York Motor Factors by tpg media

Introduction

YMF has plenty to celebrate The business has a loyal and growing c u sto m

expansion programme, and 2019 sees it celebrate its 50th birthday with a trading name change to YMF Car Parts

The complex back office processes employed so that local parts deliveries can generally be made inside an hour, and the way the co m

relationships with over 500 independent garages is another world from when husband and wife founders Bill and Mary O’Brien began trading at the end of the 1960s

Within two years they had outgrown this premises, and moved to

YMF’s operation

The nature of the products they sold would change massively as the years passed Initially staff were kept busy selling renewables

caps, points and condensers, fitted to cars with short service cycles t

keep them running properly

sophistication meant that the breadth, range and complexity of the products YMF needed to provide had also increased, and there was also a move towards non-mechanical parts such as relays and solid state ignition components

In the past decade this process has accelerated massively and with

spares that help keep systems such as anti lock brakes working as they should

Engines have also changed and developed hugely over the past half century When the company began selling lubricants there were few options for oil types, with 20W/50 oil having a near monopoly, b

different specifications of engine oils

BUYING POWER

In 1994 YMF were invited to join the country’s premier buying group the IFA (Independent Motor Trade Factors Associated Ltd) This has enabled them to trade with some of the worlds biggest brands at competitive prices

Nowadays car owners can’t live without their cars for long so it is important that vehicles are serviced and repaired quickly With this in mind YMF keep a huge range of parts in stock for Servicing, and Braking jobs They keep a full 10 year pareto on these products which means they keep every part listed for every vehicle up to 10 years old! Plus loads more!

EXPERTISE

The company s wider spares portfolio has also broadened beyond recognition, and stock lists are now overseen by dedicated staff members, who are not only experts at number crunching but can drill down into component lists so that there aren’t errors when selecting superficially similar parts

Both they and the component manufacturers and suppliers constantly monitor levels of demand, and use this data to select parts that have the largest vehicle coverage This gives YMF the confidence that their customers can be helped quickly and efficiently

Malton

CONTINUITY

Today YMF remains a family run business, with second generation O’Brien’s Phil, Barry and Anne at the helm, but they have retained an ethos that they are in business to assist the local independent garage sector, and that means developing lasting relationships and having the right parts on the shelf that are ready to go

The company has a headcount of around 100 full and part time staff, and is looking to the future of their workforce, so to give the newest sales, telesales and driver recruits the tools they need to work effectively, they have recently taken on a full time training manager so that staff can really develop skills for their own benefit and their customers

Many YMF staff have been with the business for decades, notably on the sales side, which again provides an insight into the needs of their customers who demand rapid access to components that they might once have carried themselves, but still need quickly to keep their workshops busy and efficient, and their customers happy

RAPID RESPONSE

This is facilitated by a modern van fleet, which was recently expanded to 40 vehicles, driven by a dedicated team of drivers YMF’s vehicles are a familiar sight on the roads of York and the surrounding areas, and will deliver further afield to locations such as Pocklington, Tadcaster and Easingwold

Even garages at the outer limits of the company ’ s area of operation can expect four deliveries a day i f these are what’s needed to process jobs, and having sites in York, Poppleton, Selby, Malton & Scarborough means YMF has a linked distribution network stretching from York all the way to the North Yorkshire coast

LOYALTY

This does not mean that the company isn t a welcoming, efficient place to visit for over the counter sales, and although the bulk of their customers are motor trade professionals, its staff still see a steady flow of private car owners who remain wedded to do it yourself maintenance

For trade customers the company operates a no quibble returns service for parts that are no longer required If these are sent back customers will have their accounts credited within 24 hours of receiving the goods back This is backed up with a 48 hour warranty service, which means any item sent back under warranty will either be replaced or a credit made inside two days

For trade customers spending over £1,000 per month, YMF has recently introduced a loyalty rewards programme, accessed using an online portal (www ymf my-thanks co uk, with gives customers one point for every pound spent These points can be redeemed on a wide range of gifts and other prizes from food and drink to technology and beauty products

MAKING THE NEWS

But YMF hasn’t turned their back on more traditional ways of keeping in touch with their customers, as readers of its bi-monthly Smart Choice magazine will know This is an ideal platform to let clients know about new product launches and revisions, keep them up to date on technical innovations and enter competitions where they have the opportunity to win items such as fully equipped tool boxes

Selby

Poppleton

SPECIALIST SKILLS

Adapting to customer needs has been one of the secrets behind YMF s sustained success, and a good example of this is how they stocks niche products including gas welding bottles, Number plates and TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensors), which since 2015 have taken on a greater importance as they are now covered by MOT test regulations

Bodyshop customers with spray booths can now benefit from two rece ntly introduced paint mixing stations, which use paint ingredient weighing technology linked to vehicle colour code information so that the company can produce more than 77,000 paint colour combinations This allows it to supply paint in quantities sufficient to operate spray booths together with touch up and smart repair kits

THE NEXT CHAPTER

As YMF looks forward to sharing a series of celebration events with their customers, the company is looking at avenues to further streamline practices, improve efficiency and find new ways to help those customers run their businesses more efficiently

Further expansion is on the cards, and YMF is preparing for the massive expected shift in vehicle technology that is probably now only a few short years away

However, one element of its business model won’t be changing: YMF will continue to be run for the benefit of local garages in North Yorkshire

YMF will shortly be launching their new VRM (Vehicle registration Marque) driven websitewww ymfcarparts co uk this will allow customers to enter a vehicle reg number and order parts for that specific car with options of click & collect or direct delivery