Aftermarket September 2022

SEPTEMBER AFTERMARKET 63 www.aftermarketonline.net Aftermarket has been led by a number of editors over the years, here are comments from a few of them. Steve McQueen: 1993 - 2002 “Although the Aftermarket title was first published in 1992, the original name was Garage and Bodyshop Products. It had a much broader industry brief and the GBP mission was simple. No news or features, just product stories – with lots and lots of sales enquiries. It was a two- dimensional version of the late Automotive Trade Show - a biennial showcase for the UK aftermarket organised by the SMMT. By 1995, a news section had been added and the title had emerged as aftermarket – ‘the guide to what’s new in profit opportunities’. The news focus grew stronger and so did the brand. “The demand for more technical information was the spark for the Aftermarket Technical Support Group, which first appeared in March 1999. Five or six suppliers in every issue helped to keep garages up to date with technical tips, fault diagnoses and detailed installer information. There were ATSG hotlines to each technical desk. “The title earned its capital letter later that year and entered the 21st century as Aftermarket – The No.1 magazine for automotive information. A sister title, specifically for the commercial vehicle sector – CV aftermarket – ran alongside it and the Aftermarket network began to set the pace as the online independent news resource for the industry. With the help of the ATSG, the Aftermarket network was a rapidly expanding resource. By 2001, it was a first call for technical support for garage mechanics with dial-up Internet access, as well as for decision makers who needed news about what was going on around them. Popular news stories downloaded around about that time included fears about increasingly complex European regulations, the rise of buying groups, the implications of potential changes to Block Exemption rules and concerns about diesel emissions testing. “For a magazine that started out in 1992 with no news stories or features, by the time I left the editorial desk in 2002, it was the clear market leader, both in terms of circulation and the number of sales enquiries generated.” Greg Whittaker: 2010 – 2013 “I joined Aftermarket having been lying low in Dubai for three years. I was delighted to hear that Aftermarket was about to come up. Bits of cars have always interested me more than the whole thing and company founder Bob Sockl was well known in the industry, so it seemed like a good fit. I did enjoy was the technical content of the magazine, which increased in size during my tenure. These were contributed by a variety of experts, some of whom still involved in the magazine today.” Alex Wells: 2017 – present “I wanted to be Editor of Aftermarket for a long time before I actually got the nod. Having worked in and around the automotive sector since 2002, I worked out early on that this was one of the best titles covering the industry. “Looking back at some of the most important events I have dealt with and things I remember, I would cite the multiple times, just in the last five years that, the sector has joined forces to fight the government on plans to reduce the frequency of the MOT. Aftermarket has always supported the industry, and this was a key issue. The first time I went to Automechanika Frankfurt was also an eye-opener. Lastly, I hate to bring it up, but when the country went into lockdown in March 2020, Aftermarket went into overdrive, shifting to an online-first policy with almost everything, providing as much news on government schemes as we could put out, and doing interviews how garages were coping, to inspire other garages. I felt it was really important to keep the lines of communication open. I still believe this. EDITORIAL OPINION For peace of mind always use a Garage Equipment Association member. GEA accredited engineers work to an industry code of conduct. Your assurance their skills and knowledge have been independently assessed. IS YOUR EQUIPMENT ENGINEER GEA ACCREDITED? Ask your engineer for his accreditation card ! The Upholders of Industry standards since 1945 The Garage Equipment Association www.gea.co.uk GEA ACCREDITED ENGINEER Name Company Discipline ExpDate IDNumber XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456