Copart UK Ltd, the UK’s leading vehicle remarketing and recycling company, is formally announcing the acquisition of Hills Salvage and Recycling - The Green Parts Specialist. The acquisition includes 3 sites, the Skelmersdale HQ 25 acre site, a site acquired recently by Hills in Scotland and a Gloucestershire parts hub. All assets including the Hills UK transporter fleet and specialist technology systems will be included in the sale.
Copart Inc, from its inception, has been an innovative company working in continuous collaboration with its customers on both the seller and buyer side. When our customers asked us to expand into the green parts market we were keen to meet their needs to help facilitate transparency and provenance in the repair cycle.
In addition compound factors such as Brexit, the cost and availability of new parts, and our ambition to align to our customers ESG needs, coupled with our sustainability strategy means that now is the most appropriate time to add this capability.
The Hill’s philosophy is totally aligned to Copart culture and we are delighted that Ian, Lucy and their team will continue to run this new partnership venture. Over the years Hills has had many approaches to sell the business but chose Copart as they felt this was the best way to secure future growth within a company that shares the enthusiasm and passion for customers as they do.
Copart intend to fully leverage ‘The Green Parts Specialist’ brand and offer UK wide solutions by leveraging Copart’s nationwide infrastructure.
Copart’s UK CEO Jane Pocock commented on the deal:
“I am super excited to welcome the Hills team to the Copart family and looking forward to extending our range of services that give our sellers the very best choice around their Cat S and Cat B damaged vehicles and engaging with the body shop networks to provide parts with provenance.”
“When you combine the strength of our salvage solutions, both in the volume and capability sense, with Hills’ world class green parts service and progressive inventory platform, we really can offer an unrivalled nationwide service.
“In addition to that, our huge buyer base will benefit as we will provide a sustainable and viable ‘parts shop’ offering them access to both the largest stock of vehicles, and now green parts.“
“Looking forward Copart will operate the business as a complimentary entity, retaining all existing employees and expertise, supplementary to our salvage and automotive businesses.
“We also recognise the close and very valuable relationships Hills have with their own existing customers and fully intend to ensure these remain ‘as is’ and managed by the team of experts at Hills.
Copart remains a truly innovative company with a very exciting future. This acquisition coincides with Copart celebrating 15 years in the UK and demonstrates our vision to be the partner of choice for our customers.”
Ian Hills, Managing Director of Hills said:
“Hills Salvage & Recycling and The Green Parts Specialist are recognised leaders in the UK recycling industry. Combining our parts solution with the infrastructure and vehicle inventory of Copart opens up a tremendous opportunity to offer an unparalleled service to the UK insurance and repair industry through our circular recycling process”
“The Green Parts and recycling industry has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years and much of that has been through the work we have carried out to change the perception of our industry, highlighting the commercial and environmental opportunity that Green Parts can offer. Today, the insurance and collision repair industry appetite for Green Parts is unwavering as we experience record numbers of green parts requests against a global backdrop of OEM parts shortages and rising inflation.”
“Save for rebranding to The Green Parts Specialist, I don’t expect any changes about how we do things at Hills. Our strategic goal has always been to offer the UK’s largest inventory of quality assured Green Parts on the shelf, available for next day delivery. Combining our infrastructure with Copart has simply accelerated that process for which our customers will benefit hugely.”
“Hills Salvage & Recycling was founded and continues to operate as a family run business with the customer at the heart of our solution. We have come a long way on a journey that began some 40 years ago as a small body shop, started by my parents Jeff & Dorothy Hill. The credit for our success should be theirs and our incredible team who have all worked tirelessly to build the salvage and recycling business from the ground up resulting in what you see today.”
“I am extremely proud of the business and the team we have created and they continue to support myself and Lucy to work with Jane at Copart to meet our future ambitions.”
