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Martin Gray
As CEO of Euro Car Parts, Martin has contributed
substantially to the growth and success of the company.
During 2008, Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, Euro Car Parts’
current Chairman and Founder, brought Martin in as People/
Performance Director before promoting him to CEO during
2013. Prior, Martin was a Managing Director in the Caudwell
Group of Companies (Logistics, Retail and B2B), helping to
grow the Group from 2,000 to 15,000 employees, becoming
the UK’s fastest growing company for three years in a row.
Since Martin has been at the helm, Euro Car Parts has more
than tripled its turnover, £272m in 2010 to over £1 billion in
2016, and has grown the number of employees from 2,500
in 2010, to over 10,000 today. The Euro Car Parts network
provides 95% coverage across the entire UK and, over the
past four years, the branch network has been increased from
90 to over 220 locations.
Technological change is as
rampant as I’ve ever seen it, and we
need to be helping to deliver upon
the implications of that change in
the aftermarket
deeper information from their own data, in order to work more
efficiently and at the right time to further improve supply chain
processes. Pulling off increasingly complex and diverse reports
from their systems calls for increased software capability and
commuting power at the bodyshop. For example, automatic stock
and re-order systems and inter-sector and parts procurement
platforms are becoming increasingly prevalent, making the supply
chain work harder. This is all aimed towards a further improvement
in those critical key-to-key times and a satisfied end consumer.
Q
What is being done to attract talent into the industry? In
what job roles are the skills shortages most pressing?
A
Across the collision sector, there is real awareness of our
own skills shortage but, as an industry, we are trying hard to
alleviate matters through initiatives like AutoRaise.
AutoRaise traces its origins back to 2012, when vehicle repairers
came together to build an apprenticeship standard, gaining
governmental approval in 2015. It is all about attracting young talent
into the industry, by working in conjunction with key bodyshops
to build relationships with local colleges and schools to attract a
new generation of employees. We also have our own IMI-approved
training centres, as well as a team of 20 technical demonstrators.
As a sector, we need to continue to improve our own image,
making sure that schools and colleges are more aware of the
options available. Roles include estimators, managers, process
consultants, production controllers, bodyshop managers and
IT specialists – the list is endless. The only constant is the need
for people with a positive attitude who can deliver exemplary
customer service at what can be a stressful time for the end
customer. But it’s an invigorating, challenging, £4 billion industry,
and we want to attract the best recruits for the next generation.
Q
What effect do you foresee Brexit having on the UK
aftermarket/collision repair sector?
A
The looming issue of Brexit is the same for the entire
marketplace. It has given everyone an element of uncertainty
to deal with, but I sense something of a sea change now. Many see
that we are in a state of hiatus, of negotiation for the next two years
and, therefore, the prevailing mood seems to be one of getting on
with things. The attitude seems to be: ‘this is what we’ve got for two
years, so let’s crack on’. That sense of pragmatic positivity, despite
various macro-economic issues, is to be welcomed.
Q
What else is on the horizon for the UK aftermarket/collision
repair sector, and how will Euro Car Parts respond to the
challenges ahead?
A
For sure, there are big changes afoot. We are on the cusp of
the most accelerated period of technological change since
the car was invented, with changing patterns of vehicle ownership
and cultural shifts in the way the vehicle is perceived, as well as
more car sharing and different formats of vehicular usage. As an
industry, we have always adapted to change and this will hold us in
good stead over the next five years.
Martin Gray
is CEO at Euro Car Parts.
July 2017
INTERVIEW
The Aftermarket Supplement
09