Garage Focus 16 www.aftermarketonline.net MAY 2026 What most independent garages miss – and how one got it right In this month’s Garage Focus, Chris Callander spoke with Barry Lawson of Lawson Autotech about how his business went from “plodding along” to claiming a Top Garage accolade and then inspiring others to follow suit. All across the UK, there are garages with an incredibly similar story. Technically, they are very capable and working extremely hard, but they are simply not moving forward in the way they would like. That was certainly the case for Lawson Autotech, based in the Scottish town of Larbert. When I caught up with Barry Lawson, he was refreshingly open about the journey the business has been on. It is a story that begins not with rapid growth or a clear strategy, but with a long period of simply keeping things going. Lawson Autotech was established in 1983 by Barry’s father. By the time Barry joined in 2001, it was a wellestablished local garage, but like many similar businesses, it was operating on experience and routine rather than any defined plan. For years, the business “plodded along”, as Barry put it. There had once been a larger team, but over time, numbers had reduced, and by the time Barry began to take a more active role, it had effectively become a two-man operation again. Looking back, he admits that period was characterised by a lack of direction. “There was no real vision,” Barry said. “We were doing a good job for customers, but we weren’t really moving forward.” The turning point was not a single dramatic event, but a gradual realisation that something was not right. Barry describes a moment familiar to many garage owners: working long hours, putting everything into the business, and then looking at what was left at the end of the year. “It was a wake-up call,” he explained. “We were working flat out, but what we had left to share between us just didn’t reflect the effort going in.” The value of talking to others A key shift came in 2018, when the business joined the DPF Network, a national network of independent DPF specialists. That decision exposed Barry to a much wider peer group, and, crucially, to businesses that were achieving far more. “It was an eye-opener,” he added. “You start speaking to other garages across the UK, and you realise what’s actually possible.” This is a point Barry returned to repeatedly. For him, one of the biggest barriers in the independent sector is not technical capability, but isolation. Many owners simply do not talk to others in the trade in any meaningful way. And when they do, they do not always act on what they hear. “There’s a difference between asking for advice and just moaning about a problem,” he continued. “If you’re going to ask, you’ve got to be prepared to listen, and then actually do something as a result.” That willingness to listen and, if needed, accept some uncomfortable truths became a defining feature of Lawson Autotech’s transformation. A target to aim for The next step in the journey came in 2019, when Barry attended the Top Garage Awards for the first time. Initially, it was simply a day out with others from the DPF Network. But the experience had a lasting impact. Hearing the stories of other finalists and seeing what high-performing garages looked like in practice provided a clearer benchmark. “It gave me something to aim for,” Barry said. “You look at it and think, if Barry Lawson with members of the Lawson Autotech Team collecting the Top Garage (7-9 Employees) award
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