In case you missed our MSO feature in the January/February issue where we talked to all the major groups we'll be publishing their interviews individually online. We'll kick off with Repairhub.
Repairhub
Sites: 16
Employees: 330
Type of work : Rapid repairs
Established: 2019
No of apprentices: 22
Funding: Join venture IAG, RACV and founders.
Sites in: NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT
Repairhub has been on a phenomenal growth curve. It only started out in 2019 with the fives ites of its founding members. Today it has 16 sites, will have 19 by the end of February and expects to have up to 21 by the end of the financial year.
The mantra at Repairhub is ‘great teams, quality repairs, happy customers’. “We focus on our people and the quality of the customer experience,” says James Knox, Repairhub’s CEO.
“We work for some of the most recognisable insurance brands in the country (NRMA, RACV, CGU and Coles) and we deliver them a premium leading quality rapid repair service for their customers.,”
The growth of network is driven by what IAG needs in term of coverage and locations. There’s a mixture of customer facing and production only sites and a mixture of greenfield and brownfield sites – such as the recent acquisition of Tony Farrugia’s shop in Canberra (Farrugia is building a new shop). “That’s the benefit of the model – we have the flexibility to be able to tow transport cars to a production only site if there isn’t a customer facing location nearby from our sister company Motorserve.”
One of the biggest challenges for Knox and founder, Chris Beatty is property, zoning and availability. “We’re very picky, we like our nice big sheds sites but occasionally if it aligns with our strategy we look at an acquisition. There are still areas that we will need to infill over time in Melbourne and Sydney,” he said
“I like to think of us as a manufacturing just in time business and to be consistent you need consistent work spaces. You never get two facilities the same but I’d like to feel that in 90% of our shops, you walk in and say its feels just like the other branch.”
Such as large organisation is inevitably challenged by the technician shortage. “There’s a huge fight for talent at the moment. We kept recruiting during lockdowns and picked up some great people but we constantly have a 10% vacancy. When you are looking to grow your business 30-40 per cent in the short term finding new talent is hard. There’s some crazy money being thrown around.
“The Paint & Panel Best Workplace award was massive for us because it’s about demonstrating to the industry that it’s about the benefits, the work environment, the team and the culture. We can’t compete just on money, it’s a race to the bottom. We like to think we’re attractive on the money but it’s a whole package that we offer. That said we’re all competing for a smaller and smaller pool with an ageing workforce.”
Parts inflation is another challenge. “We’d like to see a more supportive collaborative OE manufacturer environment that works closely with the repair industry. There is also uncertainty over frequency with changing movement patterns which affect volume and severity,” he says.
Knox feels that the culture created at Repairhub is an opportunity: “There are a lot of unhappy technicians who haven’t been looked after. We’re taking the lead to create attractive workplaces that will attract young people to the industy, with career paths and lots of opportunities to promote people.
“Also the customer experience is an opportunity. Choice of repairer doesn’t scare me usbecause when people see the shop they are impressed and happy to leave their car and walk straight into a hire car. People have been desperate for that sort of service in the industryCustomer are attracted by the convenience of the model.”