Wheel repair specialist gears up with further investment

Da Techs has made a further £30,000 investment in its Adlington facility due to unprecedented demand for its innovative alloy wheel repair service since it opened at the start of the year.

The custom-built unit opened in January following a £100,000 refit, but already the oven in the unit has had to be replaced with a five-times larger model, due to the huge demand from both private and commercial clients for alloy wheel repairs.

The increased demand is, in part, due to the fact that Da Techs is now able to repair both standard alloy wheels as well as diamond cut alloys, for all makes of cars.

Repairing standard alloy wheels now accounts for around a third of all business in the Adlington unit, near Chorley.

Demand is such that a new technician supervisor, Andy Rimmer, has also been recruited to help supervise work and make sure standards are maintained as volume continues to increase.

Co-owner Phil Barnard joined the company full time in April and Da Techs is now looking to recruit apprentice technicians.

The firm’s mobile diamond cut alloy repair service, which makes repairs at dealerships and car supermarkets across the North-West, is now operating at capacity, being called upon by dealers across the region.

The mobile service enables dealers to turn around vehicles to prospective buyers much more quickly, saving them thousands of pounds over the course of a year. For example, one large car supermarket has reduced the turnaround time for repairs by 75% from four days down to one.

Chairman Pete Radcliffe said: “The last few months have been a real roller coaster.

“There’s been a massive increase in demand and it’s been a lot of hard work, along with a steep learning curve, making sure we’re investing in the right equipment to put the business on a sustainable and successful footing.

“There can sometimes be a risk in expanding too fast – for example we have to keep an eye on cashflow when we’re investing so much in new kit.

“We think, though, we’ve got the balance right and there will be some more announcements from us in the next few months.”