TWO car repair specialists who live and work in Rugby are leading the way in the automotive industry thanks to a new accreditationscheme they helped to pioneer.

Terry Oxley and Iain Wallace both work for Revive! – the country’s leading firm when it comes to repairing scuffs and marks on vehicle paintwork and alloy wheels. The firm has a network of more than 90 technicians across the UK and has its headquarters at Upton Road.

Technical operations manager Terry Oxley and national training officer Iain Wallace are among the first to achieve a new nationally recognised Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) under a scheme run by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

The new qualification was in part based on Revive!’s own training programme and the company helped to pilot the scheme at its Rugby workshop. Both men are planning to use their experience and training to help all of the Revive! technicians to achieve the same high standards of qualification.

Smart repair is a cost effective and time-saving alternative to taking the vehicle to a bodyshop for minor paintwork repairs. Costing far less than most insurance policy excesses, the work is carried out at a time and place to suit the customer, minimising vehicle downtime and protecting the owner’s no claims bonus.

Mr Oxley, who has been with Revive! for the last three years, explained why obtaining ATA accreditation was so important for his company.

He said: “You have to think of it in terms of Gas Safe registered gas fitters. If you are looking for someone to carry out work on your heating system then you are going to use an approved technician.

“Having a Gas Safe registered technician gives you peace of mind because you know you are dealing with someone trained up to a certain standard. It is exactly the same for our industry with the ATA accreditation.”

Mr Oxley, who has worked in the car and paint industry throughout his career, added: “The whole process took us two years to complete and the assessment itself was very rigorous. Because we were being assessed individually and the centre was also being assessed at the same time it meant four inspectors watching what we were doing instead of just one.”

Mr Wallace, who has worked for Revive! for the last seven years, believes that the accreditation will give the firm a big advantage over its industry rivals. He said: “The aim is to put all of our technicians through the ATA making Revive! the first smart repairer to have a fully accredited network of technicians and underlining our commitment to provide a top quality service at all times.”

Revive! Managing Director Mark Llewellyn is a key figure in the automotive industry and was instrumental in introducing the process at Revive! He said: “It has felt like a long route, but we are delighted that the IMI has seen the value of creating an ATA standard for cosmetic and bodywork repairs establishing it as a mainstream alternative to traditional bodyshops for small area bodywork and wheel repairs.

“I am proud of the calibre of people who work at Revive! we are a company that is going places and to achieve that we have a group of highly motivated and talented employees like Terry and Iain committed to doing their best for customers and their colleagues.”