Top Awards 18 www.aftermarketonline.net OCTOBER 2025 Supercharging support for our technicians Global brand JLM Lubricants is once again backing Aftermarket magazine’s Top Awards for 2025 following on from their debut year in 2024. These awards celebrate the very best of the best — technicians and workshops that are committed to ongoing learning and development; that focus on putting the customer at the heart of everything they do and, that strive to deliver excellence day in day out — from the way they treat and recognise their people to their brand promise closely matching their delivery. These topflight techs and workshops also look for the best when it comes to the additives and lubricants they choose. Every time they unscrew a lid or use a toolkit they are in effect risking their hard earned, hard won reputation. There cannot be any margin of error with a poor performing product, such as one where the claims far exceed the delivery on a dismal scale of underperformance to zero performance. Mike Schlup, MD of JLM UK said: “Every working day we’re talking to top tier technicians and workshops that are telling us that the additives they choose have to work hard and deliver to fundamental Lean principles of ‘right first time, on time every time’. “Many are now recommending additives to their customers to use in between servicing and repairs. And not simply to build an ongoing additional income stream which is always welcome of course, but primarily to keep vehicles in as good a condition as possible before the next workshop visit. “In recent years and incidentally, not just in the UK but all over the world, we have seen a steep migration away from cheap lubricants and additives. The tide is turning. Go beyond the marketing hype and cheap as chips formulas contain little or virtually none of the active ingredients that would make them fit for purpose.” Mike said: “They just don’t ‘Top tier performance gets our backing’ Global battery leader Clarios, owner of the VARTA brand — a Top Awards sponsor — has confirmed it is acquiring three lead battery recycling plants in Europe, in a move that will boost the group’s supply chain for the aftermarket. Clarios marketing manager John Rawlins said: “We are delighted to be enhancing our recycling capabilities and providing a long-term approach to sustainable battery manufacturing. “This shows our commitment to environmental initiatives, and support to the aftermarket and wider automotive sector. We are thinking long-term actions, which is a key reason why VARTA are sponsoring the Top Awards this year.” Rawlins said Top Apprentice compliments the college training VARTA are already carrying out across the UK. “We want to help train the workforce of tomorrow, and make them aware of future trends.” Clarios confirmed in August it would take over Ecobat’s Freiberg and Braubach facilities in Germany and the Arnoldstein plant in Austria. The three sites will enable the battery giant to recover high-value materials more efficiently and sustainably. Werner Benade, president EMEA at Clarios, said the deal was expected to be finalised by early next year. He said the move would strengthen the firm’s European recycling infrastructure, improve supply chain resilience and support the delivery of highquality secondary materials — including those used in the VARTA battery brand. This will meet growing demand for advanced lowvoltage batteries, support the energy transition in the automotive industry, and reinforce leadership in the circular economy. In Europe, including the UK, the company collects nearly 100% of used lead acid batteries through certified take-back systems and partnerships with garages, scrapyards, and retailers.
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