Easy deal for Northants automotive firm

Kettering-based fast-fit automotive group Easy Autocentres has bought West Midlands rival Kingshurst Automotive after securing funding support from Yorkshire Bank.

The acquisition of Birmingham-based Kingshurst was completed for an undisclosed sum in a deal led by Springboard Corporate Finance. The deal was completed with funding from Yorkshire Bank East Midlands.

Easy Autocentres is led by managing director Chris Kisby and operates under the HiQ franchise, with a network of 19 units across the Midlands region.

Kisby said: “Kingshurst has a strong reputation in its local market for providing exceptional customer service and is a great fit with our business. Strategically the acquisition provides an excellent addition to our existing network and with further acquisitions in the pipeline I look forward to the next exciting phase of development for Easy.”

Russell Kilner, relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Nottingham, said: “Since completing the management buy-out in 2008 from Goodyear Dunlop, Chris has successfully repositioned the business and rationalised the number of stores to a profitable core.

“We are pleased to have supported Chris on the Kingshurst acquisition and refinancing of Easy Autocentres.”