This month, A1 Motor Stores announced that WRS Motor Factors Ltd has joined the group, bringing four branches and a well-respected history of motor services.
A1 Motor Stores has been going from strength to strength in recent years, but the last 12 months have been particularly positive for the A1 Motor Factor Group. With its focus on “driving the independent” and its commitment to offering the best possible services, A1 has attracted considerable interest from independent businesses all over the country.
Weston Recovery Services (WRS) is an award-winning, family-owned and operated independent business, offering comprehensive and professional breakdown services 24/7. Started as a one-man operation, the business has grown to four sites across Weston-super-Mare, Bristol, Wellington and the wider Somerset Area.
WRS Motor Factors was subsequently incorporated in 2006 after some years trading under Weston Recovery Services umbrella. Operating out of four branches across the Somerset area; Weston-super-Mare, Shepton Mallet, Wellington and Bridgwater, they supply a wide range of quality brands such as NGK, Lucas, MAHLE and Britpart, as well as stocking a full range of Motaquip products ready to be delivered at a moment’s notice.
Martin Tier and Chris Hopkins of WRS, said: “We’re excited to be joining a buying group that’s growing all the time, run by the members, for the members. It’s the ability to have a voice and work amongst businesses with ‘old fashioned values’ – that’s a key factor in our move to A1.”
“It’s very important to us that we have a voice and aren’t just a number,” they added, “and after speaking to Simon Salloway (Head of Operations at A1) we feel A1 offer the right environment for us.”
Another factor for WRS was having the opportunity to speak with the board at A1, be it at one of the various meetings A1’s motor factor members can attend, or at the annual trade show and convention.
“Communication is a key part of this group,” says Simon Salloway, Head of Operations at A1. “We’re all working together. Everyone’s feedback and input is valued, and our combined knowledge and purchasing power form the foundations of our collective success. That’s why we have things like regional motor factor meetings, the annual trade show and convention, and the members’ forum – everyone can be kept up-to-date and get involved.”
“By listening to each other and working together, we can get a stronger hold in this increasingly competitive industry.”
The A1 Motor Factor Group has seen continued growth in the last 12 months, adding well-known names to its network of suppliers such as Hella Hengst, Federal-Mogul and NAP, and welcoming no less than 15 new members to its ranks – including the newly-opened MV Autospares in Mansfield who joined the group just last week.
