Smart Repairs.co.uk, one of the UK’s largest independent cosmetic vehicle repairers, has announced an increase in turnover of 10 per cent during the past 12 months.

The Leeds-based company, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, has also smashed its target of creating over 130 new and sustainable jobs.

Overall turnover, which will reach £12m by the end of this year, is forecast to increase to £13.5 million by the end of 2026.

At the same time, the crucial insurance sector of Smart Repairs’ business has grown by 50 per cent during the past year.

This strong performance has enabled Smart Repairs to strengthen its presence in the Republic of Ireland and consolidate its operations across the UK.

Managing director Darryl Short explained: “For the past seven years we have achieved sustained growth across the UK, disrupting the fragmented cosmetic vehicle repair sector, creating over 130 new jobs and working closely and rewarding our mobile technicians all over the country.

“We expect to employ 140 by the end of this year, with turnover rocketing to £12m. This increase is totally sustainable as we steadily grow our share of the cosmetic vehicle repair market year on year. Currently we carry out an average of 1,000 vehicle repairs a day.

“Our expansion and consolidation into the Republic of Ireland have been underpinned by a raft of new deals both with dealerships and insurance companies over there. We already have a strong presence in Scotland and Wales, so we have a tremendous geographical spread.

“We continue to strengthen our leadership team, which ensures we provide the best possible service levels to customers and also support all its team members on the ground.”

Smart Repairs has recently invested over £1m in vans and equipment to support the company’s expansion.

“As a business, we have pursued a diversification strategy by increasing our customer portfolio to include fleet management companies and doing more work on commercial and heavy goods vehicles, all this while adding more dealer groups and insurers to our list of customers.

“As part of our growth, we targeted geographic areas which were underserved by cosmetic vehicle repair providers, filling a gap in the market. To underpin this, we have taken great care to employ the right people with the right skills.

Mr Short explained: “The secret of Smart Repairs’ success is very simple. Every day we look after our team, listen to their needs and enable them to be the best they can be. In turn this ensures we provide the very best service to our customers. We pride ourselves on our staff retention, which reflects a strong internal culture and enables us to deliver the very best customer service.

“We deal with and resolve issues quickly. We aim to understand the needs and demands of individual customers and ensure we provide tailor-made solutions, making customers feel important which, of course, they are. This approach is supported by consistent investment in training and performance and effective marketing, including a strong presence on social media and in print.”

Founder and co-chairman Dan Besau explained: “It has given me tremendous pleasure to see how the company I founded in 1995 has developed. We have gone from strength to strength in recent years. The mobile business has proved popular and successful and, when I spotted a gap in the market for high-end alloy wheel repairs, I had the confidence to go for that, too.

“We already have a formidable client list, including many of the quality 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. The future is incredibly bright. Let’s bring it on.”

Co-chairman Phil Newstead commented: “We have a simple, but effective, business plan. We pride ourselves, not just on the way we treat our customers, namely car dealerships, insurance firms and company fleets, but also our staff. We work quickly and effectively and ensure that all our work is exemplary.

“Our expansion plans are very carefully targeted at geographical areas which are not especially well served by cosmetic vehicle repair companies. These plans have been massively backed up by the talented and hard-working team leaders and technicians we have been able to hire.”

“The second-hand car market remains buoyant, despite the cost-of-living crisis and the current economic uncertainty. The outlook for the sector is positive and we have every reason to be confident about the future, though we will never be complacent. We can see that our future lies in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies.”