Nationwide Accident Repair Services swallows up Just Car Clinics

Nationwide Accident Repair Services has announced that it is to buy Just Car Clinics for £13.77 million.

The move by Nationwide comes barely a month after it was itself taken over by alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group. If the offer is approved by Just Car Clinics shareholders, then ii is expected to be completed by September.

Nationwide provides integrated automotive crash repair and accident administration services to the UK insurance industry, fleet operators and retail customers and operates a national network of over 70 accident repair centres across England, Scotland and Wales. The purchase of Just Car Clinics will add 28 centres to its business, mostly located across a corridor from Swindon in the South West to Durham in the North East. Just Car Clinics has another two sites in Scotland.

Michael Wilmshurst, CEO of Nationwide Accident Repair Services said that Just Car Clinics was a well-run business with a good team that had a similar “customer-centric approach” to Nationwide.

“Its addition enhances our mobile, rapid repair and traditional fixed site offering and will enable us to serve our customers more efficiently,” he said.

Barry Whittles, CEO of Just Car Clinics Group, said that the deal had unanimous support of the company’s directors.

“We believe that the two companies fit well together. Nationwide is well-respected in the sector and we look forward to combining our strengths in order to deliver our customers enhanced services, supported by first class standards,” he added.

Mark Dugdale