Vanaways has teamed up with a UK-wide network of bodyshops to give fleet owners a rapid solution for getting vehicles back on the road.
The Bristol-based business has inked an exclusive deal to work with Essex-based Artura Consultancy, which manages a network of 130 bodyshops around the country.
Artura, whose network includes 35 directly operated sites via the Evolution Repair Group, will agree to prioritise work sent its way by Vanaways customers, while Artura will in turn promote Vanaways as a vehicle provider to its owner customers.
The deal is the latest in a series of strategic arrangements announced this year by Vanaways, following the creation of partnerships with Veriforce CHAS and Fleetmaxx Solutions to cross-promote services to tens of thousands of businesses across the UK.
Together, the organisations will provide customers with a holistic provision of services ranging from fuel and fleet cost reduction, to risk prevention, compliance and supply chain services and now, with Artura, an end-to-end claims management service.
“It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Liam Nicholas, business development director at Vanaways. “Over the past few months we’ve built up a consortium of like-minded companies who we can work with in these strategic partnerships.
“Between us, CHAS, Fleetmaxx and now Artura, we can offer the business community a wholly different suite of options for buying, risk managing, fuelling and maintaining their vehicles.
“We’re all united by common values of doing what’s best for our customers, with the business benefits to ourselves coming as a secondary advantage. That’s an approach which is new and different, and it’s been the basis for our success over recent years.”
Artura Consultancy is headquartered in Colchester, Essex, and was set up by Anthony Heard who established Evolution Repair Group in 2020.
The new company has only been operating since May 2022 and has already grown from three to 24 staff, generating more than £80m of revenue for the UK bodyshop industry and with company revenue rising by 163% in the past year alone.
Heard said the partnership with Vanaways straddles the divide between claims management companies and bodyshops.
“In a challenging economy and with insurance premiums and excess prices rising, we’re finding that many vehicle owners are no longer claiming for minor repairs. That’s causing bodyshops to struggle to meet the necessary revenue requirements.
“We want to offer out the complete claims management package that will give clients the best customer journey whilst helping bodyshops optimise their space and time. Together our bodyshops, alongside Artura Consultancy, will drive down wasted claims costs which will make it better for the Vanaways customer base. It’s a model where everyone wins.”
