Editors blog

19 September 2008  

THE AUTOMECHANIKA exhibition in Germany begins to draw to a close today (Friday 19th September) after a week of new technology, opinions, ideas and innovations that will help shape the future of the trade.

Aftermarket has been in Frankfurt all week checking out what’s new among more than 4,000 companies from every corner of the globe and hundreds of influential experts. Green technology and environmental sustainability are easily the two biggest themes on people’s lips.

Everywhere you look, companies are showcasing new, eco-friendly products that they will be trying to sell into your workshops over the coming months.

Clearly, not all the companies out there are run by tree-hugging hippies who want to make the world a better place so the new environmental concerns are closely linked to a desire to minimise production costs by using renewable materials and energy sources during production.

Inevitably, there has been talk of the economic downturn too. Who you believe is a matter of personal opinion. Some companies say that times will be hard for the automotive sector with huge slowdowns in turnover.

Others say the aftermarket will benefit more than almost any other industry as customers keep cars for longer and delay services – leading to more breakdowns and bigger repair bills. To add to the confusion, the pessimists say that anyone who claims their business is doing well during these difficult times is simply putting a brave face on things.

Everyone seems to agree that helping your customers realise how a little extra spent on maintenance and service work will quickly save them money by preventing costly breakdowns is a good idea.

Stay tuned to Aftermarket Network for more news and business ideas once we’ve dragged our weary feet back from Germany to the green and pleasant UK. Hopefully it’s nice and warm back home – ‘cos it’s *#@!%& freezing over here!