aBr May 2014 | Page 70

Autobarn Member Update | by Tristan Wiggill The people’s choice Autobarn members and family-run parts retail experts, Parts People Newcastle, are committed to satisfying each and every automotive requirement. W hile the company has the largest selection of quality new passenger car, commercial vehicle and heavy duty truck parts in stock, it’s the company’s focused approach to after sales service that sets it apart. The aptly named Parts People business was started in Newcastle in 1996 by Mahesh Shah’s father, Suren Shah. Two years later, Mahesh joined the business and has effectively taken control, not looking back since. However, Parts People was dealt a tremendous blow in November 2011 when the outlet was completely gutted by a devastating fire. But, by 26 December of the same year, the business was up and running again, albeit this time in a larger shop a stone’s throw away. Parts People quickly moved on, becoming Autobarn members in 2012. “We were part of the Mikar buying group with Terry Brand. In fact, we were part of the advisory council at Mikar, and were invited to meet the Australian Autobarn contingent with Terry when Autobarn Australia visited South Africa in 2012 as part of their local launch,” he explains. “Doing business alone is difficult and it’s hard to develop a national identity. With the backing of Autobarn this has been taken care of. We believe that customers have faith in a recognised brand like Autobarn and we wanted to be a part of something great. Joining Autobarn was a logical step,” he explains. ➲ Parts People have made their mark in Newcastle Mahesh tells us that the parts retail business is currently good, but that customer service is the company’s main differentiator. “I’ve always said that anyone can sell car parts. It’s the service that we provide that really counts. We don’t dwell on anything and we’ve taken a long-term view.” ➲ Queues at the counters are a common sight Parts People currently employs 18 permanent staff members but has resisted the temptation to expand its range of services, choosing to rather focus on parts retail. As Mahesh explains: “We don’t want to lose focus and be distracted by other things, we’d rather specialise and narrow our focus to provide the best possible service to our customers.” Mahesh lauds Autobarn for its ability to procure good deals and build important relationships. “Autobarn helps us secure the best possible products and puts us in contact with people and brands that we would have otherwise not had contact with.” While Autobarn handles national marketing, Parts People does its own localised marketing. “Autobarn does the groundwork and assists us achieve better pricing and helps with product giveaways,” he says. “We appreciate that Autobarn members have a lot of say and a big role to play in the procurement of products. We recently went over to China with the guys from head office to see the various products for ourselves. As members we are also invited to major product functions and meetings etc.” “The guys at head office are doing a sterling job with Autobarn and the bigger players and buying groups have begun to notice,” he says with a measure of satisfaction. All things considered, it looks as though Parts People will remain the people’s favourite for many years to come. For more information on Autobarn, contact Terry Brand on 011 477 3612. | words in action 68 may 2014