Groupauto International : Strategic anchors in the group’s plan

Last summer, GAI acquired the Spanish company Gaudi, reinforcing the presence of Alliance Automotive Iberia (Groupauto Iberica) in the local aftermarket. This acquisition adds to the previous takeovers of Lausan in Spain and Soulima in Portugal, as explained by Franck Baduel, the CEO of Alliance Automotive Groupe. 

Click to read the interview of Franck Baduel

Gaudi’s acquisition includes 22 outlets primarily located in the regions of Catalonia and Madrid, contributing €100 million in turnover. Overall, Groupauto International reports a turnover of around €30 billion achieved by the 1,990 member distributors under the Groupauto brand through its 33 investors. These distributors oversee a growing and global network of 15,785 outlets spread across 70 countries, with 7,444 workshops specialising in passenger vehicles and 937 workshops dedicated to commercial vehicles. Europe still in the lead By major region, France as well as UK and Ireland are best covered in terms of volume under Groupauto branding with respectively 535 French distributors (3,695 sales points) and 388 UK / Irish distributors (1,896 sales points). But North America (United States and Canada) and Asia follow closely with respectively 339 distributors with 463 sales points and 304 distributors for 1,344 sales points*; In November, Günter Weber, the Regional President for Europe & the Middle East at Bosch Aftermarket, took over from Holger Hellmich, also from the German equipment manufacturer, as the president of Groupauto International. 

The new leader has signalled his commitment to follow the path set by his predecessor, particularly within the framework of the Driving To Tomorrow plan. At the core of Groupauto International’s initiatives is the standardisation of relationships between suppliers, distributors, and repairers through the digitalization of the entire chain. This includes processes such as scheduling customer appointments, using e-catalogues, ordering parts, managing invoices, accessing technical information, collecting vehicle data, offering training programmes, recruitment through Talents 4IAM, and fleet management.
* Source: groupauto.com

Click here to access the french version of the International IAM Distribution Atlas