Reflecting on Car Spares Factors’ 2024 trade night
Car Spares Factors (CSF) welcomed hundreds of eager customers and dozens of trade suppliers to its Southgate head office last September, for a trade night. Set against the backdrop of a beautiful autumn evening, the open marquee and warehouse brimmed with energy. Tom Henman reports.
It was a beautiful evening; it was the ideal setting to welcome 200 enthusiastic customers and 40 suppliers. I counted more than 30 CSF members from across its seven-branch network, everyone raring to go – even if a little nervous!
Any pre-event nervousness would have dissipated quickly, though, as the event exploded into life. The atmosphere was electric; CSF’s event brought together suppliers, industry professionals and enthusiastic customers. Guests, ranging from garage owners to fleet managers and mobile mechanics, explored the latest innovations shaping the automotive sector.
Sanj Shah, co-director of CSF, opened proceedings with a warm welcome, paying homage to the company’s origins. Established in 1977 by Sanj and Avnish Shah’s father and uncles as Alpha Automotive Spares, the business has grown into a multi-site network, a fact that was clearly celebrated throughout the night.
As the evening progressed, visitors enjoyed networking, hands-on product demonstrations and exclusive deals, all while savouring wood-fired pizza and drinks. There was entertainment too, ranging from a racing simulator to casino tables and a prize draw – it was a night to savour.
Schaeffler VLS’ technical presentation a highlight
One of the standout moments was Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions’ technical presentation. Brad Adams, an engine and chassis product specialist, discussed fitment challenges with modern timing systems and introduced Schaeffler’s LuK double clutch technology.
Another highlight came from Recoturbo, a company that has over a century of experience and expertise in the world of turbocharging engineering. Shane Woodford and Rio Mohammed brought their radical car to CSF to show off its turbochargers and boost technologies.
Shane said: “It was a really enjoyable event and an honour to be part of. I am glad we brought the car along too, as it attracted a lot of attention. When we arrived, CSF staff instantly came to look at it on the trailer, taking pictures and commenting on it. For me that was one of my favourite moments of the evening, seeing them so excited, engaged and enthusiastic.
“They were extremely helpful too, helping us while we set up and on the take down. A big thanks to everyone at CSF; nothing was too much to ask.”
Rio added: “We were thrilled to be a part of the trade night event and support the garage and bodyshop sectors. It’s wonderful to hear that the feedback has been so positive from both customers and suppliers.
“The turnout was truly amazing, and we’re so glad the event was such a success.”
‘More people turned up than anticipated!’
The superb turnout was something Sanj picked out too when reviewing the success of the event; in fact, more people turned up than initially thought – a compliment, perhaps, to the respect customers and suppliers have for CSF.
Sanj said: “This is testament to our loyal customer base and the work that the CSF team put in to promote the trade night event. We speak to customers on the phone daily; however, meeting in person always helps build the long-lasting relationships which we have established since the business began.
“The exceptional support from our suppliers, with over 40 travelling from far and wide to exhibit at the event, made the evening truly remarkable.
“Business is about more than just supply and demand; it is about gaining insight from our suppliers and passing this information onto our customers. There is no better way to do this than through a trade event where our customers can network with our team and with our supply partners to learn about the industry and how it is constantly evolving.”
‘A privilege to support’
It is the hallmark of a great trade event when the attending suppliers send positive feedback, like the guys from Recoturbo did. It is reward and recognition for the hard work, energy and resources put into the planning.
Shane and Rio weren’t the only ones to shower CSF in praise either! Steve Hudson from HELLA said: “It was a huge success, not only in terms of the suppliers that attended or indeed the amount of footfall the show had, but also the interest from customers. Everyone we spoke to on our stand were fully engaging and wanted to know more about the parts and the diagnostics on show.
“For both CSF and HELLA, there were a lot of conversations around the HELLA engine management systems we had on display, our rotating electrics programme, coverage and how well the brand of this product is highly thought of, and especially Hengst Filters.”
Meanwhile, Peter Dancer from Lesjöfors added: “A quick message to thank CSF for inviting us to attend, exhibit and network with the wider team and customers at the trade event – it really was a fantastic evening/event and a privilege to support.
“Your customers are now well-armed with the sales tools needed to upsell the features and benefits of Lesjöfors NEOX/Kilen Springs. Fingers crossed we have an exceptionally cold winter to support continued sales growth!”
The final word goes to Justin Little from BM Catalysts: “What a great night that was – well done on organising one of the busiest ‘branch’ trade nights I think I’ve attended. Every piece of information and POS I took was handed out to garages; it really was a good turnout. Just wanted to say thank you and well done on organising a very successful event.”
As the event ended, it was clear that the trade night was a milestone for CSF. With over 250 attendees, valuable business connections and promising opportunities, it was a resounding success – one that sets the tone for future events.
