March 2020

mobile. Then we rented a unit and I came and helped. Although he was there during the very beginning and ending, he was released from any finances he had to do by me going into full-time work. After a few years, a full-time job became available here, and his hatred of paperwork made it very easy for me to take over. In fact, we are such an extraordinarily opposite couple. There are lots of things I am good at that he can’t do, and vice-versa. It is a nice partnership.” Diagnostics We actually spoke to Rebecca about their ADAS bay in the December/January issue of Aftermarket, where Carmaster was becoming the local expert in the technology. We asked her what other areas the company had carved itself a niche in: “Diagnostics is massive for us,” she explained. “We do loads for I f you’ve seen one garage in Harrogate, you’ve seen them all. Don’t get us wrong, we don’t mean they are all the same, far from it. Rather, it is that because most of them are on one road, once you have located one you have located pretty much the lot. This means you need to work to stand out. We are here to see Carmaster, the business started in 1997 by 00s two-time Top Technician finalist Dave Pullan and his wife Rebecca. The business opened the doors on its current site in December 1998, renting initially before buying the place in 2004. They are exceptional in all sorts of ways, but what strikes you when you arrive, is the building. That’s what Rebecca thought anyway: “It is a horrible shaped building, to be fair.” Architectural aesthetes in the Yorkshire motor trade – we certainly didn’t expect that. Rebecca went on to tell us why the building is so, er, unique: “It is four industrial units. We have opened it up inside as much as we can so it is two, sort of. As I said, it is not the nicest shape building unfortunately, but we have made the most of what we have got. Last year we put up a portacabin at the front for a dedicated reception. It is not aesthetically nice as I would like it to be, but inside, what a lovely space that is.” Workshop More on the portacabin later; As for the overall workshop, handsome is as handsome does, we say. We asked Rebecca to tell us the important bit – what goes on inside its four (or is it 16) walls: “There are a total of 13 full- time staff, including myself and Dave. He runs the workshop, and the actual repairs, and is foreman, and I do 50 AFTERMARKET MARCH 2020 GARAGE VISIT www.aftermarketonline.net LEADING THE WAY: CARMASTER Above: Rebecca and Dave Pullan Aftermarket visits Carmaster in Harrogate, to see how the business is leading the way in the area, and beyond everything else. Inside the workshop, we have 11 ramps, two of which are testing lanes. We have a dedicated diagnostic area, we have a dedicated ADAS area, as well as the four-wheel alignment area etc.” Rebecca told us they are keen to stay current: “We have massively changed over the last few years. We have put a lot of money in. We had a new floor last year. We plan to keep investing to make the place a nicer place for the staff to actually work in as much as anything. That is a real priority for me at the moment, to take good care of these boys.” If that is where Carmaster is today, how did it get started? Rebecca told us the tale: “Dave always said he could do it better than where he was. ‘I can do it better, I can do it better’. “Then, when we had our daughter, we decided I would go back to work full time, and our families helped with our daughter, and off he went,