A very special month for Dealer Support

The end of April is almost here, which means it’s not long until we welcome you all to Dealer Support LIVE 2023! We are really looking forward to seeing you all at the Coventry Building Society Arena on the 27th of April for a day of learning and networking, curated specifically with the independent dealer in mind.

From the exhibition, to the panel sessions, breakout seminars and workshops, delegates will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the future of our industry from those working across its entire spectrum - wholesalers, manufacturers, suppliers, dealer groups, dealers - and more. It promises to be a really successful day, bringing all aspects of the industry together.

As well as being the month of our event, April also brings a very special edition of Dealer Support magazine! This month’s issue is our ‘Industry Insight Edition’ where we take a big picture look at the industry. We’ve spoken to key industry stakeholders, from wholesalers and service providers, and have canvassed the views and experiences of hundreds of dealers – and all are captured in the results of our survey.

There has been a lot of change in the industry over the last few years, and this year appears to be bringing even more big changes, particularly around wholesale, distribution and logistics. As a result, here at Dealer Support, we felt now was a good time to sit down with some of the industry’s major figureheads to discuss the significant period of change we’ve experienced and get their perspective on what’s gone before - and what the future of the industry looks like to them - as well as providing an update on their standing in the industry.

We spoke to two wholesalers and a service provider to get a broad view of the channel, our aim being to give dealers a much-needed insight into what they can expect from Nectere, Spicers UK and Exertis Supplies. What plans do each of these major players have in place to support the dealer community? What are they promising to bring to the table in 2023 and beyond? You’ll find out in this issue.

We also present the findings of our ‘voice of the dealer’ survey in a special eight-page report where we share the views, opinions and experiences of hundreds of dealers. This survey provides an incredibly valuable insight into the lived realities of dealer businesses and how they have operated during an extended period of uncertainty, as well as looking at their predictions and hopes for the future. We thank all the dealers who responded to our survey and provided us with these vital insights into the state of the industry and community – full report starts on page 10.

As always, don’t forget to chat to us on Twitter or LinkedIn and let us know your thoughts and opinions: @dealersupport.

Ellie Potter Editor

EDITORIAL

Eleanor Potter

Joanna Bailey

ADVERTISING

Claire Peacock

CREATIVES Amanda Lancaster

PUBLISHING SUPPORT

Kariny Venkatasamy

Nick Oleskiw hello@dealersupport.co.uk

PUBLISHER & CEO

Vicki Baloch

Industry

06 THE MONTH THAT WAS The headline news from the industry

08 NEWS EXTRA Bright and positive - Nectere’s management buyout

10 VOICE OF THE DEALER: THE DEALER SUPPORT SURVEY RESULTS

We reflect on the year that has been, and the one that lies ahead, as we present the results of our 2023 dealer survey

18 DEALER SUPPORT’S ‘INDUSTRY INSIGHT EDITION’

What to expect from our April edition

Leadership

20 EXERTIS SUPPLIES: SIMPLICITY IS THE KEY TO BRILLIANCE

Why Andrew Beaumont believes a simple business model is most effective

24 SPICERS: A TALE OF TRANSFORMATION

We sit down with Steve Morley who fills us in on a rollercoaster three years

30 FLEXING TO SUPPORT DIVERSIFICATION - INSIDE NECTERE

Steve Harrop gives us the lowdown on all the changes that have been happening

Live It

34 FATHER P. CLIP

The good Father on customers, contracts and keeping ahead

36 LIVE IT

Take a break and enjoy some lighthearted fun

38 FINAL WORD

Championing retailers’ future by building and maintaining dealer relationships