwik-Fit Fleet has launched a new web-based ‘intelligent’ tyre management authorisation and reporting system, which is being rolled out to Britain’s biggest fleet operators. About 50 companies managing more 1.3 million vehicles, including Britain’s largest fleet, Motability Operations which runs around 450,000 vehicles, and the country’s largest contract hire business, Lex which has a fleet of almost 270,000 vehicles, will benefit from the technology.

For the past decade Kwik-Fit Fleet’s tyre management programme has been utilised by some of Britain’s biggest outright purchase fleets and leasing companies to control their tyre maintenance spend. Details of all transactions are logged and information on tread depths of tyres removed, brands and size of tyres fitted, mileage of vehicle at time of replacement and the reason for tyre replacement are all captured by Kwik Fit on behalf of customers.

22nd June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Supply Direct Works With Sir Tom and Cardinal O’Brien

As a part of Supply Direct’s ongoing social responsibility policy, the company recently worked with the Romanian Challenge Appeal to install a range of garage equipment in the small town of Siret in Romania, just beside the Ukrainian border. Kwik Fit and Farmer Autocare founder Sir Tom Farmer was the driving force behind the initiative.

21st June 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Lease 360 Evolution Signs with Kwik-Fit Fleet

Established contract hire, leasing and fleet management company lease 360 evolution plc has signed a new three-year solus tyre management and fast-fit services contract with Kwik-Fit Fleet.

Wakefield-based lease 360 evolution, which was launched almost four years ago, now has 3,500 vehicles on its books. Kwik-Fit Fleet, which already supplied a raft of fast-fit services to lease 360 evolution customers through both its nationwide centre network and mobile operation, will additionally now supply fixed monthly cost tyre management under the terms of the new contract, which went live in April.

10th May 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

ATS Rejoins NTDA

ATS Euromaster, the Michelin equity network of over 500 depots, has rejoined the NTDA after a period of six years. Commenting on the move ATS Euromaster Group managing director Nick Gregg said: “We look forward to rejoining NTDA after more than six years and we will endeavour to play an active role in the important work that the Association is engaged in on behalf of the trade in the UK”.

2nd March 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

B-Quik – Tyre retail service Thai style

International News

Here’s a question for you – which tyre retailer has 42 outlets in the capital and in November opened the 43rd on a Tesco hypermarket, making this the 10th centre on a Tesco forecourt?

The answer is B-Quik, of Thailand and the capital city is, of course, Bangkok. For many people in Europe, the first they heard of the name was during the period when the Ford Motor Company was going through its “showroom to scrapyard” phase and it bought Kwik-Fit in Europe and B-Quik in Thailand.

4th November 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Goes to PAI for £800 million

Company News, News, UK News

CVC Capital Partners has sold Kwik-Fit to French private equity firm PAI for £800 million. The news follows months of speculation including suggestions that a Bridgestone/Mitsubishi joint venture was pulling out in front when it came to bidding for the UK’s largest fast-fit chain. Bloomberg reports that PAI plans to open more fast fit retail outlets as a result of the acquisition.

25th June 2005/by Chris

Kwik Fit’s Pit Stops Criticised

German television programme ‘Frontal 21’ has attacked the quality of service delivered by Kwik Fit owned Pit Stop following a series of mystery shopper investigations across the country.

Frontal 21, which is broadcast by ZDF in Germany, claims that a succession of Pit Stop outlets made the unnecessary and costly replacement of brake parts that had been deemed effective by experts prior to the investigation.

13th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit moves up a gear

It was in August last year that Tim Parker (48) was named as the new Chief Executive Officer of Kwik-Fit, following the purchase of the company from Ford by CVC Capital Partners for a reported £330 million.

11th August 2003/by Tyrepress Editors