Car and Commercial Repairs to consider 24-Hour opening

• New owners at Nottingham garage turn its fortunes around

Car and Commercial Repairs, an independent garage in Nottingham which came under new ownership last year, is experiencing fast growth following investment in the business.

Co-owner Max Devon, says his background in running a 200-vehicle fleet, combined with business partner Joss Hourd-Lee’s technical garage background, and partner Rahilah Shah’s marketing expertise, is proving to be a winning combination. 

In just 14 months, the trio has successfully established Car and Commercial Repairs as the only garage in the Midlands with the facility to repair and service every type of vehicle on the road, from a mini to a truck apart from motorcycles.

Investment in dealer-level diagnostics, ADAS equipment, EV techs and equipment, and MOT and tyre bays, has also eliminated the need for vehicles to go to any third parties during repair.

The garage’s business strategy is proving so successful, it is considering the possibility of running 24-hour shifts in the future and opening on Sundays for MOTs.

Devon said: “Car and Commercial Repairs was 20 years old when we took over. The previous owners were content with what they had, but we had a vision to completely transform it. This meant investing in the future market, expanding, and driving the brand forward online so we could secure contracts and attract customers to facilitate our vision.

“So many business opportunities were being missed previously. We’ve implemented those and seen a 100 percent growth in revenue, secured a new unit to double our 4,500 sqft workshop space, and are taking on new technicians.

“The growth isn’t just with retail customers. We do a lot of fleet work too and won a five-year contract with Nottingham Council to service its minibuses. The people procuring the contract drove three-and-half hours just to see us. That makes us very proud; they must have passed a lot of other garages on the way!”

The business’ growth and contract opportunities would not have been possible, added Shah, without having an online strategy in place.

She said: “We knew having a specialist website was key to pulling in the work we wanted. The problem was, we’re very fussy!

“Finding the right company to partner with us took a lot of time, research and due diligence. All routes led to aftermarket website specialist, Garage Services Online (GSO). They were exactly what we were looking for.

“The professionalism of Car and Commercial Repairs’ website is integral to attracting retail customers and securing fleet contracts. We have a link on our email sign-off and the first thing potential clients do is click on it and check us out.

“The website makes or breaks the first impression of your business.”

Devon concluded: “Having a specialist website with GSO is so important for our business. It attracts exactly the right work, and the dynamic of our yard has totally changed. In turn, this gives us the confidence to reinvest and put more plans into place. 

“Our website is amazing. It passed the family litmus test too – and they’re even fussier than we are!”