Oxford franchisee wins Franchisee of the Year award

Lorraine Thompson, who owns Driver Hire Oxford, is now an award-winning franchisee.

Thompson was crowned British Franchise Association/HSBC ‘Franchisee of the Year’ 2011 for the South West and Wales Region at a gala dinner in Birmingham.

The awards are also supported by Express Newspapers. The judges praised Thompson’s commitment to setting standards in best practice and increasing the services offered by her office.

Lorraine was also recognised for her partnership with a local prison which provides offenders with work experience prior to release.

Lorraine purchased her franchise in 1995 and has grown the automotive recruitment franchise business so that it now finds work for over 300 local people every week, employing five staff.

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Case Study: Express Factors Franchisee

When longer service intervals started impacting on the parks business at Paynes of Hinckley, the addition of an Express Factors car repair franchise operation gave a welcome boost to the tune of £720,000 a year.

Three years ago, parts manager Russell Astley realised something had to be done to stop the decline in the parts business at Paynes of Hinckley and saw Unipart’s Express Factors as the answer.

“Before we took on the Unipart business,” he explains, “we were just a main Ford dealership with a Ford Parts Plus business that dealt with the local independent motor trade outlets. We looked at the factor business as a better way to sell to other brands and to the local independents.

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Express Factors: Best Route to Car Parts Market

Express Factors can be the best route to a share of a £2.8bn car parts franchise market.

Unipart Automotive says its Express Factors programme can help dealers grab a slice of the UK’s lucrative replacement parts market.

According to automotive research specialist GIPA, this sector was worth a whopping £2.8 billion in 2008, with the independent motor trade taking the lion’s share (approx 52%).

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ChipsAway Expands into Brazil Market

Leading automotive paintwork repairs specialist ChipsAway has announced the launch of a new master franchise in Sao Paulo, Brazil, expanding its global network.

According to a Business Monitor International (BMI) report in February this year, a 10.6% year on year rise in Brazil’s new vehicle sales not only makes it Latin America’s biggest automotive marketplace, but also places the country fourth largest in the world after China, the US and Japan.

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Business Franchise Heats up in Spain

Ever wanted to sell up and leave Old Blighty?

Ever dreamt about the beautiful weather and the stunning landscape of Spain? Well, if that’s the case then the B-Met franchise may be just the thing for you.

Established by Michael and Wendy McGinty in 2006, B-Met is a airport transfer business and travel franchise that services the very busy Malaga airport. The company is now looking to expand beyond its existing territory and establish itself as a national brand in Spain by franchising.

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