:: Karl Vella News ::

The Karl Vella Group is a company who have built their reputation on its high quality of repair.  Today with the advent of new manufacturing materials such as aluminium and high strength boron steel, repair methods are changing at a pace that demands constant changes . The Karl Vella Group is committed to investing in new equipment and skills.  This it has shown by them becoming the first and to date only Accident Repair Group in the Northwest of England to have been awarded the B.S.I. Kitemark™. Skelmersdale, Preston, Southport and Blackburn are now PAS 125 Structural Steel Kitemark® Approved.

This achievement confirms our dedication to Training, and to our investment in new technology and equipment.

Modern cars are made from a variety of different steels and materials. Each different material reacts in a different way when heat or other external forces are applied, it is imperative therefore that the correct welding and bonding procedures are following in line with Thatcham or Manufactures repair methods. Failure to adopt the correct repair method could in certain cases seriously affect the vehicles integrity in the way it may perform in the event of another accident. There a plenty of repairers out there who do not have the necessary skills or equipment to repair newer vehicles to the standards required.

The Kitemark® signifies to you, the customer that we have the skill levels and the correct equipment to reinstate the vehicle. The Kitemark is recognised by 82% of the adult population as a symbol of quality and above all safety.

More and more insurance company’s see the Kitemark® for what it is; a symbol of Quality, and are insisting that their network of Approved Repairers achieve Kitemark status.

When choosing a Bodyshop look for the Kitemark® it’s your assurance that the very latest repair techniques will be adopted and that your vehicle will be repaired to an exacting standard.

Karl Vella MBE has been named an Industry Knight by the Auto Body Professionals Club.

During the presentation of the award, the following judges' assessment of why Karl deserved the award was read out:

"Our third Industry Knight winner began his career in his home town of Skelmersdale doing a variety of jobs from working in a clothing factory, to fitting tyres. He quickly realised that what he really wanted to do was repair motor cars."

"After a few years working for other people within the accident repair industry he decided to set up in business for himself in Southport in 1986."

"With the help of just one apprentice, his reputation for quality and attention to detail soon saw a steady increase in business."

"He now owns 4 strategically placed bodyshops in the north west of England with a combined turnover of approximately £10 million pounds a year, employing over 150 people and repairing around 10,000 vehicles per year."

"He has won numerous bodyshop industry awards, including the IMI Motor Industry Achiever Award 2007/8 and in 2007 he became a Graduate of the City & Guilds Institute. His greatest passion has been for training young people, something he began in 1996 when he set up the competition to select the UK competitor in the Autobody Repair category for the WorldSkills in St Gallen. Since then he has coached two bronze winners and Andrew Blair who won Gold in 2005. He has also assumed the role of Chief Expert for WorldSkills in this category."

"Our Industry Knight has been quoted as saying, 'We are a nation built on industry, with the blood, sweat and tears of manual workers, each of whom were proud to do what they did. Perhaps as a nation we need to give our craft skills workers the recognition they deserve and improve the perception and social standing of manual workers.'"

"It was this attitude and dedication to training that was recognised in the 2006 Queens Birthday Honours list when he was awarded an MBE."

"A great believer in raising industry standards, his business was heavily involved in the PAS125 steering group and was one of the first multi-site businesses to gain the Kitemark at all the shops in the group."

"In August of this year, he announced that his son David was taking on all day-to-day operational responsibility within the business, leaving our Industry Knight to focus on group strategic matters such as WorldSkills and the newly formed Synergy Accident Repair Group."

"Therefore, our much respected ABP Club Industry Knight for 2009 is of course:

Karl Vella MBE"

Click here to download the award winner's profile

Three existing bodyshop groups are joining forces to create a new group, with the intention of expansion, to give coverage to the whole of the UK.

The new group, Synergy Accident Repair Group Ltd, has been formed by the directors of the Alton Cars Group, Karl Vella Group and KC Autos Group. The intention is to give work providers alternatives in the current UK market.

The group initially will consist of 12 bodyshops owned by the three existing companies, which, with turnover in excess of £30m, will make it one of the largest accident repair groups in the UK.

A new call centre has been formed in Barnsley, South Yorkshire from which all new instructions will be taken and allocated to the appropriate repairer. Using state-of-the-art call handling software, the group will be able to track of all work in progress, allowing them to control capacity and service provision to the market. The vision of the group is to steadily grow until it is able to offer a national network of Thatcham BSI Kitemark accredited bodyshops.

The group is currently in talks with a number of clients and is confident in turning volumes on into the group shortly. Anyone interested in finding out more information should contact Neilson Jones on 01226 209601, or by email: neilsonjones@synergy-arg.com.

Synergy Accident Repair Group have issued the following release:

Synergy Accident Repair Group reveals that they have been amazed at the overwhelming response they have had to their initial press release.

Although the group's initial strategy was to offer a solution to clients from coast to coast across the M62 corridor from the three founder members' existing sites and then gradually grow the group from there the response has forced a re-think.

Synergy have been inundated with contact from bodyshops the length and breadth of the UK interested in joining the group the common theme being that bodyshops can see real benefits in being part of a national group.

With Synergy being contacted daily they are now confident of reaching their National target very quickly which will give the company a forecasted turnover of £300 million per annum.

Synergy are in detailed talks with a number of work providers with a view to offering them a national solution along with some additional innovative value propositions which are likely to save these clients significant sums of money.

Within the next week Synergy will have their own Courtesy Car Program which is set to buck current Contract hire trends and offer its bodyshop members real benefit and considerable savings.

Synergy's strategy is:

1) A National network of Thatcham BSI Kitemark accredited bodyshops offering tailored cost effective solutions to the UK crash repair market.

2) Group purchasing allowing us to remain competitive in the UK market.

Anyone wishing to find out further information about Synergy should contact Neilson Jones on 01226 209601 or by email at neilsonjones:synergy-arg.com

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