New jobs created as rapidly-expanding Smart Repairs sees turnover soar to £7.5m

The Leeds-based company, which recently bought 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, has seen its turnover grow by 40 per cent to £7.5m this year.

The recent appointment of three technicians in Hertfordshire, Surrey and South Wales means that the company now has exactly 100 staff across the country, with 40 based in Leeds. Based on current growth, it said another 15 technicians will be recruited early next year.

As part of its national expansion programme this year, Smart Repairs has invested £1m into its van fleet and equipment.

Next year turnover is predicted to soar to £9m, with net profit set to exceed £1.5m.

Managing director Darryl Short said: “This has been a game-changing year for us. We had previously concentrated on looking after customers and clients in the north of England, but this year we have expanded our operations to service the whole of the UK.

“We have recently expanded into Scotland and we have further sustainable growth plans for the North West, the Midlands and the area by the M25.”

Smart Repairs, which includes most of Yorkshire’s major car dealerships among its clients, is co-owned by its founder Dan Besau and major investor Phil Newstead. The company carries out 180,000 vehicle repairs a year.

Mr Newstead made a multi-million pound investment in the firm, which saw him acquire 50 per cent of the shares.

Since then, the pair have rebranded the business and moved away from its previous franchise model, instead hiring a team of mobile technicians who work from a fleet of vans, to grow its nationwide network.

Mr Beau said: “Every single member of our staff works exceptionally hard to achieve and maintain the highest of standards. It is vital this continues as we expand across the UK.

“We believe a key part of our success is the way we treat our staff. This, in turn, translates into the friendly, positive and efficient service we provide for our customers, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Phil Newstead added: “Clearly the global pandemic had its challenges last year, but one of its consequences was a boom in the second-hand car market, which naturally led to a great deal more work for us. We managed to stay open and working most of the time, despite the difficulties of the various lockdowns.

“We can both see that our future is in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies.”

Smart Repairs has a formidable client list, including many Yorkshire dealerships such as Bentley Leeds; BMW Leeds, Harrogate, York and Bradford; Mercedes Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield and York; Ferrari Leeds; Aston Martin Leeds; and Audi York and Harrogate.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, earlier this year, Mr Newstead said that although the company had looked at acquisitions, it had decided to focus on organic growth instead.

“We took a view as a board that it would be easier to recruit technicians than it would be to integrate a business with a different culture into our business,” he added.