A-Z Motor Spares Quality At The Right Price
WWW.A2ZMOTORSPARES.COM
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A-Z Motor Spares has plenty to be proud of. Steeped in family heritage, strong values and a desire to provide the best service, the business has grown from a small shop in Dewsbury to the national distributor it is today through determination, innovation and, as its cornerstone, exceptional customer service.
How It Began Formed in 1991 by brothers Amin and Zaheer Suleman, A-Z Motor Spares was, and remains to this day, a family legacy. Amin and Zaheer’s father Mr Mohammad Suleman began exporting parts from the UK to Pakistan in the late 1970s. They specialised in parts for Bedford buses which were in huge demand in Pakistan. They supplied end-user garages, as well as Pakistani-based wholesalers with a variety of engine and chassis parts. The business was a huge success. In 1991 their father advised the two young men, then aged 19 and 17 respectively, to start such a business in the UK. Their names, Amin and Zaheer this is how the name originated A to Z , along with their decision to offer a wide variety of parts, created the name that is now synonymous with motor parts across the UK.
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Starting a business in Dewsbury in West Yorkshire in 1991, supplying automotive parts, was harder than they had anticipated. Due to their lack of track record and credibility they struggled to obtain parts from the major brands.
In Yorkshire they were competing against the likes of Andrew Page and other national parts distribution firms who were able to keep costs low due to their buying power. The major parts suppliers refused to even meet with them and obtaining supplier status from key manufacturers and distributors seemed impossible. They remained undeterred; their family’s success ensured that they retained focus on creating a legacy of their own. Their small shop in the heart of Dewsbury became known for its customer service and fair pricing. Their reputation allowed them to build a small but sustainable growing business, supplying many local garages and DIY customers.
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Expansion Into The Midlands In 1992, Mohammad Yasin, brotherin-law of Amin and Zaheer, joined the company and opened a second store in Stoke-on-Trent. This store operated completely independently from the original store in Dewsbury but used the same name and branding. Once the Stoke branch was established, Mohammed Yasin took a step back from the store and two more family members took over day-to-day operational duties. Coincidentally, the names of the two managers of this branch were also Amin and Zaheer (Mohammad Amin and Zaheer Ahmed).
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Having studied for a degree in Mechanical Engineering and experienced four years working across the globe with multinational automotive and aerospace organisation GKN Plc, Mohammad Yasin brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the family business.
He was able to introduce Automotive Distributors Ltd (ADL), via a contact he had made in Japan, whilst working for GKN. This then opened doors for the business and enabled A-Z to work with key suppliers such as Ferodo, Mintex, Valeo and LuK, providing their client base with the best parts at competitive prices.
Business Growth Each branch was run by a family member and the industry knowledge, business operations and customer service success was taught by the existing branch owners. The Yorkshire branches were supported by Amin Suleman, and the Midlands by Mohammad Amin.
This was a pivotal moment in the business’ history and was the catalyst for their future success.
In 1997 Mohammad Nadeem and Saeed Ahmed joined the management team.
These rapid supply chain improvements led to expansion. Via family members the business grew to open further branches in North Stoke, Wakefield (owned by brothers Tahir Khaliq and Azar Khaliq), Stafford (owned by brothers Mohammad Masood and Mohammad Naheem) and Birmingham (owned by Ishtiaq Rehman).
Mohammed Nadeem, with his knowledge of accounts and business operations, was given the overall responsibility for the Stoke branch. The family members involved in the business decided to revolutionise the entire business operation. Up to this point all branches were run independently and were responsible for managing their own accounts, purchasing, staff and sales. They were all formed as partnerships and a decision was made to become limited companies.
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In 2004, UAN (United Aftermarket Network) was established by Andrew and Rachel Dickinson, and Mohammad Amin was asked to join their purchasing committee.
This enabled A-Z to work on a national basis, gave further increased buying power and provided incredible opportunities to supply parts across the UK. This alliance completely revolutionised the business and its potential. UAN was later sold to GAU Buying Group, which is now named Alliance Automotive Group (AAG), which is part of a global billion-dollar business: Genuine Parts Company (GPC). Being involved with such a vast and influential organisation has ensured that A-Z can always provide competitive pricing and is at the forefront of industry changes and innovation. In 2005, Automotive Components Distribution (ACD), was established to act as a hub to purchase stock in bulk, supplying all branches in order to create buying power and reduce the cost of purchasing stock directly from the manufacturers. Mohammad Nadeem was made Managing Director of ACD along with Ishtiaq Rehman as Technical Director.
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Not only did this move increase buying power, and therefore reduce costs, it enabled overheads to be centralised, improving the profitability across all branches. The business enjoyed rapid growth in all geographical areas as a direct result. Customer Service And OldFashioned Values The business believes that rather than worrying about the activity of the competition, the business should focus on being the best that it can be and this is instilled in every member of staff, which across the group is in excess of 100. The business focuses strongly on quality of service. They aim to deliver parts within 15 minutes of a request from a garage. They understand that if the garage has a car on a ramp that needs a part, every moment that they wait is costing the garage valuable time and money. They endeavour to continually improve response times and stock availability.
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The focus of the business is customer service and satisfaction. It has a simple and transparent pricing policy: adding a fixed margin to all parts which are purchased at the lowest possible prices.
It is obvious that this organisation is confident in their ability to provide excellent quality parts at the right price and will not reduce their margins to compete. They are quite simply providing the best products at the best prices they can. A-Z branches are vast, with Stoke and Birmingham being two of the largest stores. The size, coupled with the longevity of the business, makes it clear that this robust business is here to stay. The Recipe For Success The secret to the success and longevity of the business is attributed, quite rightly, to its staff. The majority have worked for the business in excess of 10 years, with some enjoying up to 24 years’ service. Staff are treated as family. There is a strong bond between the directors and staff which extends beyond the store and involves regular shared dinners and family get-togethers.
Each team member has instilled within them the same customer service values seeking at all times to exceed expectations. Technological Advancements The business has successfully ridden the rollercoaster of change, seeing their stock system develop from sheets of A4 paper and a lot of running up and down stairs to check stock availability, to a fully operational and bespoke computer software system. Yasin and his team worked closely with the developers to ensure that the customer journey was faultless. Considering how customer buying trends have changed, as well as the face-to-face sales within branches, each branch also now has its own ecommerce website and Ebay store with in excess of 27,000 individual positive feedback reports.
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The business trades solely on customer service, reputation and brand, with no sales reps visiting potential customers to grow its base. This is something the business has no desire to change. They simply don’t feel it necessary.
To date, their business has been built on reliability and service, and that is something they prefer potential customers to experience rather than hear about from a sales person. The international customer reviews collected via third party “Trustpilot” are testament to the company’s desire to provide great service anywhere in the world. Social Media And Marketing The VRM (Vehicle Registration Marque) e-commerce website lists every available part. It’s a recent addition to their arsenal but will surely prove as successful as their other routes to market. They have also recently set up a Facebook page for the business and are exploring the various platforms available to keep in line with marketing trends. A-Z fully appreciate that to retain their market share, the way in which they market the business needs to change and fortunately that doesn’t frighten them in the slightest.
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The Future A-Z is a well-established and successful business ready for the next generation of entrepreneurs to take on and create their own successes. The scope of the business is infinite, and the family legacy is ready and waiting to be passed down from generation to generation. With advancements in technology, the evolution of motor vehicles and the increasing expectations of consumers the future of this business could look very different. It is obvious that it will always be immensely proud of its heritage and its values.
The overwhelming success of A-Z Motor Spares would not have been possible without the dedication and determination of Amin and Zaheer Suleman in the founding branch in Dewsbury. All the individual branches have played huge parts in the group’s success. In particular, the incredible results from the Birmingham branch, have been the catalyst that has transformed us into the business we are today. To all our staff, customers and suppliers, we give our thanks for your unwavering support.
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Rolling
A to Z Motor Spares Dewsbury Ltd Unit 4B Bridge Mill Industrial Estate WF12 9BQ
A to Z Motor Spares Wakefield Unit 6, Lawefield Park Lawefield Ln Wakefield WF2 8ST
Tel: 01924 510000 Email: info@atozmotorspares.co.uk
Tel: 01924 369000 Email: info@azcarparts.co.uk www.azcarparts.co.uk
A to Z Motor Spares King St Stoke-on-Trent ST4 3QT
A to Z Motor Spares Stafford Ltd Unit 9 Litchfield Road Stafford ST17 4JU
A to Z Truck Parts Ltd 148-152 Litchfield St, Hanley Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3DS
Tel: 01782 593400 Email: info@a2zmotorspares.co.uk www.a2zmotorspares.com
Tel: 01785 227777 Email: atozmotorfactors@btconnect.com
Tel: 01782 286900 Email: aztruckparts@hotmail.co.uk
WWW.A2ZMOTORSPARES.COM
A To Z Auto Parts Ltd 106-112 Emily St Birmingham B12 0SL Tel: 0121 440 1313 Email: info@atozautoparts.net www.atozautoparts.net