Top Gear in the fast lane with Supertracker versatility
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Issue 5 December 2012 - February 2013
’s
ALIGNMENT
Top Gear in the fast lane with
Supertracker versatility
plus custom fabrication on cars. Therefore we intend to
install a series of modern equipment as part of our
proposed expansion plans for the future.
“The sheer flexibility of the Supertracker STR410R has
swiftly become an essential part of our daily operation
because with so many services being provided we can
never be sure which (if any) ramps are going to be free for
an alignment inspection. So being able to move the
Supertracker around the workshop is a real bonus. In fact
I actually measured a vehicle in our car park recently at a
particularly busy period.”
Paul Freeman with the Supertracker STR410R computer aligner Another highly important factor for Top Gear has been a
significant rise in profit from alignment services. The
Over the past three decades Supertracker has company used to have a monthly alignment sales
developed a very extensive customer base but performance of around £800, now that figure has
working on the tried and trusted theory that a rocketed to £3000 meaning that the Supertracker
business is only as good as its last sale. It is equipment is already well on the way to 'paying for itself'
always encouraging to record a recent successful in just a couple of months.
installation such as Top Gear (Bridport) who recently took
delivery of our flagship STR410R Computer Aligner. Paul is so pleased with Supertracker's equipment that he
is already considering further expanding the alignment
Top Gear has been carrying out an alignment service for service as part of a general extension to Top Gear's tyre
the past thirteen years but up till now has only been bay element of their business.
offering basic tracking and recently surveyed the market
for a machine that would meet all their specific demands Even in such periods of caution and consolidation in the
for the future. Director, Paul Freeman explains that the business world, Top Gear have never been so busy and
company realised that with the very latest alignment over the past three months their tyre fitment performance
equipment they would be able to instigate more interest has risen by an amazing 300 per cent therefore further
from customers and invited all the leading suppliers to underlining the company's position as the leading tyre
demonstrate their models. and exhaust specialist in Bridport.
He adds, “Having tested all the different machines we Having been formed as a motor accessory business in
overwhelmingly decided on Supertracker as their 1984, Top Gear's growth and progression has been
equipment was not only relatively easy to operate but also impressive over the past three decades and Supertracker
incredibly versatile. At Top Gear we provide a thriving look forward to working with Paul and his team in the
service in MOT's servicing and repairs, tyres and exhausts future.
Tel: 01489 773888 Fax: 01489 773889 www.supertracker com
Trev's Everything at Supertracker is designed to generate
maximum profit for our customers which is why we are
Comments... constantly evolving our product base.
In 2013 we will be looking to introduce several new
products as well as improving our existing equipment so
Supertracker goes into the next twelve months with
It would be true to say the past year has proved
confidence.
rather difficult for some people and you have to
feel for anyone who has struggled financially.
I have already commented in a previous edition that
Unfortunately there has been significant casualties in UK
success in business these days is all about instant access
business with some being household trading names.
to information – 24/7 so let's look at the negatives of this
modern way of life such as the need for making
In my opinion there is a common misconception that
immediate decisions and confirming orders, especially on
leading business groups and corporations are more
equipment appear to be costing companies a fortune,
experienced and knowledgeable than the rest of us.
which is particularly relevant to alignment machinery.
When in fact their business runs in roughly the same way
as smaller companies, it's just the 'numbers are bigger'
We are now inundated with cheap imported products
and sound more impressive. There is no doubt than in the
from China through distributors who know nothing about
current trading uncertainty it is important to adopt the
the product or indeed wheel alignment. These cheap and
right business policy's backed by enthusiasm and ability
totally inadequate products support the theory that 'if it
to stand more of a chance of continued success.
seems to good to be true, it probably is' so in my opinion
it is always better to opt for quality products opposed to
Moving forward to the New Year, once again there may be
buying 'twice' on cheaper items.
tempting deals that all of us have the opportunity to take
advantage of. It is a question of having the confidence to
It is very strange that although people tend to resent
try and exploit these new avenues of business when they
paying higher prices for business products they are quite
present themselves as its better to have tried and failed
willing to meet the expensive price tags of holidays and
than to not have tried at all.
cars. So why not use the same sensible example when
buying garage equipment which will reap rewarding profits
For the past twenty five years Supertracker has
in the long term.
manufactured our alignment equipment in the UK
although we do source products (for production) from
other European countries. With every component being
produced to our own specification and final assembly and
quality control carried out at our Southampton base.
Trevor Lovesy
New website design for Time never stands still at Supertracker and the
perfect example of this constant progression is the
Guaranteed Tool Company recent introduction of our Guaranteed Tool
Company's (GTC) new revamped website.
GTC is a successful part of the Supertracker Group and its
very extensive product and services portfolio adds another
innovative dimension to our comprehensive range of facilities
for the UK automotive market.
The colourful new website incorporates a number of viewing
options including Vehicle Lifts, Emissions and Diagnostics,
Brake Testers, MOT Installations, Workshop Tools and
Equipment plus Tyre Changers and Balancers. Other services
include Workshop Design, Planned Maintenance, Calibration
and Breakdown Response. At the same time there is an
additional, specific tools website www.gtctools.co.uk which
offers an online ordering service.
GTC are based in Hedge End, Southampton and represent
Supertracker's in-depth coverage of the garage equipment
market. For more information visit www.gtc-ltd.co.uk
A day of interest and fun as Supertracker celebrate 25 years of continual growth
Always based in Southampton, the company has relocated popular Wheeler Dealers series on the Discovery Channel
on several occasions to further enhance their stock-holding then took the floor and generally chatted about his opinion
and service facilities and another important contribution to of wheel alignment and answered questions about his TV
Supertracker's ongoing growth in corporate image and career.
sales performance success has been their sheer in-depth
strength and knowledge of their national sales and after-
sales service engineering teams.
To celebrate 25 years of success in the UK alignment
Celebrating its 25th trading anniversary market, Supertracker recently held a 'special' Alignment
this year. It would be true to say that a Day event at their Wheel Alignment Centre in
lot has happened over the past three Southampton for the automotive and tyre trade media
decades since the late Keith Lovesy which consisted of a mixture of serious presentations on
modern wheel alignment and a few hours of relaxed fun. Finally Edd invited everyone to take a ride in a couple of his
originally founded the company in 1987
famously Quirky vehicles, a fully motorised and street legal
following almost twenty years dedicated bed and a sofa. Needless to say, the sight of these
experience within the UK wheel Both teams are comprehensively experienced and fully 'unbelievable' means of transport being driven around an
alignment market. trained in the very latest technological developments in industrial estate caused a lot of attention and it wasn't long
alignment equipment and work in complete harmony before there was a crowd surrounding Edd, eager for a
therefore highlighting the company's working ethics of photo opportunity.
always doing business as a complete 'family unit'.
Finally everyone departed after a very informative and
Over the years Supertracker has always been at the cutting interesting experience to mark Supertracker's ultimate
edge of new product innovation and currently showcases its achievement within the alignment industry.
flagship unit – the STR410R computerised aligner. At the
same time, training continues to play an extremely
important role in their continued progression.
Initially Supertracker's guest list of Journalists from a
number of leading publications including Professional
Motor Mechanic, Aftermarket, VW and Audi Driver, Tyres
& Accessories, Tyre Trade News and Tread magazines
Keith was considered something of a pioneering expert were given a fully comprehensive induction on the need
within the industry and over the years acted as a guiding and important merits of modern wheel alignment by
'mentor' to many of today's leading alignment specialists Trevor and Supertracker's National Sales Manager – Jerry
including his son Trevor. Eventually Trevor took over at the Barker.
helm of Supertracker and carried on his Father's policy of
consistently maintaining a positive attitude towards new Jerry then provided a series of 'live' demonstrations
innovative development and techniques within the before answering a series of questions. Supertracker's
alignment market. Celebrity Guest – Edd China – co-presenter of the
Customer Corner
County Tyres take wheel alignment to a new
level with Supertracker
Having highlighted a relatively new customer in straightforward the equipment is to use, so its very much
this edition, it is always satisfying to gain the a win-win situation for us. At the same time the after-sales
opinion of a company who have a long support facilities from Supertracker are 'second-to-none.'
association with Supertracker. The Weymouth, If we do have any technical queries then Richard is in
Dorset branch of the County Tyre Group has been touch with us almost immediately to help.”
working with our equipment for a number of years now
and several months ago upgraded to a Supertracker Tim has very definite views on customer satisfaction
STR410R computer aligner. which he believes has always been about providing the
customers with service at the highest level within all
County Tyres Regional Operational Manager – Tim Lewis aspects of the tyre and wheel market. Therefore to not
who is responsible for the Weymouth outlet points out provide the very latest alignment innovation as part of
that in line with the continual growth of the Group, he County Tyre's product package would be giving the
recently decided to purchase a new aligner in order to company's many loyal drivers a dis-service. He adds, “
take advantage of printing facilities both before and after County Tyres has always considered itself to be very good
the alignment procedure. He says, “I have personally had at wheel alignment but since the installation of this new
dealings with Supertracker for the past twelve years and equipment we have been able to take this service to an
never considered any other brand as we have always even higher level.
received quality products and excellent after-sales service
particularly from Richard, our regional contact. “A number of high performance car drivers have recently
commented that since receiving four wheel alignment, the
“This new STR410R machine offers the depot a much car they are now driving has become the vehicle they
more comprehensive geometry inspection which has anticipated when it was bought in terms of increased road
proved very beneficial. The upgraded aligner has also comfort and safety.”
made a huge difference to our revenue from alignment
checks plus we have received a number of positive County Tyres also celebrates 75 years of successful
comments from customers about the swiftness and trading this year as a family business and will continue to
efficiency of service.” take advantage of every opportunity for future expansion.
To this effect, Tim is already looking to purchase a further
Weymouth Branch Manager, Lewis Holtom adds, “All our Supertracker STR410R for another tyre outlet in the
staff are really impressed at how simple and future.
Team Fact File:
Darren Pracy:
Our Supertracker spotlight this edition falls on
Darren Pracy who is part of our Production and
Development department at the Southampton
headquarters.
Darren, who has been employed by Supertracker for the
past thirteen years, is one of those impressive, multi-skilled
individuals who can provide expertise in both electronics
and computing along with a wealth of experience and
knowledge in mechanics, as he used to work in the trade.
As Head of Production, Darren has a staff of five working
for him and his main responsibilities lie in the overall control
of production scheduling, stock-holding and shipping
activities and dates. At the same time he is Technical
Advisor to the Service Team and also visits customers as
Darren Pracy
and when required. Finally product development is also
part of his remit. A truly versatile position with Supertracker
needing many skills and Darren's the perfect guy for the
job especially as he has a fantastic sense of humour
making working with him an enjoyable experience.
Away from work, Darren is married with two young boys and he has a passion for motor sport, particularly drag racing.
He is also an ex-motocrosser and footballer, has an excellent Karaoke voice and was a competent Cello player when he
was younger.
Contact Supertracker
For further information on any of our wheel alignment systems,
products, services and tracking please contact us.
Supertracker
Unit 1, Nelson Industrial Park, Manaton Way, Hedge End,
Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 2JH. England
T: 01489 773888
F: 01489 773889
E: Click here to email us.
Office opening times:
8.00am to 5.30pm Monday To Friday
Workshop Opening Times:
8.00am to 4.30pm Monday To Friday
Tel: 01489 773888 Fax: 01489 773889 www.supertracker com
Designed and Electronically Published by Sapphire Media (01206 822320) and DBA Graphics (01206 804890)
You can also read
