Copart UK (Copart), an auto salvage agent known for partnering with insurers, has acquired green parts specialist Hills Salvage and Recycling Ltd (Hills Motors).
Founded by Jeff and Dorothy Hill over 40 years ago, Hills Motors is a family-owned business based in Skelmersdale with around 200 employees. It is now run by managing director Ian Hill and his team.
The acquisition will see Hills Motors become the centre of Copart’s green parts offering, “The Green Parts Specialist” brand, running as an independent brand in the market that provides a one-stop shop for customers. Hills Motors employees will remain with the business, and Ian Hill will oversee the group’s growth plans in the space.
Commenting on the deal, Copart CEO Jane Pocock said Hills Motors was a significant additional service for insurer and automotive clients.
“Hills is a perfect fit for our business. Hills is noted for developing long-term, stable relationships with clients and the culture – resourcefulness, reliability, and logistical excellence – is perfectly aligned to the way we do things at Copart,” Pocock said. “Hills is in a key location between Liverpool and Manchester, so it is a great addition to our nationwide network, and [it] comes with its own transporter fleet.”
Over the years, Hills Motors has been a leader in introducing and supplying green parts, including a green parts project with Ageas.
“Demand for recycled or green parts is growing as a result of the increased focus on ESG and bottlenecks in the supply chain for new parts. Ian and his team are acknowledged experts in this area of business and will lead our broader focus on green parts under ‘The Green Parts Specialist’ brand,” Pocock said.
Commenting on the acquisition, Hill said: “In our discussions with the Copart team, I was impressed with their vision for Hills and the determination to scale our market-leading green parts proposition. It’s a perfect combination as Copart has the vehicles, and we have the infrastructure and know-how for dismantling. I am really excited about the future and the opportunity to scale the business as part of Copart.”
The acquisition follows Copart’s major expansion in 2021 as demand from its insurer customers rose.
Update
In response to the news, the e2e Total Loss Vehicle Management network (e2e) – of which Hills Motor was a member – revealed that Hills Motors informed e2e’s board of directors on 7 July 2022 that it was being acquired by Copart. The network extended its congratulations to Hills Motors and Copart.
e2e also noted it is business as usual at the network and that clients can be confident that they will continue to receive the quality of service that the network is renowned for.
“e2e will work closely with Hills to quickly and seamlessly manage the operational logistics resulting from the change of ownership,” e2e said in a Press statement. “The resilience and flexibility of e2e’s network model means that risk of over exposure to any one business is mitigated and capacity is always available. Consistency of standards is guaranteed through member agreements enforced by rigorous SLAs. e2e continues to progress with its business transformation plans and will be bringing new solutions to market later this year.”
