Northern Accident prepares for a tough year
OLDHAM-based car repair group Northern Accident Repair Holdings has increased turnover to £8.16m for 2010, but is anticipating a 10% fall in overall profitability this year.
The group employs around 100 staff and operates four accident repair centres in Manchester, Rochdale, Halifax and Castleford.
Turnover increased 3.7% to £8.16m for the year to the end of December 2010 (2009: £7.87), while pre-tax profits increased 8% to £498,798 (2009: £461,852).
In recently filed accounts, the company said growth had primarily been driven by the improved performance of the Manchester site.
Richard Holmes, finance director of Northern Accident Repair, told TheBusinessDesk: “The Manchester site is the most recent acquisition and so is on a growth curve. The other sites are quite mature.”
He added that the poor weather at the start of last year had a dramatic effect.
“The bad weather in January and February 2010 gave us a good start to the year,” he said.
“In a very difficult marketplace we are pleased with the results – it was another good year and all the sites performed well.”
However, he said the company would really feel the effects of the economic downturn this year, and there will probably be a 10% reduction in overall profitability.
“When times are tough by default car sales fall, so there are less cars on the road, particularly on the commercial side. And people are doing fewer car journeys.
“Statistics show the industry is down 25% in terms of the number of collisions, so we’ve still been doing well.” He said.
Two of the company’s eight directors are members of the Eglin family, which also owns OMC Motor Group. Managing director Andy Beswick previously ran a body shop for OMC before setting up the business in 2000.
