The Garage 361

NEWS
GSF Car Parts launches
London expansion with
new Wembley branch
STRAIGHTSET equips
new Technical Training
Academy in Derby for KIA
Leading motor factor GSF Car Parts
began ambitious plans to supercharge its
presence in the capital with the opening
of its new Wembley branch.
This is the second branch the parts supplier has opened in
2024 and the first of several new sites it’s set to open in
the greater London area this year. It also marks a milestone
for Sukhpal Ahluwalia, with Wembley being home turf for GSF’s
Executive Chairman.
GSF supplies thousands of independent garages, national
chains and retail customers (via www.GSFcarparts.com)
throughout the UK with parts, tools, garage equipment and
specialist training via its network of more than 180 branches.
Joining 13 other branches in the London area, the new
Wembley branch is managed by Faraz Sarwar, whose team has
more than a century’s experience in the trade.
GSF Car Parts CEO Steve Horne said: “This is a really
important launch for us as it is part of our strategy for London.
We know there are scores of customers in the Wembley area
that we can provide an excellent service to, so the new branch
team are looking forward to building the kind of relationships
that will enable GSF to supercharge their business and ours.
“We’ve got more greenfield openings in London and the rest
of the UK coming soon as part of our national expansion, so
there’s a real feeling of momentum and positivity across team
GSF at the moment. We’re on an exciting journey and it’s great
to have more team members to bring along for the ride.”
By 2025 GSF will operate more than 200 branches across the
UK, making it the fastest growing provider in the industry.
GSF Car Parts Executive Chairman Sukhpal Ahluwalia said:
“The GSF team are doing a tremendous job of accelerating our
growth by getting these new branches kitted out, stocked up
and ready to trade in record time. Being at our Wembley branch
when it opened reminded me of my early days in the trade many
years ago and it’s great to see our team have the same hunger to
win as I did back then.
“I know exactly what it takes to succeed in the London
market, so we’re doing everything in our power to get our
new and existing branches all the resources they need to get
customers across the city the parts they need.”
Straightset design and fit 40,000 sq. ft.
bespoke training workshop including the
latest training technology, customised
for Kia UK.
Straightset, a leading independent UK garage equipment
company, is pleased to showcase its part in the opening
of a cutting edge training centre customised by the
specialist team at Straightset.
Kia UK chose Straightset to design, equip and install the stateof-the-art
workshop working in conjunction with Parogon
Contracts Ltd to offer a new training facility to provide a home
for the next generation of Kia apprenticeship and dealer
training programmes.
Kia, who partnered with Skillnet earlier this year to lead their
apprentice training, will use the training centre to adopt a
blended learning approach that integrates the latest digital
tools and hands-on experience.
Straightset, renowned for their quality garage equipment and
exceptional aftercare, designed the training centre exclusively
for Kia UK to provide quality and pioneering technical training
to the next generation of automotive professionals.
Having recently launched their own training centre at
Straightset headquarters in Worksop, Straightset were uniquely
placed to advise on training environment needs and to ensure
the design of an optimum space for students and educators.
The workshop was fitted out with the very latest vehicle
lifts from SPACE as well as the latest 2-post lifts specifically
designed for electric vehicles, future proofing the workshop for
Kia vehicles.
The training workshop incorporates:
l Dedicated, bespoke-designed workbench solutions
complete with Bahco tooling arranged in foam inlays,
l HPA-Faip tyre and workshop equipment,
l the latest Q Lign Wheel Alignment System from Beissbarth,
l integrated air, water and lubrication services.
To create and impressive workshop to meet the evolving
demands of the automotive industry.
Andrew Bates, Sales Director at Straightset, said: “We
were delighted to be appointed to work on the creation of
Kia’s new Training Academy which allowed us to demonstrate
our expertise in garage design and fit-out for a training
environment. The recent opening and success of our own
training crentre highlights the increasing investment companies
are making in developing and training their staff.”
THE GARAGE 17
17, News GSF and Straightset.indd 1 27/03/2024 12:57