Kwik Fit is a car servicing and repair company in the United Kingdom. As of November 2024, there are over six hundred Kwik Fit locations in the United Kingdom.[1] Kwik Fit also has locations in continental Europe.[2]
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1971 in Edinburgh |
| Headquarters | Letchworth, England, UK |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Paul Boulton (Company Director) Mark Lynott (Company Director) Mark Slade (Company Director) |
| Services | |
| Parent | Itochu Corporation |
| Website | kwit-fit.com |
History
edit
Sir Tom Farmer opened the first Kwik Fit location in McDonald Road, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1971. In May 1995, Kwik Fit Insurance, part of Kwik Fit Financial Services, was formed, and has since grown to become one of the leading car insurance distributors in the United Kingdom.[3]
In October 1999, Kwik Fit had grown to over two thousand locations throughout Europe, and Farmer sold the company to the Ford Motor Company for US$1.6bn.[4] A decision by Ford to concentrate on its core business led to the sale of Kwik Fit in August 2002, to CVC Capital Partners. In June 2005, Kwik Fit was sold for £800m, to PAI Partners, a French-based private equity firm.
The Kwik Fit Financial Services arm of the business, was sold by PAI to Fortis Insurance UK, now Ageas (UK) Limited, for a figure of £215m in July 2010.[5] The tyre retailing and service centre business was bought by Itochu Corporation in March 2011.[6][7]
Advertising
editFirst shown in 1984, the adverts “You Can't Get Better Than a Kwik Fit Fitter” were broadcast on the main television channels, in the United Kingdom. The “Kwik Fit Fitter” returned to television in August 2008, with the campaign "You'll Be Amazed at What We Do".[8]
Training
editKwik Fit received its first national training award in 1990. In January 2009, Kwik Fit was awarded Beacon status from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) for its further education training programs. This was given following a successful inspection by Ofsted, in which programs were graded 'outstanding'.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "MoT Testing && Servicing". kwik-fit.com.
- ^ "Kwik Fit Italy now at 57 locations". Tyre Press. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Kwik-Fit sees motor insurance as new base". heraldscotland.com. 3 May 1995. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Remaking Ford", Business Week, 11 October 1999
- ^ "Fortis completes Kwik Fit acquisition". Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "ITOCHU reaches agreement to acquire Kwik-Fit Group, UK No.1 tyre retailer". itochu.co.jp. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012.
- ^ "PAI - 404 Page not found" (PDF). paipartners.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2011.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "The Kwik Fit fitter returns - Marketing Week". www.marketingweek.com. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Customer Satisfaction". Kwik Fit. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
External links
edit
