Editor’s comment 3 www.aftermarketonline.net SEPTEMBER 2025 Editor Chris Callander chris@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 671123 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 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 Let’s meet Since we wrapped up our last edition, I’ve been meeting more of the aftermarket community, both in person and virtually. One standout opportunity was the chance to join Laser Tools’ 50th anniversary celebration, which took place late in March. It was an excellent day, and chatting with the team about how tools are evolving to meet the ever-growing complexity of today’s vehicles brought me back to my younger days as an enthusiastic but very much amateur mechanic working on my own vehicles. The trigger was seeing the Gunson Colortune in the company’s display suite (Gunson became part of Laser Tools’ parent company, Tool Connection, around 20 years ago). It’s a fantastically simple tool, but at the time, it was invaluable for adjusting the fuel mixture in carburettor-fuelled engines. It is still available today, but, of course, now most vehicles require a far more sophisticated approach to achieve similar results. And Laser Tools has had to keep up with this evolution, something it has done well, remaining a successful business for five decades. On pages 10 and 11 in this issue, I report on the anniversary and a conversation I had with the company’s Technical Director about how Laser has maintained its success throughout the period, keeping up with the everchanging demands of the vehicle parc and those maintaining it. Another highlight of the last few weeks was a conversation with Barry Lawson of Lawson Autotech. Barry’s business has gone from treading water just a few years ago to significant growth, winning a Top Garage award, and even launching an event to bring together aftermarket businesses in his native Scotland and the north of England. It’s a fascinating story and an inspiration to other independent garages looking to kick-start their growth, which you will find on pages 16 and 17. Looking ahead, this issue also includes a preview of the upcoming UK Garage & Bodyshop Event, which starts on page 24. This promises to be a great opportunity for the aftermarket sector to come together and see what’s new, and in our preview, we also outline a selection of the highlights to be found on the exhibition floor. And, of course, the Aftermarket team will be there, on stand K58, and I’ll be touring the exhibits. If you’d like to meet up over the two days, please get in touch via chris@aftermarket.co.uk. That’s just a taster of what we have in the following pages; there’s plenty more news, views and technical features. I hope you enjoy the issue. Chris Callander Editor
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