LKQ Europe has launched a central workshop concept hub, bringing its 16 concept brands across Europe, including the 1TEC Auto Hub, closer together.
The move will allow LKQ Europe’s in-country workshop concept teams, together with their garage, to share best practices and resources, and benefit from a harmonised approach to proposition development and innovation.
LKQ Europe’s concept network is home to nearly 8,000 partner workshops in 11 of the 18 countries it operates in. This includes more than 200 in the UK under the 1TEC Auto Hub brand.
The LKQ Europe network comprises a range of concept brands with different criteria and levels of affiliation, to suit quality workshops with different needs and at different stages of their journeys. The ambition is to onboard another 2,000 workshops across Europe and reach a network of 10,000 in the coming years.
Industry futureproofing from LKQ Europe
“Workshop concepts help independent businesses to compete on a level playing field, and are key to our mission to support customer growth by professionalising and futureproofing the independent aftermarket,” commented Andy Hamilton, President and Executive Managing Director LKQ Europe.
“Our workshop partners must meet a set of criteria to join one of our concept networks, after which they can use our concept brands to signal that they provide an excellent standard of service, use high-quality parts and that their teams will be supported with training and expertise.
“By bringing our concept brands closer together across the region, we are taking their potential up a gear, leveraging our unrivalled experience and expertise at a total European level, while tailoring the output under each brand to suit the local language, culture and expectations of the drivers it serves.”
As well as operating under a recognised brand and sharing best practice, LKQ Europe’s workshop concept members have access to marketing support, up-to-date digital solutions, the latest technical education and business support with specific training from LKQ Academy, and opportunities for new business, through LKQ’s strategic partnerships.
Andy Hamilton added: “A much greater proportion of vehicles on Europe’s roads are no longer owned by the driver, but by a fleet or leasing company. And it is those companies that become the ultimate decision-makers on where a vehicle gets repaired or serviced.
“Recognised networks that have scale and digitised customer platforms are the only workshops that can realistically compete for commercial agreements with fleet customers, and we are committed to helping our workshop partners open up new business opportunities in this space.”
Across Europe the following brands belong to LKQ’s certified workshop network: ‘a posto’ RHIAG, DediCar, Officina N°1 (all Italy), 1TEC Auto Hub (UK), Auto Kelly Auto Servis (Czech Republic and Slovakia), Partner ELIT (Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine), Autofit, Autoprofi (both Germany), AC Auto Check (Germany) and Meisterhaft (Germany and Austria, both in cooperation with ATR and Matthies), Just Drive (Switzerland), Autofirst (Netherlands, Belgium and France), Vakgarage and Autoglobe (Netherlands) as well as Qualitygarage and Qualitycarrosserie (Belgium).
