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CompetitionGarage future
Garage future
7 Dec 2007
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Industry must take responsibility to prosper says new ADF boss
THE INDEPENDENT aftermarket must become regulated with “robust standards” for garages if it is to have a viable future, says the new president of the Automotive Distribution Federation.
Yesterday, Quintin Cornforth (pictured right) spelled out his vision of the future of the industry to an audience of motor factors and distributors at the ADF’s annual conference in Birmingham.
He explained how ever-growing legislation meant that the unregulated “free for all” state of the industry at present was “not sustainable”.
He claimed the BSI Kitemark for Garage Services represented one of the best chances for the industry to prove it was ready to deal with the responsibility of working on increasingly complex vehicles.
Quintin’s speech was yet another sign that the garage trade is heading towards an increasingly regulated future, driven by the ability of garages to prove they are trained and competent to complete repairs.
“It is time to demand the right to repair all vehicles,” he said, referring to the Right To Repair Campaign’s lobbying of the EU for access to VM technical data. “But with the freedom of access comes a responsibility,” he said.
“There must be qualified people, equipment standards, validated repair methods and parts standards.
“Modern high-level cars are considerably more complicated than light aircraft. Would you get in an airline maintained by untrained staff using any old parts?”
Quintin said he believed 2008 would be a pivotal year for the independent aftermarket. “There is a fabulous opportunity for businesses who want to rise to the challenges,” he said.
“The future is bright and I think it will be very exciting for those that want to step up to the plate.”
Summing up after the conference, out-going president Alan Seal said: “If we demand the right to repair vehicles we need to show we can do it properly.”
Quintin was just one of numerous speakers at the ADF event. Parts distributors and motor factors listened to industry experts explaining how they believed the industry needed to change in order to ensure a profitable future for workshops.
Stay tuned to Aftermarket Network and the February issue of Aftermarket magazine for more details.
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