www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2025 On the Road 55 achievements to date and ambitions for the future was nothing short of inspirational. He has zeal in spades and then some. I found myself wondering what it would be like to be a fly on the wall if someone told the CEO ‘I’m not sure that can be done’. My guess is that it would be barely a nanosecond before the boss explained why it could be done… and perhaps just a few moments more before he was down on the factory floor; his confident and affable manner helping colleagues understand exactly how the task could, and would, be achieved. Refreshingly, he was also open in talking about some of the “hiccups” there had been along the way, such as dealing with glitches in new software. He and his team understand that the business cannot go anywhere if products ordered cannot be distributed effectively and delivered on time. Indeed, shortly after my tour along with other journalists finished, GSF would be serving all 190+ GSF branches from the NDC. While Horne said there were still things to be done, there was much to be proud of, such as establishing a fully functioning system to deal with credits and returns and the move from an analogue system to the cloud. “We will even take back discarded packaging for reuse and recycling.” He and his team have clearly ‘connected the dots’ and the commercial picture that has already formed is one of a business disruptor that will not rest until it is No.1 in its f ield. “We knew we had to invest heavily to get the growth,” Horne said. While speaking, a GSF truck sweeps into view outside as if on cue. “The NDC should give every single client and company the confidence that we are here as a long-term player. “We’ve had to work hard and we are starting to take market share. My focus is on making GSF the best it can be. “We want to be a £1 billion-pound company. We are at the start of the journey and our biggest challenge is managing so much change.” My hub tour came after GSF completed its third and final DirecTour of the year. The three-day event saw members of the senior management team visit a branch and several customers each day. The initiative, introduced to strengthen customer relationships and gather insights, saw the team visit nearly 1,000 garages and over 150 branches in 2024. Horne said the tours, which resume this year, represent a huge, but invaluable, commitment from the company. “They require all our senior team members to get involved working across the country, calling on customers and finding ways we can improve. “I find these visits incredibly energising. It’s absolutely clear our branch teams are doing a tremendous job in looking after our customers — and while we’ve made huge strides forward we’re always looking for ways to improve.” We’ve made huge strides forward but we’re always looking to improve Steve Horne, CEO, GSF (right); with branch staff in Nottingham
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