Spartan Motor Factors by A&P Media

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

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DEDICATED TO MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER

INTRODUCTION SPARTANS VISION

SPARTAN’S VISION

With six branches covering around 22,000 square feet, 31 vans in the delivery fleet, and 52 members of staff monitoring, selling and delivering more than £1.5 million of stock, Spartan Motor Factors has quickly established itself as the motor factor of choice for garages and independent servicing franchises throughout the South Wales and Bristol area. A commitment to employing only the very best staff and then investing heavily in their training and development has certainly reaped dividends; Spartan Motor Factors was named Car and Accessory Trader (CAT) magazine’s Motor Factor of the Year in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The chain is now the fastest growing motor factor in Wales in addition to being one of Wales’ Top Ten fastest growing companies regardless of sector.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE BRANCH

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THE HISTORY OF SPARTAN MOTORS

Spartan Motor Factors originated in 2012 when

Named

Car

and

Accessory

Trader

(CAT)

the three directors realised that their combined

magazine’s Small Motor Factor of the Year in

experience left them uniquely placed to exploit a

2013, 2014 and 2015, the three men attribute

void in the motor factor business in South Wales.

their success to their motto: Go The Extra Mile.

They realised the old model wasn’t working for

“We’ll do whatever it takes to get the right part

the motor trade anymore and felt that garages

at the right price to the customer at the right

were not benefiting from the technological

time,” says Jason Farrugia. “We want our

developments automotive

that

and

had

motor

transformed

the

customers coming back to us for years to come,

industry

the

and they’ll only do that if they have complete faith

21st century.

in us and our ability to support them.”

One of the directors, Jason Farrugia, came to

Being named one of the ten fastest growing

Spartan from the RAF, while the other two, Lee

companies in Wales in 2014 was further

Gratton & Daniel Webb, had a strong background

validation that Jason and his team were on the

in the motor factor trade in the area. The three

right track, and Spartan is now Wales’ fastest

friends pooled their skills to open the first

growing vehicle parts supplier.

branch in Newport in January 2012. June 2017 saw the group open its “WE’LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THE RIGHT

Bridgend branch, the newest in the

PART AT THE RIGHT PRICE TO THE CUSTOMER AT THE

chain,

RIGHT TIME,” SAYS JASON FARRUGIA

position as the supplier of choice for

further

consolidating

its

the independent garage in the south Wales and Bristol area. Their faith was instantly repaid, and Spartan Motor Factors has since grown from strength to strength, averaging a new branch opening every year. It now has six branches throughout south Wales and the west of England and a growing, loyal customer base.

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THE HISTORY OF SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS

NEWPORT BRANCH

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JOINING THE IFA

Joining the Independent Motor Factors Association Ltd (IFA) was a pivotal moment in the company’s development, allowing Spartan to access a range of parts and spares that was previously only available at inflated prices. “We didn’t realise what a bad deal we’d been getting until we saw how much we’d save by buying through the IFA,’ said Jason with a rueful smile. “It’s the best move we ever made,” he goes on to explain. “We’re getting the very best prices possible and we can pass those savings on to the customer.” Most importantly, membership of the IFA has provided Spartan Motor Factors with access to several key OE suppliers such as KYB, Federal Mogul and Schaeffler. Also, being able to pick the brains of other motor factors within the IFA has allowed Spartan to benefit from the group’s vast range of experience; networking with other companies across the United Kingdom has given Jason and his team the chance to hone their ideas and streamline their business, further benefiting Spartan’s growing customer base.

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AVONMOUTH BRANCH

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SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS PRODUCT RANGE

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The Spartan team spent a long time identifying the very best original equipment manufacturers, followed by long and painstaking negotiations to get the very best deal it could on price and delivery. The negotiations might have been painstaking, but they paid off and Spartan can now boast of working with more than 100 suppliers and companies to bring its customers the very best products from respected brands including Bosch, Lucas, Banner, Yuasa, Ferodo, Champion, Intermotor, FAI, and Blueprint who supply its service and repair parts. Other companies, including Comma, Wynn’s and Castrol, supply Spartan’s wide range of oils and fluids. Working with companies of this calibre means that Spartan’s customers fit only O/E quality products, enabling them to take advantage of the EU’s ruling on Motor Vehicle Block Exemption, which allows independent garages to service entire vehicle fleets regardless of age. This provides their customers with the reassurance that the manufacturer must uphold the vehicle’s warranty even when it has been serviced outside of the main dealer network. This rock-solid guarantee gives fleet managers and owner-operators more flexibility in where and when they have their fleet serviced, allowing them to simplify their vehicle maintenance and invoicing procedures, turning any garage or service depot into a One Stop Shop for all their servicing and repair requirements.

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We are a family run supplier of Professional Automotive Tools based in Somerset in the south west of England, we pride ourselves on providing great customer service combined with offering an increasing range of high quality professional Automotive tools. We are ideally located for fast, reliable distribution throughout the UK and Europe. Toolhub LtdÂ Professional Automotive Tools Unit 6, Dunball Trading Estate Dunball, Bridgwater Somerset TA6 4TP

www.thetoolhub.co.uk

Call us now: +44 01278-683879

SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS STOCK LEVELS Every single one of the six Spartan Motor Factors branches carries the same £200,000-worth of core stock, carefully selected to ensure that a generalist garage’s everyday service and repair needs can be met quickly and cost-effectively. Each branch is then topped-up with at least £100,000-worth of products, which have been tailored to meet both local demand and to ensure a more specialist range of parts is held across the whole of the area. The advantage of splitting stockholding across the company in this way allows Spartan to keep its prices as low as possible while still maintaining the car parc coverage the trade demands.

Spartan Motor Factors then uses its own staff and vans to get the part to their customers when they need it. “If the customer needs it, then we’ll pull out all the stops to get it to them,” said Jason. “We didn’t let the weather or logistical problems stop us in the RAF and we’ve tried to bring that mind-set to this business.” One example of this single-minded pursuit of customer service excellence is the delivery fleet, which includes a number of four-wheel-drive pickups. This means the Spartan delivery team can continue to distribute parts and supplies no matter what the weather throws at them and their customers.

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SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS

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CARDIFF BRANCH

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SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS PART IDENTIFICATION

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Spartan aims to supply the right part the first time because it knows how frustrating getting it wrong can be in terms of wasted time, ramp space, customer frustration and lost repeat business. As part of its drive to achieve this, Spartan has invested heavily in its IT infrastructure, which means that every branch can access the majority of the main dealer network parts listings, helping it pinpoint exactly what it is the customer needs with a high degree of accuracy. Spartan also handpicks every member of its sales team for the skills and attitude they can bring to the business; they employ team players that can bring their knowledge and experience to make the company even stronger across its entire network rather than just an individual branch. One of the benefits of taking this approach is that it has dedicated marque experts located across its six branches. A quick call from one of the branches to its German vehicle expert for example, will help Spartan staff identify exactly which part the customer needs to get the vehicle back on the road as quickly as possible.

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SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS COVERAGE Spartan Motor Factors covers the whole of south Wales and the Bristol and Weston-super-Mare area. Its 31-van fleet even includes several fourwheel-drive pickups to maintain its delivery capability no matter what the weather conditions underfoot.

Newport

Weston-Super-Mare

The first Spartan branch was Malpas Road in

With an accelerating new branch opening

Newport. Chosen for its location in the north of

programme,

the city, it opened in January 2012 and is still

outlet opened in January 2016, extending its

flourishing today.

reach into England for the first time.

Cardiff

Avonmouth

January 2013 saw Spartan open its second

Opening just a month after the Weston-Super-

branch, this time in Keen Road, Cardiff. The

Mare branch, this, the fifth factor, opened on St.

Cardiff branch also functions as Spartan HQ,

Andrew’s Trading Estate in Avonmouth. It serves

housing a large tele-sales team and two of the

Bristol and the surrounding area.

Spartan’s

Weston-Super-Mare

directors. Bridgend A recent mezzanine floor doubled the warehouse

Having opened in June 2017, Bridgend is the

space, allowing an increased inventory to better

most recent branch in the chain. The store,

serve Spartan’s customers.

located in the old Unipart unit, has benefitted from an enormous investment in time, money

Barry

and IT infrastructure, bringing all of Spartan’s six

The Barry branch opened in April 2015,

years’ experience to this, its newest and most

extending Spartan’s reach and giving valuable

exciting opening.

exposure in this crucial area.

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BARRY BRANCH

BRIDGEND BRANCH

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SPARTAN MOTOR FACTORS KEY SUPPLIERS

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Over 25 Years of Remanufacturing Experience

FBS Automotive is a leading UK distributor of Hydraulic & Electric Steering Products. In 2014 we diversified the range of products we supply to our customers. In addition to our extensive range of Steering Products we also supply, Calipers, Ignition Leads, Starter Motors and Alternators.

T. 01924 565355 E. info@fbsautomotive.co.uk

www.fbsautomotive.co.uk

STAFF TRAINING

Spartan’s commitment to recruiting and training the very best staff it can is unrivalled. It refuses to employ any but the very best in the business, which means subjecting job applicants to an exhaustive interview and vetting process, during which many fall by the wayside. The ongoing training that staff receive is unrivalled. Spartan works closely with its suppliers to ensure that every customer-facing employee can talk knowledgeably about the products they sell. Spartan’s job doesn’t end when it sells a product; it needs to ensure that the customer knows how a product should be fitted, and why. As an example, modern stop/start systems take a heavy toll on a vehicle’s electrical system and battery failures after 3-4 years are common. Yet, a modern stop/start battery cannot be replaced in the same way as those on older cars - and doing so incorrectly can cause a number of problems to arise. Spartan’s staff can help advise its customers on how to go about doing the job in the right way, minimising problems and ensuring that the whole process runs smoothly from beginning to end. This means that the customers’ vehicles continue to function exactly how the manufacturer intended, further driving loyalty and repeat business.

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SPARTAN DEVELOPMENTS

SPARTAN TOOLS & GARAGE EQUIPMENT Spartan

Motor

Factors

have

two

garage

equipment and tools specialists who can visit you at short notice and discuss your requirements. We stock a wide range of Sealey, Draper, Laser, Toolhub & Sykes-Pickavant products and can order any specialist tools on an overnight basis. Our specialists can advise on all types of lifting, testing and wheel servicing equipment from suppliers such as Hofman, Tecalemit and Bradbury. We can also arrange demonstrations on Launch & Autel diagnostics equipment. Please look out for our bi-monthly Smart Choice magazine which will contain special offers and advice on new product releases.

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AUTOMOTIVE & INDUSTRIAL PAINTS AND ANCILLARIES Spartan Motor Factors are now able to produce a full range of Automotive and Industrial paints from our Newport, Cardiff & Weston-super-Mare branches. We aim to make and deliver your paint in the same time frame as we deliver automotive parts, therefore offering a rapid service using the highest quality products. All branches also stock a full range of thinners, primers, hardeners, aerosols and body fillers.

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GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Cardiff Branch Unit 13, Swift Business Centre East Moors Industrial Estate Keen Rd, Cardiff CF24 5JR Tel: 029 2049 7271

Barry Branch Broad Island House Broad Street Barry CF62 7AD Tel: 01446 732908

Avonmouth Branch Unit 8, St Andrews Trading Estate Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9YE Tel: 01179 382619

Newport Branch 3C1 Albany Industrial Estate Newport NP20 5NS Tel: 01633 852100

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Bridgend Branch Unit 8, Ravens Close Bridgend Industrial Estate Bridgend CF34 3RF Tel: 01656 808909