With more than 40 years of experience, Shaftec is well-qualified to fly the remanufacturing flag, but what do its customers think? Do remanufactured parts always hit the spot when it comes to quality, range, availability, performance, and value for money? ABC Motor Factor Business Development Manager, Rachel Davies, and Business Director, Andy Melmoth, tell us:
“The short answer to all of this is yes!” says Rachel. “At ABC, we stock a full range of Shaftec remanufactured products, and it really makes a difference to us and to our customers that we know exactly where and how the parts are produced. Because Shaftec literally does everything from the core selection to the actual remanufacturing process, through to individual part testing under one roof at its Midlands-based UK facility, we can be sure that they have almost total process control, and then we can pass that assurance on.
“We know that Shaftec is stringent in its core selection process and, therefore, know that our customers will be fitting parts of OE quality. Parts that are as good as new, tested as new, and perform in that way for the lifetime of the part.”
Long-standing collaboration
In business for the past 37 years, GROUPAUTO member, ABC, has been in operation almost as long as Shaftec – and the two have worked together for the past quarter of a century.
ABC is a wholesale company, which supplies local garages within a 35-mile radius – and the person on the street who still does their own repairs – with critical automotive components for MOT failures, service parts, cleaning, styling and audio parts, together with consumables from a host of well-known brands. ABC also offers a bespoke, on-site paint and bodywork service.
Shaftec Key Account Manager, Joe Toakley, commented: “It’s a real privilege and pleasure to work with the guys at ABC: honest, hard-working, knowledgeable people that truly understand the ethos of remanufacturing and the benefits it brings to the customer, the environment, and the industry at large.”
“Shaftec’s remanufactured portfolio fits the bill”
ABC was established in Abergavenny in 1985 by Dave Melmoth. The business was born after he saw a gap in the market and decided to use his expert knowledge of the industry to service local automotive needs.
Just four years later, in 1989, ABC moved to the current, more central three-unit facility in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. Being just off the A40, it offers easy access to the area’s motorway systems, allowing for an improved service for its loyal customers. And with the purchase of Pontypool Motor Factors almost 10 years ago, the successful two-site business is thriving today.
“Business was booming in 1989, and we were running out of space!” was Andy’s short answer when asked why he had moved the business to new premises so soon after opening.
Andy continued: “When the business first started our ratio of customers was split between the local garages and the person on the street. With technology moving at such a fast pace and with cars becoming ever more complicated, that ratio is now heavily biased towards the garages. The industry has changed so much since we started. There were no computer systems then, and you had to memorise all the part numbers for the cars of the day!
“Our garage customers now expect a quick fix and that means that parts turn around must run on maximum efficiency. They need a diverse range of parts, often same-day, so we need to work with suppliers, like Shaftec, that can offer us an excellent range and good availability. Furthermore, it’s now more important than ever that we offer our customers a real choice – and Shaftec’s remanufactured portfolio fits the bill as the driver gets OE quality with excellent performance at a lower cost.”
In line with Shaftec, the team who work together at ABC are a vital part of the success of the business. The business operates 22 delivery vehicles that leave the central depot regularly at peak times throughout the day to ensure that trade customers receive that same-day delivery service.
Andy concluded: “We really do pride ourselves on our reliability and our choice of new and remanufactured products at competitive prices, as we strive to keep our customers happy on every level.”
