With knowledge, comes power. And with garage data, comes informed business decisions. Today's GW Podcast explores the power of workshop data.

We welcome on Tim Benson of Oldfield’s Garage in Herefordshire who transformed his family business by analysing data.

We also hear from Alex Lindley, director of Garage Hive and managing director of Nottinghamshire-based Lindleys Autocentres to find out about Garage Industry Trends - an exciting new platform which uses aggregated data from opted-in Garage Hive workshops to create key performance metrics in real-time.

Show notes: Go to garagewire.co.uk/gw-podcast/

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There's been some exciting developments coming from Comline this year, most notably a new virtual reality concept. Comline Augmented Reality offers 3D visuals of its range of steering and suspension components, giving technicians a unique view of replacement parts. Mobile users can go fully AR and augment the part into their environment allowing for direct product comparison and a hugely engaging digital experience. Join us as we speak to Comline's general manager for marketing and communication, Leigh Davies to find out more.

Matt Peacock of Poole-based independent garage, Star Tech opens the episode with his thoughts on industry issues. Matt talks us through his latest investments as he prepares his business for the future.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Wolverhampton recently hosted AutoInform Live 2021, the industry’s hands-on training event organised by the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association, OESAA.

The two-day weekend event saw garage owners and technicians from across the UK gather for the very latest technical know-how and business advise from OE manufacturers and industry experts.

Join us as we wander around the event speaking to the technical trainers, OESAA representatives, garage owners and technicians, discovering that the future isn't all doom and gloom for independent garages.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Sound effects: Impact wrench thanks to www.freesfc.co.uk

Welcome to a new series on the Garage Wire podcast!

We’ve got some brilliant guests lined up over the course of the series during which there’ll be lots of electric vehicle chat, details of new and exciting automotive technologies, including how augmented reality could help technicians identify the correct replacement parts and quite a bit more.

Today though, we’re talking Servicesure, a national network of independent garages established by The Parts Alliance and who better to get us started on it than Adam Rodgers, owner of A1 Motorists Centre in Kent which has just been named Servicesure Autocentre of the Year.

We’ll also be chatting to the man behind the network, head of garage programmes at The Parts Alliance, Paul Dineen.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-fre…isrc=USUAN1100407

Artist: incompetech.com/

Sound effects: Impact wrench thanks to www.freesfc.co.uk

With mainstream vehicle manufactures increasingly turning to electric, we're finding out how much of an opportunity electric vehicles present for independent garages in today's GW Podcast.

Ben Stockton, founder of digital training provider, Our Virtual Academy joins us to share his thoughts on risk versus reward when it comes to hybrid, pure electric and hydrogen vehicles and he explains how workshops can get up-to-speed on everything they need to know before working on one.

We also meet Matt Cleevely of Cleevely Motors in Cheltenham who has been making a huge success out of specialising in electric vehicles. Find out how in today's episode...

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Sound effects: Impact wrench thanks to www.freesfc.co.uk

This week we’ve got renowned REPXPERT, Alistair Mason joining us as special guest to talk all things LuK, INA and FAG. Alistair shares his latest research on switchable water pumps and double clutch systems, including the latest DQ500 direct shift gearbox. We also find out more about the tremendous work the REPXPERTs have been doing to support independent garages through the COVID-19 crisis.

Before that though, imagine working hard to build your first garage business only for a global pandemic to strike and the UK forced into lockdown just weeks after opening your workshop shutters to customers for the very first time. That’s exactly the situation today’s first guest, Gavin Cunningham of Cunningham Autocare in Worcestershire, found himself in.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Sound effects: Impact wrench thanks to www.freesfc.co.uk

With DVSA data forecasting a huge spike in testing demand following a return to mandatory testing on 1 August, we’ve got Autotech Recruit’s Gavin White joining us as special guest to share his expertise on garage recruitment with essential tips on what you can do to manage your workshop in what’s going to be a busy few months ahead. We also discuss the challenge of finding the right people for the job, industry licencing and training.

GW contributor, Andy Parsons of Shortfield Garage in Surrey shares his reaction to the latest industry news and talks business investment, diversification and electric vehicles.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Sound effects: Impact wrench thanks to www.freesfc.co.uk

This week The Garage Inspector, Andy Savva joins us to share his thoughts on the sector’s current state of play and we welcome Garage Wire contributor, Aaron Philips of Jackson & Phillips Automotive Services in Bedfordshire onto the Garage Wire Podcast.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Sound effects: Impact wrench thanks to www.freesfc.co.uk

Welcome to a newly refreshed Garage Wire podcast. Every couple of weeks we'll be joined by Garage Wire columnists and special guests to discuss the latest industry news and what it means for independent garage owners.

In this first episode we speak to Garage Wire columnist Barry Parker of BTE Automotive in East Hampshire about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his business and Stuart James, chief executive of the Independent Garage Association joins us as our special guest.

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Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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TMD Friction’s Textar brand was launched into the UK’s automotive aftermarket in 2017 and covers 99.9 per cent of UK car parc.

To find more about the brand, GW visits the TMD Friction headquarters in Germany, home to the research and development of Textar. The GW Podcast starts in the lab where Silvia Hofmaa of TMD Friction explains the first steps of new friction material development.