May 2020

an ambition to do something. “ Not everything happens by choice, but it’s sometimes the spur you need. That was the case for Asif. “Redundancy was coming,” he said. “It was 2009, and the recession resulting from the 2008 banking crisis was at its highest. I lost my job there, and I decided to set up on my own. Even though the business started during difficult times, it turned out right It all stemmed from leaving the main dealer.” Some businesses will move around a few times before they stumble across the site they will stay on. Asif, on the other hand, found his right out of the gate: “It was around this time that I came across a derelict building, which became the one where we are today. It was not the modern premises it is now. It was a rundown former business – in fact it had been a staircase shop. I converted the space into a modern automotive workshop. S itting literally above the franchised dealers in one of the high points of Huddersfield, Five Star Autocentre is a well-established local business, serving both individuals and businesses in the area. With a seven-bay workshop in an attractive older commercial property, owner and founder Asif Ali employs five technicians and a number of support staff, all aiming to get top marks from the customers. “We do MOTs, servicing and repairs and ADAS calibrations,” said Asif. “We have the equipment for the majority of vehicles so we can programme and do the rest of it, day-in-day-out.” Customers come in all shapes and sizes. Who does Five Star Autocentre generally see? “We see all sort,” explained Asif. “We see private customers, as in the general public, doctors, nurses, etc. On the business side we work with bodyshops. We have contracts with some major bodyshops locally. They bring all of their vehicles in where they might need a new lockset fitted or new programming, radar calibration, ECU replacement, programming, all that stuff. The main bodyshops we have are DLG Autoservices and Alton Cars. We have quite a few big companies that use us because of our turnaround and our abilities. We can offer turnaround within 24 hours.” Asif continued: “If I defined the split between b2b and b2c, I’d say it is 70% b2c, 30% b2b. It was not a conscious decision to build that up, it has just evolved over time. It is a good thing, and we go from strength to strength every year.” Anniversary We clearly picked the right week to call in: “On 28 March,” said Asif, “the 52 AFTERMARKET MAY 2020 GARAGE VISIT www.aftermarketonline.net TOP MARKS: FIVE STAR AUTOCENTRE Above: Asif Ali shows us the way in Aftermarket is this month in Huddersfield to visit Top Garage 2019 finalists Five Star Autocentre business had been officially open for 10 years.” He then explained how it all came to pass: “Before opening Five Star Autocentre, I worked at the Toyota main dealers. I worked there for just under 10 years.” He made good use of his time there: “When I was there, they put us in groups and we were sent down to London. We spent a week working towards our exams. At the time there were 17 of us on the course, and only myself and one other person passed. I was the youngest to have the Master Tech qualification, and I was only 21 at the time.” Nothing lasts forever though: “Eventually, I had come to the end of the road where I was. I had progressed to the top of my field, so there was really nowhere to go. I was a Master Technician in the dealership, but there was not that drive there for me any longer. I needed a new goal,