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.       11 collecting members represent nationwide coverage with a further 14 non-collecting members competing to become active in the event additional capacity is required.  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. 

Silverlake Automotive Recycling provides recovery, salvage and auction services for e2e clients throughout the South East of England and contributes to the network’s 500,000+ inventory of quality graded, warranty assured, provenance tested, OEM reclaimed parts.  The business has been established for 77 years and remains family owned and run by Allen Prebble, son of the founder Norman Prebble, and his senior management team comprising Nick Brown, Commercial and Compliance; Tom Harvey, Organisational Development; Denise Small, Finance; and Steve Diaper, Operations. 

Silverlake has expanded significantly in recent years with continuous investment in people, infrastructure and facilities at its 10-acre site in Shedfield, Hampshire, which holds over 3,500 vehicles.  As an Authorised Treatment Facility, the company exceeds Environment Agency targets, recycling 96.6% of the 30,000+ end-of-life vehicles its processes annually at Shedfield.  A second company site in nearby Botley handles HGVs.  Its fleet of 25 multi-vehicle transporters enable Silverlake to collect vehicles of all sizes and conditions and it has nine parts delivery vans operating nationwide.  Recent investment in facilities has included additional warehousing for its stocks of reclaimed parts, updating of carbon neutral plant and equipment supporting the drive to reduce CO2 emissions, and a new depollution workshop for the safe and separate management of electric and hybrid vehicles. 

Silverlake offers a wide range of services to its customers, which include public sector organisations, fleet management, insurers, bodyshops, garages, MOT centres and the general public.  These include salvage; auctions; a self-service auto parts facility, U-Pick-It; a full-service facility for buying dismantled, quality graded, warranty assured, OEM reclaimed car and motorcycle parts; and a tyre bay selling and fitting new and part worn tyres.  The company buys vehicles in any condition; providing a competitive price, handling all the necessary paperwork and collecting the vehicle for free.   

Professional standards and the delivery of continuously exceptional customer service are top of Silverlake’s agenda and the management team recognises it must ensure its people are given every opportunity to grow and excel in the work environment, to realise this business goal.  Regular assessment and training of the company’s 140+ staff is a strategic priority with recent training programmes including electric vehicle collection, handling and parts removal. Staff on the fast-track development programme are flown out to the USA annually to attend the Automotive Recycling Association [ARA] Conference to learn from the expert presentations at the event. The company is a member of the Vehicle Recyclers Association and staff are trained to the VRA UK Standard for Reclaimed Parts against which the business is certified. The business also holds ISO certification to standards 9001, 27001 and 14001.  

Silverlake is the only member of the e2e network to offer a self-service facility, U-Pick-It, for reclaimed parts, alongside its sale of full-service dismantled parts.  Holding over 350 vehicles and updated with new breakers weekly, regional customers visit the Shedfield U-Pick-It yard to safely dismantle parts for themselves.  The service sees strong repeat business as a trusted and popular way for customers to cost effectively repair and maintain their vehicles; it continues to be used by multiple generations as local families grow and age.  

The company is also raising awareness and confidence in reclaimed parts within the motorsports industry. The case for motorsports teams to use reclaimed parts to cut their repair and maintenance costs and reduce their carbon footprint is compelling.  The nature of the sport means parts wear and get damaged and must be replaced frequently. This is costly both for motorsport team bank balances and the environment.  Increasing upkeep costs and delays in being able to source parts present race teams with challenges, especially with a short-lived racing series and season.  Silverlake sponsors the C1 Racing Series and leading by example, its own race cars are maintained and repaired using reclaimed parts. Most recently, the company has partnered with the BRSCC to raise awareness of the opportunity presented by reclaimed parts and to offer member discounts.

Giving back to the community that has supported its growth is a priority for Silverlake which sponsors the Eastleigh Football Club Stadium and supports the Bobby Scheme, from the regional Blue Lamp Trust, to visit the homes of the elderly and vulnerable and provide security advice and free installation of security equipment.  The Shedfield site is used by the Hampshire and IOW Fire and Rescue Service as a safe environment to train fire-fighters in response to vehicle collisions and extraction of injured motorists.  The company supports local colleges with the supply of salvage vehicles for mechanical training courses and gives talks at careers events on automotive recycling.  ‘U Donate A Car’ is an award winning charity scheme set up by Silverlake to enable people to easily make a charitable donation, of any size, from the sale of their car to the company, to charity.  100% of donations go to the scheme’s charity partner, Global’s Make Some Noise, and see the initiative supporting small community charities through grants; enabling them to continue to really make a difference to peoples’ lives.  In 2022 the scheme raised £20,000.     

Silverlake believes the e2e network brings a unique service proposition to the salvage and vehicle recycling market, with members representing centres of excellence and deep market knowledge in their regions.  The collective expertise and innovation available from the independent businesses that make up the network cannot be matched by single entity service providers and the flexibility and agility inherent in the network model make it a powerful, resilient partner for insurers.  The continual growth and strength of the nationwide network, powered by significant member investment for the future, make it the optimal, sustainable choice for existing and future insurer clients. 

April 2023  

Silverlake Automotive Recycling [Silverlake] provided salvage vehicles and its vehicle recycling site in Shedfield as a safe training environment for Hampshire Fire & Rescue Services earlier this month.  Crew from Botley Fire Station had the opportunity to practice their vital skills at the scene of road traffic collisions [RTCs].  A realistic simulation of an RTC using salvage vehicles took place at night, adding the challenge of darkness to the exercise, which involved scene assessment, teamwork and the use of specialist tools to cut through vehicles in order to safely and swiftly extract casualties. 

The team had received in station theoretical and practical training from a specialist Road Traffic Collision Trainer and the simulation at Silverlake gave them the opportunity to bring the training together and apply it practically through start to finish of the exercise.  Formal assessments also took place to ensure the team are competent and safe to carry out this work when called upon.

 Stuart Mangan, Watch Manager at Botley Fire Station said: “I would like to thank all the team at Silverlake for allowing us the opportunity to utilise their salvage vehicles and venue for what is a critical and   valuable opportunity for us to train and hone our skills regarding road traffic collisions.  We hope we never have to use these skills for real, but we know too well that we do get called upon.  These skills,   rigorously practiced in a safe environment, get put to good use with the ultimate aim of protecting and preserving life.”

 Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake Automotive Recycling said: “As a regional community we rely on and owe a debt of gratitude to Hampshire Fire & Rescue Services who work hard to keep us   safe; rising to challenges in sometimes dangerous circumstances.  To be able to help by providing the vehicles and local facilities for simulated training exercises at our site is an honour.  We will continue to   offer this support and are exploring 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.” 

 Following the Silverlake RTC simulation, Botley Fire Station is in talks with neighbouring stations to discuss organising training involving a more complex multi-vehicle   accident, requiring dynamic incident command and control and multi-agency working, potentially with partners from the ambulance service. This scenario could   support both road traffic collision skills and medical treatment training.

When Colin Baker of CBT Services, Chichester, came to Silverlake Automotive Recycling yesterday, he got more than he expected when the car he sold to the company was taken off his truck by the Silverlake MD himself!

Colin has been a loyal Silverlake customer for over 10 years. A regular visitor to the yard to scrap cars and buy replacement parts, Colin has also bought a number of salvage auction cars over the years.

Yesterday, he came to Silverlake to scrap a 2005 Ford Ka, and collect a 2006 VW Beetle that he’d won on SalvageMarket.  He just so happened to arrive at the yard when Allen Prebble, MD, was on site and in the showroom.  As someone who has always been hands on, enjoying all tasks around the business, Allen jumped in a forklift and took Colin’s end-of-life vehicle off the truck.

“Silverlake is a great company!”, exclaimed Colin. “I choose Silverlake because I always get offered the best price for scrap cars. Buying parts is simple and they’re always in quality condition, and it’s great they deliver, which saves me a journey to the yard; and means I don’t have to take time out of my business to collect.  And service is always top notch, although I’ve never experienced service like I did today! Thank you, Silverlake!”

Woodland Grange in Leamington Spa was the venue for the annual British Vehicle Salvage Federation (BVSF) conference, where its committee, new and old members and many guests came together to listen to a wealth of speakers, network and enjoy an evening dinner filled with entertainment and laughter. 

Its Secretary General, Roger West, opened the AGM by greeting everyone in attendance, reporting on the federation's health, and welcoming its new members. He also said of the hard work being done by the BVSF for the industry and how they have liaised with related industries and authorities. He added how the federation continues to work with the EA, highlighting illegal operators and how there had been some positive outcomes, especially concerning how those on Facebook were selling vehicle parts illegally. 

Percy Snow, Honorary Chairman, echoed this and offered his grateful thanks for the support of the Federation by both Members and Strategic partners. Finally, thanking and indeed paying tribute to the work carried out by both Roger and Heather West relating to the organisation of the event.

The mantel was then handed back to Roger to detail the work completed and, indeed, that in progress over the last year. 

Roger then went on to confirm that due to a health issue, this was to be his last AGM and that he would be retiring at the beginning of the Christmas break this year. He advised that a new secretary general was under discussion, but as yet, no decision had been made.

 After the formalities that go with any AGM ended, attention turned to the speakers. Andrew Marsh from AIC Ltd. spoke about the chaos amongst the OEMs as they adjusted to the future of vehicle manufacturing and how the   potential lifespan of vehicles is becoming shorter, providing opportunities for recyclers. 

 Following Andrew was Dave Clinton from Cornerstone Autoglass. He highlighted the various benefits of reusing auto glass and the solutions and training provided by his company that could provide   opportunities to those involved in the reused parts market. A member present, ASM Autos, confirmed and supported the suggested re-use confirming that they were currently heavily involved with this re-   use following training by Cornerstone, and it was proving profitable.

 The final speaker before lunch was Ken Byng, Senior Manager of Car Take Back. His presentation revolved around the inevitable increase of electric ELVs and the importance of incorporating essential   safety processes. In his presentation, he highlighted the challenges of dismantling EVs as the information provided by manufacturers is not uniform, with some being better than others. He also highlighted   the  varying policies these companies had regarding collection processes. However, Ken encouraged everyone in the room to embrace the opportunity that EVs could bring to the industry and that safety   and the correct procedures are paramount. 

 After lunch, with the opportunity for the delegates to network and visit the various displays both around the room and in the adjacent parking area, there were a number of recovery/transport vehicles on display.

The afternoon schedule began with a presentation from Isla Gill, Projects Manager from Transporter Engineering. She drew everyone's focus to the challenges and solutions facing the transportation of vehicles and also how her company was pioneering their eco credentials when manufacturing their vehicles. 

 Next up was Thatcham Research, represented by Dean Lander and Adrian Watson. They provided a BEV update from the insurer's perspective. In their presentation, they   highlighted the issues around the difficult choices that need to be made when assessing a damaged EV and how more research needs to be done when assessing a vehicle.   Although physical damage on a car could be seen as slight, the actual damage to the battery cannot be determined, so its categorisation has to be evaluated accordingly. With factors including challenges to   repairing vehicles, limited diagnostics, lack of research and resources and repair costs, currently, it is easier to certify a damaged BEV as a total loss than repair it.

 The second part of their presentation turned to the value and importance of training. Still, it highlighted how Thatcham provided various modules for specific users as they come into contact with BEVs.

 The final person invited to the floor was Peter Buckley, Senior advisor for Fire Prevention and ELVs. He spoke about appropriate measures regarding EA legislation and guidance structures and how application to new and existing sites was being implemented. He talked about the importance of consultation periods and urged everyone to get involved when this happened. He also explained how some exemptions, with particular reference to T9 (recovering scrap metal) and U16 (using depolluted end-of-life vehicles for parts), were to be removed and their implications for the industry. 

With the conference concluded, attention was directed to the evening with dinner and entertainment for the guests. As well as the sold-out raffle and auction with prizes donated by committee members and strategic partners of the BVSF, it was left to Percy Snow to Introduce David Newbery to award the annual Combellack Award for dedication and service to the British Salvage Industry. It was no surprise and rightfully awarded to their own Secretary General, Roger West, who was attending his last AGM in his official capacity after 13 years in the role. Genuinely surprised by this, his heartfelt speech was met with rapturous and appreciated applause by everyone in attendance. 

When asked about the event, Roger commented:

"I was very pleased that the event had seemingly gone without a hitch, which of course, is what it is all about. I was genuinely stunned to receive the Combellack Award and will treasure it to the end of my days. I cannot believe that when running last year's event, fit and well and saying that I would go on for a few years yet, this year, I would reluctantly be saying the exact opposite and all because of ill health. I cannot close without a huge thank you to the Management Committee for their gift to Heather and I, which again was totally unexpected. I have tried my best to alleviate issues for the Federation members and strategic partners over the last 13 years, and I hope that whoever takes over the reins will realise the importance of this action.” 

Credit to ATF Pro