News 9 www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2026 SMP Europe rebrands as Intermotor Group TPS Ipswich has said it is ready to further ramp up operations and meet increased demand for parts following its relocation to a new 13,000 ft2 site. The new site at Sproughton, near Ipswich, is now among the biggest centres in the TPS network with a sales office, warehouse, board room and meeting rooms housed in the main building. TPS said the increased space has brought additional capacity, enabling the firm to cater for demand across an expanded number of local and regional territories, and an opportunity to further expand its customer network. TPS Ipswich carries out six regular delivery runs each day to customers in Bury St Edmunds, Clapton-On-Sea, Colchester, Diss, Felixstowe Halstead, Saxmundham, Sudbury and Woodbridge. Those deliveries are carried out by a 15-strong fleet that includes three EVs. Malcolm Park, TPS Ipswich centre manager, said: “We had very much outgrown the previous building, so moving to the new site has allowed us to increase our capacity. “With the launch of Brands at TPS this year, we have the capacity to stock more parts than ever before and deliver them to customers across the region. “For instance, TPS Ipswich is now one of the largest battery stockists in the TPS centre network with 650 batteries available on site at any time, With the move to the new site providing us with extra capacity and increased capability, we look forward to a successful future.” TPS Ipswich has its own purpose-built room for battery testing and charging, with all batteries tested on site at least once month. The new centre also has on site solar panels, which helps to achieve the A energy efficiency rating for the building. GSO launches ‘RampUp’ business tool for garages TPS Ipswich expands capacity with relocation SMP Europe is now operating under a new name, Intermotor Group, in a move the firm said signals a return to its heritage as a respected automotive aftermarket name. The firm said the decision, effective December 1, followed a period of reflection as a decades-old manufacturer of engine management, emissions, fuelling and ignition components under its founding brand, Intermotor. Ross Toomey, MD of Intermotor Group, said: “Every business reaches a moment where it looks back and reconnects with what shaped it. For us, Intermotor has always been more than a brand, it has been part of our DNA. “Intermotor represents trust, engineering excellence and the thousands of components we’ve produced that have kept vehicles moving for generations.” Garage Services Online has launched a ‘ready-to-book’ solution to help workshops capture more business. GSO said its commissionfree widget, RampUp, will help bring in more work and serve customers efficiently. Built to convert urgent customer searches into confirmed bookings, RampUp captures ‘distress purchase’ moments, allowing customers to book directly from whichever service page they are viewing, whether for brakes, MOTs, or diagnostics. RampUp can be used on any garage website, not just a GSO website, giving workshops flexibility, independence, and full control over bookings, margins, and customer relationships, all without commission fees. Jim Lang, GSO director, said: “Every garage is unique, and so are its business goals. RampUp is designed to adapt to those individual needs, helping every workshop capture the right opportunities at the right time. “From the initial setup to live bookings, the process is seamless, so workshops can focus on what they do best without worrying about complicated technical integration. Garages can start taking bookings immediately, confident that customer and payment data are fully protected.”
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