A major restructuring at BCA has laid the foundations for a new era of improved services for fleet operators and potential future acquisitions, the group’s executive chairman has revealed.
Avril Palmer-Baunack announced a new shape for the business earlier this year as the company adapts following recent purchases that will play a key part in its growth plans.
Investments have included the acquisition of Ambrosetti and Paragon Automotive, Stobart Automotive and Scottish Motor Auctions.
The strategy for growth has already seen the company’s share price rise nearly 50% since it floated on the stock market in 2014.
All companies are now under the BCA brand. BCA Vehicle Services provides new vehicle services; BCA Fleet Solutions delivers fleet management, defleet and refurbishment services; BCA Automotive handles multiple vehicle logistics; and BCA Logistics provides single vehicle movements. BCA Remarketing continues to deliver physical and digital vehicle remarketing services.
Each company has its own managing director, with BCA Vehicle Services led by Paul Bromley, BCA Fleet Solutions by Tony Booth, BCA Automotive by Nigel Glenn and BCA Logistics by Dean Hulse. BCA UK Remarketing has chief operating officer Simon Henstock at the helm.
Although they are separate brands, their joint ownership is the key to providing fleets with quicker and more efficient services, according to Palmer-Baunack.
She said: “Customers are looking for innovative solutions and we have reshaped our business to allow us to shorten or remove links through the supply chain, allowing more vehicles to move more efficiently.”
Fleet managers will benefit because this consolidated supply chain will mean fewer companies are involved in the provision of services. This, in turn, reduces the paperwork and administration involved in managing and moving vehicles.
BCA can also take a holistic view of the whole supply chain to identify where processes can be made quicker and more efficient. It contends that the savings in both time and money will prove significant.
Palmer-Baunack added: “BCA has created a range of support services that provide unrivalled opportunities to drive efficiency across the supply chain. Over the coming year, we will see closer integration of operations across BCA to create value-added solutions for customers.”
An integrated business is also essential to deliver BCA’s ambitions for its digital services, which will make it easier for customers to manage vehicles across the supply chain.
In addition the company will be able to use the data generated from the businesses to provide insights on best practice processes that can be fed back to customers.
Palmer-Baunack said: “BCA offers expert advice that is informed by an experienced and talented management team and the largest data set in the sector. This enables trends to be monitored and anticipated and for effective forward planning to deliver an efficient supply chain.”
Under the new structure, the company can deliver complex defleet and remarketing packages to motor industry customers including reconditioning, conversion, pre-delivery inspection, servicing, storage and onward movement to its remarketing centres.
This allows vehicles to be directed to regional refurbishment centres or remarketing centres as required, maximising returns and speeding up the sale process.
However, in addition to investment in expansion of new services, the company is still ensuring its historic strength in physical auctions remains.
Last month, BCA opened a new 20-acre multi-million pound remarketing and logistics facility at Perry Barr, Birmingham.
It is also making substantial investment at other physical auction sites including Blackbushe, Belle Vue Manchester and Bedford.
“Our development of BCA continues to enhance and develop long-term relationships with our current customers and also drive new business wins across the automotive landscape,” Palmer-Baunack said. “I am delighted by the continued progress being made throughout the business as we broaden our offering.”
As part of this wider offering, the executive chairman said that the company did not rule out more expansion over the next year.
She added: “There remain opportunities for further expansion in both the UK and continental Europe. Our strategy is based on both organic growth and acquisitions and, therefore, if we identify value opportunities we will look to acquire them.”
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