Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake] is proud to have achieved re-certification to the ISO 27001 standard for Information Security Management Systems, ISO 9001 standard for Quality Management and ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management.  

The re-certification demonstrates the company’s commitment to best practice and professional standards in information security management, quality management and environmental management. 

In addition, Silverlake has been audited and re-certified to the VRA UK Standard for Reclaimed Parts, giving customers continued confidence in the quality of its products.  Reclaimed parts from Silverlake are quality graded, warranty assured and provenance tested.  The company has seen 46% growth over the last 12 months with a customer base that includes, insurers, bodyshops, garages and consumers.      

Commenting on the achievements, Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake said: “We maintain rigorous scrutiny of our processes and systems to ensure Silverlake meets the highest professional standards and delivers service excellence to our ever-increasing customer base.  It is very rewarding to successfully go through these robust audits and achieve re-certification. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my staff for their dedication in continuously meeting these standards in an operational capacity and in turn, giving our customers a service experience they trust and rely upon.”  

 

Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake] won a trio of industry awards at the ATF Professional Vehicle Recycling Awards, held on November 9th at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire.  Judges of the national awards determined Silverlake leading the field in the Recycled Vehicle Parts Supplier Award and Salvage Company Award and recognised the company’s commitment to local community as winner of the Community Impact Award.

Silverlake’s commitment to making reclaimed parts accessible to all, supported its Recycled Vehicle Parts Supplier award win.   The company has a customer centric, dual-service strategy to prioritise customer satisfaction.  Its ‘full-service’ offering sees it provide vehicle parts dismantled, quality graded and supplied with full provenance history and warranty, aligned with its VRA Certification to the UK Standard for Reclaimed Parts; over the counter, online and by phone, and via eBay representing the worldwide market.  Silverlake’s ‘self-service’ offering enables customers to safely dismantle their own parts from 350 breakers, updated daily, at its U-Pick-It Yard in Southampton.

The Salvage Company Award recognised the innovation Silverlake applies to its UK-wide operations which sees the business process 35,000+ salvage vehicles a year.   Salvage cars are sourced from B2B clients including insurers, garages and dealers, and B2C customers who can get a rapid quote by phone or the website.  In-house data analytics and market research informs the vehicle buying team and, together with an engineering assessment, determines whether a salvage vehicle is remarketed on the company’s online auction or processed for ‘full-service’ or ‘self-service’ parts.

Silverlake invests time and resources in its regional community, helping to build pride in the brand.  Winning the Community Impact Award recognises the many community initiatives supported by the business including, fundraising for community charities through its UDonateacar.com scheme; supporting local colleges and young people by supplying salvage vehicles for training courses and work experience placements; providing its site and salvage vehicles for emergency services training exercises; supporting the elderly and vulnerable in the region via sponsorship of the Blue Lamp Trust; and helping to keep the local football club at the heart of the community through its continued sponsorship of the Eastleigh Football Club stadium for the last 12 years.

Commenting on the award wins, Allen Prebble, managing director of Silverlake said: “I am over the moon for the business to have received this trio of awards, and the associated industry recognition, which reflects many years of hard work and investment.  None of this would be achievable without the dedication of our awesome team of people and I am full of admiration and thanks. Our membership of the e2e network sees us, alongside all members, driving for excellence in our owner lead, independent salvage businesses, united behind common network goals.  The power of that combined entrepreneurship and focus delivers unique and tangible value to e2e’s existing and prospective clients.”

 

Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake] has invested in state-of-the-art, bespoke lithium-ion battery storage containers as part of its fire risk assessment and mitigation strategy.  The move reflects the 21% increase in end-of-life hybrid and EV vehicles the business has handled in the last 12 months. 

According to the National Fire Chiefs Council, the reignition of lithium-ion batteries is possible after prolonged periods, after mechanical shock, heating or battery faults. They may also require extended periods of cooling and monitoring after a fire or collision.  Addressing these risks, Silverlake’s battery storage containers have external temperature gauges which monitor the temperature inside the container, alerting staff to any issues before they open the container doors. 

Internally, shelves house batteries of different makes and sizes and every shelf has its own fire suppression system.  Each battery has its own compartment and an individual temperature gauge, testing the air temperature around the battery to indicate any problems with individual batteries.  Internal and external temperature gauges are checked and recorded by staff twice daily.  Thermal imaging cameras are also fitted adjacent to the containers, providing 24 hour monitoring 365 days a year.   

In the event of a fire, external pipework feeds jets inside the storage container, enabling fire fighters to attach their equipment directly to a dedicated external vent to pump water/foam into the container, without having to open the container doors and allow oxygen to accelerate the fire.  Hampshire and IOW Fire & Rescue Services are so impressed with the system they have donated long length hoses, stored at Silverlake’s site, ready for use by fire fighters.    

The battery storage containers are cited in a designated EV area, away from the EV workshop and other site infrastructure and offices, mitigating the fire risk to people, vehicle stock and Silverlake operations.  Swift and easy access for fire engines was also used to help determine their position.

Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake said: “Fire risk safety and management is a priority at Silverlake. We saw this investment as an important step to future-proof our business, and keep our people and facilities safe, whilst addressing some of the potential fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries. The Silverlake team has received full training on EV handling and working practices and this training has been extended to include the use of the battery storage containers and monitoring, recording and escalation processes.

“As part of the e2e Total Loss Vehicle Management network, we have been pleased to host site visits for other members to share our experience of these battery storage solutions and we have received considerable interest from the wider market.  We recently successfully passed our annual fire safety inspection and the fire inspector was impressed by the design of the battery storage containers and the processes we have developed to gain maximum fire risk mitigation.  We anticipate battery recycling will continue to be a growing revenue stream for our business, as more EVs and hybrids hit the UK roads, and we plan to invest in further storage containers in 2024.”

 

The e2e Total Loss Vehicle Management Network is made up of a diverse range of independent, innovative vehicle recycling and salvage firms, operating collaboratively and united behind market leading service standards against which they are audited.  The ‘Meet the e2e Network Members’ blog has been developed to shine a light on the infrastructure, operational capabilities, knowledge, and expertise embedded in the network and demonstrate the progressive culture inherent in its members. 

ASM Auto Recycling [ASM] has been established for over 40 years and operates from five sites across Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. The business currently processes over 35,000 vehicles a year.  It offers for sale over 1,500 cars, vans, and motorbikes every week via the e2e network online auction Salvage Market platform, and it stores over 2,500 donor vehicles on site for the supply of quality-graded / warranty-assured reclaimed parts.

The head office in Thame, Oxfordshire, sits on a 20-acre state-of-the-art site.  This is where end-of-life vehicles are processed, depolluted, and dismantled for reclaimed parts or, salvage category permitting, remarketed on the online auction. Whilst vehicles are also comprehensively processed for scrap at this site, ASM’s main hub for scrap metal processing is at its 6-acre metal processing facility in Aylesbury.  The additional 2-acre satellite sites in Aylesbury, Kings Langley, and Luton provide the business with an extended cross-county footprint from which to service its customers and further support the e2e network.  28 collection vehicles, consisting of a mix of 8-car, 4-car, and 1-car transporters, together with a fleet of 7 parts delivery vans, enables the business to carry out salvage collection services and reclaimed parts deliveries nationally. 

Meeting the growing demand for reclaimed parts; the effective management of increasing volumes of end-of-life hybrid & electric vehicles; together with the subject of sustainability and realising the company’s SBTi targets to reduce its carbon emissions by 42% by 2030, have been set as business priorities by the management team at ASM, led by Chris Morgan. These business goals are underpinned with continued investment in facilities and infrastructure as ASM looks to the future. The company has recently undergone a £5million investment programme to restructure its main site to facilitate the processing of vehicles even more efficiently and effectively, whilst simultaneously enhancing the on-site experience for both its customers and staff. This programme of works included new vehicle preparation and EV workshops, increased warehousing capacity for the storage of reclaimed parts, new logistics and auction offices, additional five-high vehicle storage racking, and all associated IT enhancements. With a close eye on sustainability, solar panels have been fitted to all new buildings, enabling the running of both a fully solar powered warehouse and a newly installed electric car baler. Rainwater harvesting systems have also been extended to further support the company’s increasing on-site water requirements, including staff washrooms and the cleaning of vehicles. To further enhance carbon neutrality credentials, the electrification of all new plant and equipment is being actively incorporated when & where possible. All waste is reduced to the bare minimum, conforming with the waste hierarchy and company targets to meet zero waste to landfill by 2030.

Cultivating and maintaining professional standards is inherent in ASM’s DNA.  The business holds accreditations for ISO 9001 [quality management system], 14001 [environmental management system], and 27001 [information security management].  It is also certified to the VRA UK Standard for Reclaimed Parts.  Continuous training programmes to give staff maximum opportunity for personal growth and career development, whilst supporting business goals, are integral to achieving high staff retention rates and positive morale amongst the ASM team.

Delivering social value is also a fundamental part of ASM’s culture.  Sponsorship of Thame United Football Club and Chinnor Rugby Club sees the business at the heart of its local sporting community.  Regular fund-raising activities feature in the business calendar ensuring ongoing support for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, the Florence Nightingale Hospice, and numerous other local charities.  Regional fun and festive cheer are also on the business agenda as sponsors of the Thame Primary Schools Fireworks Display and the community Christmas tree that lights up Thame Town Hall every year. Staff enjoy participating in numerous community events from volunteering as litter pickers to most recently taking on Thame Cricket Club in a highly competitive cricket match.

ASM is proud to be a member of the e2e network and believes the proposition the network offers is unique in its flexibility, scalability, and commitment to delivering outstanding service.  The union of entrepreneurial, independent automotive recycling businesses behind common network goals and professional standards offers e2e clients a unique and powerful partnership with the industry’s leading automotive recycling experts. The advantages gained from a consistently high performing nationwide service, complete with the benefits of in-depth local knowledge represented by the members’ regional centres of excellence, cannot be – and should not be - underestimated.   

 

Hampshire and IOW Fire & Rescue Services [HIOWFRS] presented Steve Diaper, Operations Manager at Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake], with a Certificate of Appreciation on Tuesday evening, 10 October 2023, for continued support to the organisation.  The presentation took place following the earlier completion of the second HIOWFRS training exercise this year at Silverlake’s site near Southampton.  

Firefighters took part in a multi-vehicle road-traffic-collision training exercise which saw six on-call teams challenged with rescuing three casualties trapped inside the wreckage. Of the four vehicles provided by Silverlake, one was chosen to be electric, testing the team’s knowledge of the latest procedures with dealing with these modern cars. The firefighters were also assessed on their medical skills as they treated the extricated casualties.  

Watch Manager Rob Barrow said:

“Without Silverlake’s support we wouldn’t be able to test the skills of our firefighters in realistic, challenging scenarios, and on the actual vehicles that our teams find out on the roads at real incidents. Our partnership with Silverlake means we have the opportunity to train outside of our weekly drill nights at a fantastic venue using a range of salvage vehicles in road traffic collision simulations. 

“This was a fantastic opportunity to not just test our on-call team’s road traffic collision techniques, but also their medical care skills.

“How firefighters deal with electric vehicle incidents is a fast-moving subject. As the technology advances, so must our knowledge and procedures.”

Steve Diaper, Operations Manager at Silverlake said: 

“To be able to help Hampshire and IOW Fire & Rescue Services [HIOWFRS] by providing the vehicles and local facilities for simulated training exercises at our site is an honour.  

“It is great to have facilitated this second, larger and even more involved, training exercise at our site this year. We will continue to offer this support and explore how we might assist further.  

“Silverlake has been based in this area for 77 years and we are committed to giving back to the community that has supported our business over the years.  As a regional community, we all rely on and owe a debt of gratitude to HIOWFRS who work hard to keep us safe; rising to challenges in sometimes dangerous circumstances.”