News

Who won what at our inaugural Aftermarket Excellence Awards?

Advert

Time 9:20 am, March 1, 2019

AFTER months of anticipation and excitement, last night saw the winners of the inaugural Car Dealer Magazine Aftermarket Excellence Awards reap their just rewards.

Taking place in the stunning landmark that is the 170m-high Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, the event shone the spotlight on the service and repair sector, as its unsung heroes and heroines were honoured for their professionalism and hard work.

Those in the running for recognition enjoyed a drinks reception and three-course meal as part of the event, presented in association with the RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network partnership, with Autologic a key partner as well.


Welcoming everyone, James Baggott, chief executive of Car Dealer Magazine publisher the Baize Group, spoke of the importance of the aftermarket sector to the automotive industry.

‘New car sales have been declining for almost six months now as people hang on to their vehicles for longer, potentially meaning more work for you all – and what important work it is,’ he told the attendees.

‘When car sales are struggling, the revenue that garages and workshops generate is crucial to help keep car dealerships in a healthy financial position.


‘At Car Dealer Magazine, we hugely admire the efforts of everyone working in the automotive sector. With a dedicated aftersales section in the magazine each month, we keep our readers up to date with the latest news and views.

‘It’s a part of the automotive industry that we feel doesn’t get the recognition it deserves – and hopefully the awards we hand out tonight will help put that right.

‘May I be the first to congratulate every one of you here with us at the top of the amazing Spinnaker Tower – simply getting a place on our list of finalists is an achievement in itself.

‘We’ve been swamped with entries from across the UK – so much so that our judges had an incredibly tough time whittling them down to just three in each category. Huge congratulations if you pick up a highly commended place or the winner’s award itself.’

The winners and highly commendeds were as follows:

Manufacturer Warranty Scheme of the Year

Winner: Kia Motors UK

 

Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Autologic

Winner: Connor Foylan-Mead – Bryan Swales Auto Repairs

 

Technician of the Year, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Charlie Hudson – Shortfield Garage

Highly commended: Stephen Senogles – S & J Garage; Dean Butcher – Premier Autocentres

 

Aftersales Team of the Year, sponsored by Autologic

Winner: Uckfield Motor Services

Highly commended: Shaikly Motor Company; Shortfield Garage

 

Workshop Manager of the Year

Winner: Kevin Appleyard – BNTec German Autocare

Highly commended: Bryan Swales – Bryan Swales Auto Repairs; James Trott – Performance 3000

 

Workshop Website of the Year, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: ACC UK Ltd

Highly commended: MOT City; BTE Automotive


 

MOT Centre of the Year, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: West Malling Garage

Highly commended: Premier Autocentres; Colville Road MOT Centre

 

Aftersales Director of the Year, sponsored by Autologic

Winner: Anthony Heard – Braintree Motor Works

Highly commended: Simon Cook – ACC UK Ltd; Nick Errington – West Malling Garage

 

Franchised Workshop of the Year

Winner: Fine Cars Kia

Highly commended: Bristol Mitsubishi; Snows Volvo Winchester

 

Independent Workshop of the Year, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Devonshire Motors Accident Repair Centre

Highly commended: Uckfield Motor Services; Shire Hill Garage

 

Specialist Garage of the Year, sponsored by Autologic

Winner: BNTec German Autocare

Highly commended: S & J Garage; Trophy Cars – South Witham

 

Aftersales Customer Care Award, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Ben Dewar – Redgate Lodge

Highly commended: Suzanne Davey – Ashburton Motor Works; Samuel Evans – Beck Evans

 

Equipment Supplier of the Year

Winner: Snap-on

Highly commended: JD Garage Equipment – Humberside; Straightset

 

Product Innovation of the Year

Winner: OEC

 

Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Autologic

Winner: Meridien Modena

 

Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Stuart Evans – Beck Evans

 

Most Reliable Car – Far Eastern, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Honda Jazz

 

Most Reliable Car – European, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Skoda Octavia

 

Most Reliable Car – Overall, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Skoda Octavia

 

Most Reliable Manufacturer, sponsored by RAC Approved Garage Powered By Autofirst Network

Winner: Lexus

 

Congratulations to each and every one of you!

Issue 133 of Car Dealer Magazine, to be published next month, will have an in-depth picture feature about tonight’s event.

MORE: RAC and Autofirst join forces to create UK’s biggest independent garage network

Car Dealer Magazine's avatar

Car Dealer has been covering the motor trade since 2008 as both a print and digital publication. In 2020 the title went fully digital and now provides daily motoring updates on this website for the car industry. A digital magazine is published once a month.



More stories...

Auto Trader Advert
Server 108