AutoMester, the full service garage concept from Hella Ireland, was officially launched in May. The concept has already attracted interest from many progressive garages looking for the type of business support services and technical back-up that will allow them to flourish in a rapidly changing market.

At the official launch, the reasoning behind the introduction of AutoMester was explained and the team behind the concept in Ireland were joined by Nordic Forum colleagues from Norway and Denmark, who were able to explain in more detail the success of the concept in their countries.

Sandra Baas, Business Development Manager, Garage Concepts in the Nordic Forum pointed out that garages in Ireland currently face pressure from many angles. In particular, there is the external pressure of increased competition from main dealer service outlets and quick fit operations, while internally they have to deal with issues such as increased technical complexity and access to technical data, the need for better marketing and making their business systems more efficient.

Facing these major challenges can seem daunting to a garage on its own, but they become more easily manageable when a business has the back-up support and resources of a concept group. AutoMester aims to provide this, offering a complete package of support including, comprehensive technical information, training, specialised garage business software, group marketing, business services and a peer to peer communications forum. Sandra said, “AutoMester brings together a package of support that can boost a garage’s individual profitability and make it part of a concept that has the potential to offer the motorist a real alternative to main dealer networks.”

An initial batch of garages has already joined the scheme and many more are expected to sign up over the coming months, creating a fast expanding countrywide network.

More details on the AutoMester concept in the June issue of Autobiz.