Editor’s comment 3 www.aftermarketonline.net SEPTEMBER 2025 Editor John Shepherd john@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Head of Sales Angela Lyus angela@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 7823 736 629 Managing Director Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Marketing Manager Hope Jepson hope.jepson@dfamedia.co.uk Production Design Anthony Wiffen production@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 7851 612799 Finance Department accounts@dfamedia.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Contributors Dee Blick | James Ellison Leo Freebairn | Matt Hume Patrick Schabus Published by DFA Media Group 192 High Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 1BE +44 (0)1732 370340 ISSN 2516-9149 Aftermarket is published 10 times a year and is sent free of charge to applicants meeting the publisher’s criteria. All others may subscribe at £60 per anum, £120 Europe and £150 rest of the world. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or ommisions, no matter how caused. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Copyright: DFA Aftermarket Media Ltd 2026. Average net circulation July 2024 to June 2025 22,797 In with the new… and out with the (not so) old It’s been more than two years since this magazine first reported on the potential impact on UK garages of SERMI, the security related vehicle repair and maintenance information certification. Now the European scheme will officially go live in the UK on April 1 — and we have a special Spotlight feature article in this issue focusing on next steps forward and industry reaction to the introduction of the scheme. We’re also officially firing the starting pistol on this year’s outing of the Top Awards. With the online qualifying window now live, entrants for Top Garage, Top Technician and Top Apprentice now have until May 15 to start the ball rolling on competing for those prestigious titles and measuring their skills, knowledge and processes against national standards. Widely regarded as an industry benchmark, the awards programme offers individuals and businesses the opportunity to measure their skills, knowledge and processes against national standards. Turn to page 24 for all the information you need to enter the race! Talking of garage champions, I was delighted to meet one of last year’s Top Garage winners, Adrian Smith, recently at his business in Oxfordshire. Find out more in our regular garage visit feature — and hear why Adrian is urging his industry peers to enter the competition and showcase their skills and business talents. As you leaf through this latest packed issue of Aftermarket, I hope you will agree it’s a fitting finale to my tenure as editor. As you read this, I will be preparing to leave the editor’s chair and start a new chapter in my professional life. It’s been a privilege to have been at the helm over the past 18 months and to have worked with a fantastic team — producing 10 issues of the magazine in print every year, in addition to our 24/7 online coverage. I will be working as a freelance journalist and communications consultant in future and drawing on my experience across a number of sectors, not least automotive and energy, so you might well still be hearing from me from time-to-time. Meanwhile, please give a warm welcome to my successor as editor, Chris Callander, who now takes up the reins and I’ll leave it to him to introduce himself in the April issue. I wish Chris and the team all the very best in taking Aftermarket to new heights over the months ahead. Enjoy the issue! John Shepherd Editor
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