THE KITEMARK® MAJOR FACTOR IN KARL VILLA ACQUIRING COUNTY COACHBUILDERS

Kitemark certified Karl Vella Group, the North West’s accident repair group, has just added its fifth site with the acquisition of County Coachbuilders in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria-safeguarding all 27 jobs. County Coachbuilders is a 24,000 square foot bodyshop with an annual turnover of £1.75m, which takes the Group’s annual turnover to almost £12m. The site has the capability to repair over 50 vehicles per week, giving the Group an extended repair capacity of over 300 vehicles per week. Commenting on the acquisition, David Vella, operations director of Karl Vella Group said: “As well as being BSI Kitemark certified, the bodyshop holds a number of manufacturer approvals including Renault and Jaguar in addition to a range of highly regarded volume insurance approvals. “Without the Kitemark we would not have purchased County Coachbuilders as there would not have been the procedures, processes and trained staff to carry out the high standard of work that the Karl Vella Group do. In addition the Kitemark has been the driver for the work that the bodyshop received. “We are really pleased with the purchase of County Coachbuilders, which significantly strengthens our proposition as a North West accident repair network. This is the first in a number of exciting developments within the Karl Vella Group that we will be announcing during 2011.” David continued: “We’re very much looking forward to working with County Coachbuilders’ longstanding clients to deliver enhanced service levels coupled with the cost savings that come from our innovative repair processes.” County Coachbuilders’ coverage extends across Cumbria into Carlisle in the North and Lancaster in the South, joining up with the areas serviced by Karl Vella Group’s existing bodyshop sites in Preston, Skelmersdale, Blackburn and Southport. Claire Lynam, Head of Communications & Alliances EMEA at BSI commented: “We are pleased that the Kitemark has been one of the key decisions in the acquisition and that is has helped save local jobs. We wish all involved every success. EDITOR’S NOTES: For details on BSI Kitemark visit www.kitemark.com. For more details on Karl Vella visit www.karlvella.co.uk. For media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Tracey Treanor at Chicane on 07789 078710 or e-mail tracey@chicanemarketing.co.uk About BSI Group BSI Group is a global independent business services organization which enables businesses, governments and other organizations to increase profits and market access, and to enhance reputation with its standards-based solutions and assurance services. From its origins as the world’s first National Standards Body, BSI Group draws upon over 100 years’ experience to partner with 66,000 organizations in 147 countries from its 50 offices. Today, through its independence, innovation and integrity, BSI continues to improve the lives of millions by raising standards worldwide. To learn more about BSI Group, please visit www.bsigroup.com Contact: Claire Lynam, Head of Communications & Alliances, BSI. Tel: 08450 765600, claire.lynam@bsigroup.com www.Kitemark.com

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