Articles by Julian Swallow

After buying one of Adelaide's largest car servicing chains, Auto Masters wants to take on new workers as it moves to almost double the size of its business. Auto Masters, which already has 41 outlets throughout Western Australia and New South Wales, took over car servicing and repairs company Profix's 16 South Australian outlets in May. SA State Manager Simon Ballard said the company saw South Australia as an “ideal choice for Auto Masters” in which it was able to capitalise and grow on an existing base of stores in good locations. The company, which plans to grow the Auto Masters footprint to 30 locations across the state over the next few years, is now on the lookout for new staff as it seeks to cater to that growth. Mr Ballard said Auto Masters franchisees want to hire five mechanics and three-to-four managers immediately. Auto Masters is also looking for franchisees to take over a number of existing Profix outlets. “We've got franchisees looking for mechanics and managers now, and we've got six franchises available for purchase now with more to come,” he said. New franchisees can rely upon Auto Masters support and extensive franchising experience, Mr Ballard said. “(Auto Masters) It's a good franchise group, which has been going 27 years in Perth,” he said. “Over that time we've developed a franchise model that is very much at the forefront of mechanical repairs and engineering.” It comes as The Advertiser continues its We're for Jobs in SA campaign that aims to build business and jobseeker confidence and drive employment growth in SA. Mr Ballard, a former Bridgestone national sales manager, said Auto Masters wanted its franchise stores to be known for offering employees “good workplaces with sound and safe environments,” he said. It also aims to offer a service that is “female friendly.” “Something we talk about quite a lot is wanting customers to keep coming back to our stores,” he said. “We want to attract customers for life.” Motor Trades Association chief executive John Chapman said it was a tough time for his industry in which it was becoming “harder and harder” for general repairers to manage rising costs and the need to come to grips with the sheer number of different vehicles on South Australia's roads. However, Mr Chapman said businesses such as Auto Masters could hope to grow if they focused on good customer service and invested in their staff. “The challenge is your customer relationships,” he said. “Managing those and marketing your business in your area so you can maximise the number of customers.”