The future is volume, according to Parkford’s Managing Director Chris Herman. Having grabbed the opportunity to take on a Tesco repair contract (as a result of Tesco switching from RBS to Fortis), Parkford has been able to keep its existing bodyshop site open and expand simultaneously. The development, which is already operational, will double Parkford’s repair capacity and give the bodyshop a fresh look.

‘We’ve spent a lot of money on premises, equipment and staff – over £2.5 million on the new workshop alone – and we also have meeting rooms and facilities for companies to arrange business,’ said Chris. ‘We get a lot of clients who like to meet away from their own base and this area (Parkford is based in Taplow, located just off the M4 – 15 miles west of Heathrow Airport) is ideal. It is likely that we will offer our facilities to customers and suppliers on a no-profit basis to encourage goodwill and generate a feeling of partnership, involvement and co-operation.’

As if that wasn’t enough, Chris has also bought 50% of Windsorian Accident Repairs in Windsor to complement Parkford. Windsorian has two premium contracts in CIS and British Telecom and Windsorian MD Trevor Kirby is already using Parkford’s support to focus on blue chip clients. This has also given Parkford the option of utilising the sites in a different way. ‘It might be that we will use one site or part of one to focus on fast-track repairs,’ explained Chris. ‘We carry out a lot of one-day repair work, therefore we need to make ourselves as effective as possible in that area’.

Within a stagnating, mature bodyshop market, the amount of fast/Smart repairs has grown exponentially, highlighted by the rise of AutoRestore. Chris believes that these companies are here to stay and bodyshops need to adapt as a result.

‘We need to increase the scope of our fast repair business,’ said Chris. ‘We have good key to key times but it’s something that we need to build on.’

Integral

The future for Parkford will be heavily influenced by Georgina Herman, Parkfords’ Solutions Manager, who has been integral to the bodyshop’s development and growth. Having completed a degree in communication studies and philosophy, Georgina never intended to enter body repair. However, she had previously worked for JC National (which is now JCA Coatings and was previously owned by Parkford until 2000) and Fix Auto and, after accepting a role at Parkford in 2006, she hasn’t looked back.

‘Life just takes you on a route – you can’t plan for it,’ said Georgina. ‘I’d previously worked with a lot of the people currently at Parkford, but being here definitely increased my awareness and made me more dedicated and committed than ever before.’

Georgina played a big part in Parkford achieving PAS 125 last year, and Windsorian Accident Repairs has followed suit in 2010. As a believer in processes and management systems, Georgina differentiates herself from Chris, who admits that he is more inclined to focus on technical issues. ‘We have empowered our employees,’ said Chris. ‘We don’t want them to constantly have to refer decisions back up the line – it takes time and is counter-productive.’

Parkford Coachworks was the centre of attention in 2008 when Chris and Georgina fronted bodyshop’s 2008 industry event. The bodyshop was scrutinised and examined by a wide range of delegates from the repair industry. As well as this, the relationship between Chris and Georgina was also put under the microscope. Does the juxtaposition of Chris and Georgina and their methods cause regular clashes between the pair? ‘We get on really well, but there is occasionally a battle between us on minor issues,’ explained Chris. ‘However, I think we’re closer because we see so much of each other, but it is in a different environment and it’s hard to switch off outside of work.’

Ironically, Georgina disagrees with her father’s sentiment. ‘Chris believes in common sense, but I don’t think there’s any such thing, so of course we disagree sometimes. I do miss our old relationship and would like to see more of my father outside of work. I’d imagine that it’s the same for other bodyshops in the same position. You have to work hard at the relationship and be very guarded to make sure it doesn’t interfere.’

United

It’s not just employee relationships that have changed for Parkford in recent years. The bodyshop was a founder member of Fix Auto and recently ended its VAG approval contract. ‘The VAG approval wasn’t really bringing in extra work as there are several VAG repairers nearby,’ said Georgina. ‘We were using it as a quality standard, but that became less relevant because of the Kitemark. However, we do place a high value on the quality of the VAG organisation and understand that we will be able to reapply as and when our current commitments give us the time to spend. We are not a half-hearted business, therefore we either commit fully or not at all.’

On joining and leaving Fix Auto, Chris said, ‘If you pay somebody money to do things that you should be doing anyway, whilst giving them title to your business, it doesn’t feel like a good deal. We joined on a promise, stayed with it for a couple of years and left on good terms, but we can’t deliver individual customer service if we’re not in full control.

Despite this, both Georgina and Chris can see the positives of independent repair groups, such as Synergy, who have united bodyshops to show strength when negotiating with insurers and suppliers.

‘We’re absolutely committed to this industry,’ said Chris. ‘Our new building will mean more technicians, equipment and management. All of our earnings have been re-invested in the business.’

Despite all this investment and change for Parkford, one key issue still remains – when is the time right for Chris, who has already come out of a two year retirement, to stand aside? Chris has already partially stepped back from the business, and currently works seven out of 10 days in every fortnight. However, as the owner of the premises, Chris will always have a vested interest in the site and therefore the bodyshop as a business.

‘I can’t switch off,’ admitted Chris. ‘The business will have to develop to accommodate the changes that will be needed.' Is one of the changes Georgina stepping up to a higher profile within the business? ‘It’s something we’ve talked about,’ said Chris. ‘We’ve talked about many other options too, such as Georgina moving to Windsorian to work with Trevor Kirby, but we haven’t got a definitive plan. For now, Georgina is focusing on the Tesco contract, but one day the big change will happen.’ Georgina explains that the difficulty surrounding a potential reorganisation is that 'Chris’s personality is stamped here – it's cultural and embedded. It will be interesting to see a succession plan as no-one knows where the industry will be. If I am running a bodyshop, I don’t think it will be a bodyshop like we know it now.’

Chris said, ‘We are a volume bodyshop through and through and have made the commitment to service the volume client. We have based our style on reacting to the needs of the insurer whatever they may be.’