Global leader in online vehicle remarketing, Copart UK, have announced major expansion plans for their Bristol Operation Centre as part of their ongoing growth programme that has seen over £30m re-invested in land and transport this year alone.
The expansion at Bristol is a clear demonstration of Copart’s multi-faceted re-investment strategy, combining a programme of land acquisition with continuous investment in transport, service, and technology.
Originally a 16-acre site, Copart celebrated the addition of a further 24 acres in 2019 and are now accelerating plans to develop a further 23 acres, making this location set to become a 63-acre ‘Super Centre’ for the South West.
In addition to the planned expansion of this site, Copart are also investing in improvements to the infrastructure. This will include brand new vehicle preparation areas that will enable vehicle inspections, valeting and 360-degree imaging bays to ensure the condition of the vehicle is as transparent as possible when they hit their unique online auctions.
The additional space will add even more capacity for Copart's customers’ vehicles with secure storage and enlarged areas for vehicles that require specialist handling like EV’s and flood and fire damaged vehicles, alongside HGV’s and Agricultural. This additional capacity offers unique contingency land in the event of catastrophes where Copart's insurance customers need surge management services.
Jane Pocock, Managing Director of Copart UK & Ireland, said:
“Our passion and determination to keep growing and improving our services to customers remains paramount. We’re incredibly proud to lead the market as we continue to develop our customer offering, technology, and operational capabilities, alongside our land bank.
“Not only will the additional storage capacity increase, the expansion also includes a conference facility where we can host our customers on-site.”
Phil Briggs, Copart UK’s Director of Operation Centres, Transport & Engineering, said:
“These are exciting times for Copart’s customers as we continue our investment programme in line with their needs. Our ongoing investment into land, alongside the extension and improvement of our existing
Operation Centres, will further strengthen our unrivalled UK wide storage capacity and create job opportunities in the areas where we operate.”
South Wales Police Force is saving £45,000 a year on fleet maintenance and has drastically cut its vehicle downtime thanks to the use of green parts supplied by SYNETIQ.
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Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement that sales of petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030, Jane Pocock, MD of Copart, the UK’s biggest salvage and used car auction company, said:
“We welcome this bold vision from the Prime Minister but planning for 2030 must begin now. Copart will be at the forefront of dealing with the implications of a surge in demand for EV.”
“We expect a significant increase in the number of motorists taking advantage of government incentives to trade in their petrol or diesel vehicles for low-emissions vehicles, and those used vehicles have to go somewhere.”
“Copart moves 500,000 vehicles through its auction site each year, and we are steadily building further capacity so that we can handle the increases in the wake of the PM’s announcement and take advantage of our Europe-wide footprint.”
She noted that, as a result of the plans, the government has ruled out new sales of hybrid vehicles from 2035, unless those vehicles can ‘drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe,’ which will rule out most of the current hybrid models. Turning to the fleet sector, Jane said: “Post 2030 there will be a lot of petrol and diesel vehicles remaining on our roads, so the demand for green parts from salvaged vehicles will be significant. “In the next decade Copart will continue to maximise returns for our customers. We won't be turning our backs on fossil fuel vehicles while there are still millions on the road, and we have the additional advantage of being able to access the overseas market.”
Gavin Wood has joined UK’s largest salvage and vehicle recycling company, as part of investment in its Green Parts supply capability.
In this new leadership role, Gavin will work with the Operations Director, supporting the end-to-end Inventory Process departments to ensure the SYNETIQ meets the stringent quality and delivery requirements their clients and customers require. These environmentally friendly Green Parts must be of the right standard, in the right place and at the right time. Effective and efficient management of the goods in, pricing and grading, QC and inventory process is vital in this fast-moving area of the business, which handles thousands of vehicles and parts each week.
SYNETIQ has invested heavily in its sites and infrastructure this year, implementing harmonised processes and measurements across its locations. The business is working to specific KPIs to meet the expectations of clients and customers.
To support this, a new Pricing & Factoring Team has been established in Doncaster, led by Gavin to develop operational efficiencies through aligned processes, best practice and continual improvement.
Gavin brings a wealth of experience in inventory and stock control, having worked in the FMCG industry for over 20 years, and will be based at SYNETIQs Doncaster Head Office.
Tom Rumboll, Executive Chairman at SYNETIQ, said:
“Our customers rely on us keeping our promises – whether that customer is a major Insurer or a private individual. Gavin has joined us at an exciting time and is absolutely the right person to support our ambitious growth plans.”
Leading online vehicle remarketing business Copart UK is opening a Customer Excellence Centre in Bedford, to support their ongoing growth and development plans.
Copart has seen significant growth across the UK and currently has over 1,200 employees based across 18 locations, including a head count of over 250 at their Head Office in Wootton. Following the rapid expansion of Copart’s customer service functions, including Claims Settlement and Engineering Services, the company has been seeking alternative locations to support growth and the changing needs of their customers.
Copart has now secured 10,000 square feet of office accommodation across three floors at Franklin Court, based in Priory Business Park, Bedford.
Jane Pocock, Managing Director of Copart UK & Ireland, said:
“We are planning for our Customer Excellence Centre to house centralised critical value-added services that help us drive more returns from customers’ vehicles. These include Vehicle Engineering, Private Plate and Vehicle Finance Management, the coordination of keys and documents, and Claims Negotiations and Settlement services.
“This is a vital part of our expansion, allowing us to provide our partners with world class end-to-end outsourced services. It also creates the potential for many new job opportunities in the Bedford area.”
Around 100 existing employees will move across to the Customer Excellence Centre and the additional capacity will accommodate a further 35 new roles, which Copart anticipates recruiting for over the next 12-18 months.
The Customer Excellence Centre will also support Copart’s ongoing commitment to digital transformation, providing a central hub for the continued development and enhancement of technology and purpose-built systems to provide a seamless claims journey for their insurance partners.
This move to Franklin Court coincides with the launch of Copart’s new Claims Management System, ClaimHub.
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