Wilko220 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 It was a nice surprise to open my evening paper on the way home and see a modern-day, yet very reminiscent, reminder of "The Firm" staring at me. It looks like there is actually one bit of BL still going strong after so much of the rest of the remains has bitten the dust. But my favourite thing of all is that, despite now having grown into this all-singing, all-dancing multi-national logistics conglomerate, they're still using the same old logo we all remember. Class. Junkman, Squire_Dawson, Leyland Lawrence and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saucedoctor Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 On its arse, I'm afraid. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-car-parts-firm-uniparts-7390386 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko220 Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Oh dear.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Currently employee-owned but 48 hours from bankruptcy according to the papers. One of the companies planning on putting a bid in is Euro Car Parts.... So they'll have more stock to randomly choose you a wrong part from. Banger Kenny, af1, Stanky and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayne Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 The article says that Unipart Automotive is on its arse.The Unipart Group ( Yes, yes, yes at thetop of this thread) flogged off Unipart Automotive in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiperCub Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 ECP probably will buy it sadly so another one joins this awful monopoly. Millions of parts - all of them wrong.............. beko1987 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickwall Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 The company , which employs about 1,600 people in the UK, completed a refinancing deal in May, but it was not enough to save the business.The UK business is owned by Unipart Group and H2 Equity Partners. The Dutch private equity investor, which bought a 51 per cent stake in 2011, had hoped to invest in the business and turn it around, but recent poor trading prevented it from pulling off its plan.Unipart Automotive, which has about 200 branches in the UK, hopes a rescue deal will be completed within days. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/unipart-automotive-days-away-from-securing-a-rescue-deal-9593551.html I hope so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSparrow Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 My dad runs a small garage and throughout the 90s Unipart would send literally tons of branded freebies, some of which he could've sold to customers.I remember about 100 copies of a very good Unipart road atlas that they suggested he could sell but he just gave them to regular customers. Also, one year there was a calendar of nudey Russian ladies, which caught my attention at the age of 12. He had boxes of them but wouldn't let me have one! egg, Vince70, brickwall and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Station Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 One of the companies planning on putting a bid in is Euro Car Parts.... So they'll have more stock to randomly choose you a wrong part from. I have to say that's a bit unfair. The last time I went in they intentionally gave me several wrong parts, in between swearing like a docker, calling the customer 'bud' and just generally being unpleasantly 'casual'. theorganist, forddeliveryboy, chaseracer and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 the only 2 times ive used them for work ive been sent the wrong bits at the wrong price on the wrong day. Aaaammm Oooot brickwall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Livered Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 swearing like a docker, calling the customer 'bud' and just generally being unpleasantly 'casual'.Either 'bud' or 'mate' is a pretty standard form of address in an informal encounter between two adult males, no? I never see the problem with people fucking swearing either, and dockers are top blokes in general, just ask Trigger. Getting the wrong parts is surely the only actual problem here? trigger, saucedoctor and Junkman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisbon_road Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I have never had any problems with Europarts and have never had the wrong parts. I can also live with being called 'bud'. But like so many industries, if they get even closer to a monopoly, I can't see any way that's good for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I don't mind being called 'bud', 'mate', 'pal' or even (memorably) 'squire'; indeed, it seems to be compulsory in all consumer transactions here in the Midlands. However, I have the kind of voice/accent which shifts the mode of address fairly rapidly to 'sir', which is a constant source of amusement to me I would get out more, but the guards won't allow it. DISCLAIMER: I have never been a customer of either Unipart or Euro Car Parts... mat_the_cat, Shep Shepherd, Junkman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSparrow Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Just did a search and was reminded that there was a video too!Which my dad didn't let me have a copy of either! brickwall, eddyramrod, Wilko220 and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I'd pay him back for this deprivation of essential necessities during your adolescence.Visit him and drink all his old whisky. eddyramrod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Station Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Either 'bud' or 'mate' is a pretty standard form of address in an informal encounter between two adult males, no? I never see the problem with people fucking swearing either, and dockers are top blokes in general, just ask Trigger. Getting the wrong parts is surely the only actual problem here? Not when they crawl out of the back room scratching their balls it isn't (this happened). Leave the fake pleasantries in the pub and concentrate on giving me the correct part at least once thanks. eddyramrod and Wackeldackel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 in between swearing like a docker Fuck off! Joey spud, CreepingJesus, oman5 and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Pelican Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 ECP will asset strip as they did with Lucas branches ( not the name though it would seem , Unipart will probably vanish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I sales repped for Unipart and Edmunds Walker 21 years ago. Had a Montego. Cuntryman as well. In brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jikovron Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I worked at unipart for 2 years and noted that the investment input between UA and ECP was the respective equivalent of lidl and its cardboard boxs and M&S with its fancy dandy fripperies. One little of info i heard whilst there was that only 1 out of 180 branches was making profit, although that was our branch manager who revealed that so it may have been a little bit of the man at the top speak possibly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New POD Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 www.unipartconsulting.comwww.sig-uk.org/who-we-are/partners Unipart should be a brilliant company. They own a world leading improvement consultancy, and in the second link above are one of the partners, helping to spend government money to improve the UK aerospace and nuclear supply chain companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko220 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Today's news: http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/leads-deals/unipart-automotive-collapses-loss-over-7498422 More than 1,200 people have been made redundant at Unipart Automotive and its Solihull head office closed after a failed bid to find a buyer for the business.Based on Birmingham Business Park, the company operates a network of 180 branches and distribution hubs supplying car parts, workshop consumables and garage equipment.It trades under the Unipart Automotive, Partco Autoparts and Express Factors brands and employs 1,813 people.Mark Orton, Will Wright and Jonny Marston from KPMG were appointed joint administrators to Unipart Automotive Ltd and immediately struck a deal with Solihull-based Parts Alliance and Leeds-based Andrew Page.The Parts Alliance has acquired 12 of Unipart Automotive branches while Andrew Page has bought 21 including the sites in Walsall, Stafford and Shrewsbury.A total of 361 staff employed across these 33 sites have transferred with immediate effect but the remainder of the Unipart Automotive business has ceased to trade with 1,244 redundancies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Just remember - we are coming out of recession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilko220 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Just remember - we are coming out of recession. Whether we're in a recession or in a boom, there will always be businesses which fail due to poor management. Look at MG Rover - there was no recession then. Partridge and saucedoctor 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Bizarre, I got exactly the opposite; "The Parts Alliance lands Unipart Automotive deal and safeguards over 300 jobsIn its bid to become a £1 billion turnover group, leading UK and Ireland automotive buying and distribution group, HgCapital-owned The Parts Alliance, together with latest associate member Andrew Page, today announced its joint acquisition of 33 branches from the former Unipart Automotive, which has entered administration. The deal, which is for an undisclosed sum, bolsters The Parts Alliance network to 278 branches nationwide and reflects its ambition to capture more great regional talent and brands under the Parts Alliance umbrella and pursue its dynamic growth strategy." The full bollocks if anyone is interested is here http://www.sourcewire.com/news/83863/ I have no opinion, connection etc. Wilko220 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 It's not my fault!I just bought two genuine Unipart oil filters for the RBM. eddyramrod and Vince70 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf892 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Bizarre, I got exactly the opposite; "The Parts Alliance lands Unipart Automotive deal and safeguards over 300 jobs[/size] In its bid to become a £1 billion turnover group, leading UK and Ireland automotive buying and distribution group, HgCapital-owned The Parts Alliance, together with latest associate member Andrew Page, today announced its joint acquisition of 33 branches from the former Unipart Automotive, which has entered administration. [/size] The deal, which is for an undisclosed sum, bolsters The Parts Alliance network to 278 branches nationwide and reflects its ambition to capture more great regional talent and brands under the Parts Alliance umbrella and pursue its dynamic growth strategy."[/size] The full bollocks if anyone is interested is here [/size]http://www.sourcewire.com/news/83863/ I have no opinion, connection etc. Same announcement..........different spin Shirley? One majors on how many jobs lost and goes on to mention 361 will transfer.........other trumpets the saving of over 300 jobs. Back in the day they were bloody good for parts.......usually OE supplier in Unipart box and very well priced to trade. I used to work at at an AR dealer so the Parts Dept as Unipart with Express factors on site. In those days Express Factors was just a different van/extra logo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreepingJesus Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Feel sorry for the staff who've lost their jobs, but otherwise, fuck 'em. If the teeth grinding experience of buying bits from Unipart in Kirkcaldy or Dunfermline was anything to go by, they really didn't give a fuck about generating business anyhow.I was in the garage trade many years ago, and I remember how good, what we would regard now as 'old school' parts shops, used to be. Unipart's 'old school' ethos seemed to be based on a fantasy mashup of Grange Hill and On The Buses. Lacquer Peel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 This is depressing. The best factors in town was Unipart. Always friendly, helpful service and bloody good prices on oil. M'coli 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panhard65 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Well my local one is one of the lucky ones and has been taken over by parts alliance so they all still have their jobs at the moment. Must of been doing something right as they are down here in Taunton rather than the Midlands where most of the other saved branches are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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