Oldfields encourages students to explore automotive careers

Monday 3rd March 2025

Students at Lady Hawkins School in Kington, Herefordshire gained valuable insight into the diverse career opportunities within the automotive industry, thanks to an engaging talk by Tim Benson.

Addressing Year 10 and 11 pupils, Tim shared his journey in the industry, emphasising that success is not determined by background or academic achievements.

Highlighting the automotive sector’s role in everyday life, Tim challenged misconceptions that careers in the industry are limited to mechanics or car sales. Instead, he showcased a broad range of career paths, including diagnostics, engineering, software development, and business management.

“It was great to engage with such an enthusiastic group of students and shed light on the many career paths available in the automotive aftermarket,” said Tim. “With rapid technological advancements, we need bright, passionate young people to help drive the industry forward.”

Drawing on his experience growing up in a family-run garage and pursuing further education, Tim underscored the value of apprenticeships as a gateway to rewarding careers. He explained how these programs offer hands-on experience and industry-recognised qualifications, paving the way for long-term professional growth.

Tim also highlighted the sector’s significant contribution to the UK economy, which employs over 813,000 people and generates £24.3 billion annually. As the industry evolves, he pointed to emerging technologies such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, artificial intelligence, and advanced diagnostics, all shaping the future of automotive careers.

Encouraging students to explore opportunities in the field, Tim concluded with an open invitation for questions, sparking discussions about the industry’s potential and the exciting prospects it offers.

“It was a fantastic, thought-provoking session on all things automotive,” said Lydia Stevens, Careers Adviser at Lady Hawkins. “Our students and staff truly appreciate employers like Tim who invest in the future of young people.”

MP Ellie Chowns visits Oldfields Garage

Wednesday 15th January 2025

We recently welcomed Herefordshire Green MP Ellie Chowns to our workshop, having won several prestigious industry and local awards over the past year.

Ellie Chowns MP said: “I visited Oldfields as part of Small Business Saturday, a programme of visits to celebrate and support local enterprises. Independent businesses like Oldfields Garage are vital to fostering a thriving community, and I was proud to meet Tim to discuss the achievement of the garage and his concerns for the industry.

“Oldfields Garage has built an excellent reputation in Leominster, and in recent months, they’ve been honoured with several awards, including Apprentice Employer of the Year. They’ve also made headlines for having the youngest EV-qualified apprentice in the country. These are achievements that truly deserve recognition.”

During the visit, Tim raised some key concerns facing the wider automotive industry. One important issue was the outdated MOT test fee, which has remained unchanged since 2010 despite rising costs for garages.

He also highlighted the need for formal industry regulation to improve safety and quality, much like the Gas Safe Register for gas engineers. Currently, anyone with the finances can open a garage and work on vehicles without proper qualifications, leading to inconsistent work and potential safety risks for customers.

Additionally, Mr Benson discussed the ongoing challenge of attracting young talent to the automotive sector, which is hindered by outdated perceptions and a lack of vocational training in schools. He emphasised the importance of reshaping how the industry is viewed and promoting apprenticeships to address the skills gap and ensure the future of high-quality, sustainable automotive services.

“We are proud to be part of this community and grateful to Ellie Chowns for taking the time to listen to the issues that are impacting the automotive sector,” said Tim. “Independent garages like ours are crucial to the local economy, but we face significant challenges that threaten our long-term sustainability. It was great to have the opportunity to highlight these concerns.”

Oldfields Garage pulls out all the stops this Christmas

Friday 13th December 2024

Yesterday was a day to remember here at Oldfields Garage! We took on one of the most unusual and challenging jobs we’ve ever faced, and we’re proud to say it’s all sorted just in time.

From unexpected faults to an epic parts run that took us further than we’ve ever been, this was no ordinary day in the workshop. But thanks to our amazing team and the support of some fantastic partners, we pulled it off!

What was the job? Who was the customer? You’ll have to watch the video to find out…

The four-minute production, titled “Customer Needs It Fixing Before Christmas”, tells the story of a mystery vehicle arriving at Oldfields Garage in urgent need of repairs. The team faces a series of unusual faults, including a ‘chimney clog warning light,’ while garage owner Tim Benson embarks on a humorous quest through traffic jams, roadworks, and even a helicopter ride to source rare parts.

The big reveal at the end shows the customer to be none other than Santa Claus himself, delighted to have his vehicle fully repaired and ready for Christmas Eve deliveries.

“We had so much fun making this video,” said Tim Benson, Managing Director of Oldfields Garage. “It’s a light-hearted way to demonstrate the extraordinary lengths we go to for our customers, whether they’re local residents or the big man in red himself.”

The production featured the support of Herefordshire-based Tiger Helicopters, which provided the helicopter for Tim’s dramatic parts collection, and Hereford Young Farmers, who lent the sleigh and tractor seen in key scenes.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this festive video a reality,” said Tim. “The support from our partners has been outstanding, and this was our way of showing our appreciation. From Tiger Helicopters and RCA Bowen with the sleigh to the many other contributors featured throughout the video, it was a true team effort. Their involvement made this project both possible and unforgettable, and we can’t thank them enough for their enthusiasm and backing throughout 2024.”

It’s certainly been a milestone year for us, having earned five prestigious awards in 2024, including the Outstanding Garage Achievement Award at the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) Pride of the Aftermarket Awards earlier this month.

Thank you to all of our customers for their support. From all the team here at Oldfields, have a very Merry Christmas!

WINNERS! Top Garage 2023

Monday 16th October 2023

We’re delighted to announce that we have WON Top Garage 2023!

We were finalists last year and after a challenging application, assessment, interview and judging process we have gone one step further and picked up the award.

Our category, which was 10+ employees, saw 10 finalists, the UKs best independent garages, battle it out on Saturday 14th October to compete for the title of winner of “Top Garage 2023”. The final part of the process of the Aftermarket Magazine National Competition included a timed assessment based on Health and Safety, a timed presentation (maximum 3 minutes) of the business and how it benefits the customers and then 45 minute interview by 2 industry judges.

Tim represented the Oldfields team on the day and was later joined for the awards by Paul & Cheryl (Mum & Dad) along with his wife Fliss and picked up the award in front of a room full of 300 of the best garages, industry experts and end event sponsors.

Tim said “Top Garage is a tough competition, it’s arguably the most prestigious awards on the calendar because it is independent of any national garage networks. After reaching the final last year, I was absolutely buzzing to be able to pick up this award on behalf of the team. It was amazing. Without their hard work, none of this would be possible. What made it extra special was for mum and dad to be there when we won. They started the Oldfields journey back in 1991 and laid the foundations for us to be able to do what we do now.” He added “I’ve been inundated with positive comments and good wishes from inspirational people far and wide in the UK automotive industry, our customers, friends and family as well.”

Tim will be Speaking at The Garage Hive Blend Conference 2023

Tuesday 22nd August 2023

Tim will be talking about the topic of planning and working with the end game in mind, what decisions you can make earlier in the business to help work towards your exit goal – whenever or whatever that may be!

“We’ve been using the Garage Hive System to run our business Since August 2020. I’m delighted to have been asked to present at The Blend, because the Garage Hive Community represent some of the best independent garages throughout the UK & Ireland.” said Tim. “If you own or run a garage and are keen to find out more about how other garages operate and continuously try to improve, you should really be there!”

About the Blend 2023:

Garage Hive has organised The Blend 2023 on the 7th of October to gather garage owners and key decision-makers of garage businesses in Birmingham to learn about the garage management software and to expand their views on how to manage their business in the best way possible, as well as to network and build connections between each other to exchange experiences and create a supportive community within the automotive industry.

The conference (9.30 am – 5.45 pm) is filled with many sessions delivered by expert speakers like business development and technical training coach John Batten, HR Specialist Jennifer Webb, Andy Crook industry practitioner, Andy Hamilton from Euro Car Parts, Simon Gurney from Castrol and Mark Strain from GSF Car Parts, fellow garage owners Tim Benson, Matt Cleevely, Tom Cocokings, Alex Lindley with Garage Industry Trends and garage management software experts.

There will be an expo area with known brands like The Race Group and Castrol, 1 Tec Auto Hub, GSF Car parts, Pagid, Micheldever, Vostel, Pichler Tools, Autotech Training, Autogem, Diagnostic Connections and AutoIQ.

You can book your tickets here: The Blend | Garage Hive’s Conference

Pipped to the post in the Final

Thursday 15th June 2023

Tim and most of the team visited Automechanika UK in Birmingham last week, which is the UKs largest Automotive Aftermarket trade show. It was a brilliant few days out of the business that gave us the chance to meet suppliers, automotive experts and share experiences with other leading garages. The event was a huge success and we all got a lot from it.

On Wednesday 7th, Tim was invited by AllData, the leading provider of Manufacturer Technical Data, to join a panel of experts to discuss technical data from a business perspective (we’ll be writing a blog about that later). It was a great opportunity to share knowledge and learn from the other panalist’s. Then, on Wednesday evening, Tim, Katie and Chris put on their glad rags for the IAAF Awards where Oldfields were in the final shortlist for “Garage of the Year.” It was another great evening, even though we were pipped to the post for the win.

Tim said “After reaching the Final in Top Garage last year, we were hoping to go one better in these awards, but we were beaten by a great garage. Getting to the final is a real achievement for the team and all the other garages nominated. The winner was decided by votes and we have heard on good authority that we were close to the eventual winner.” He went on to add “Awards give us a great opportunity to see how we come up against the other leading UK independent garages. It’s the first major awards of the year and we’ll be looking for the elusive win in the other two we have been nominated for later in the Year.”

Oldfields Through to National “Garage of the Year” Final

Thursday 27th April 2023

We didn’t pick up the gong this time, but we were absolutely thrilled to have made the final of Automechanika “Garage of the Year 2023” hosted by the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF). Automechanika, held at the NEC in Birmingham, is the UKs largest trade event for the Automotive Aftermarket.

“Garage of the Year” is the headline award in the prestigious competition, which recognizes the best garages in the UK, and Oldfields has been selected as one of the top seven garages in the country.

The Automechanika Garage of the Year competition is judged by industry experts, who assess the quality of the garage’s work, customer service, and business practices and then pass it over to the public to vote for the overall winner, with the winner being announced at a special ceremony on 7th June 2023.

Tim Benson, Director of Oldfields Garage Services, expressed his excitement about reaching the final: “We are really chuffed to be named as a finalist for Garage of the Year 2023. It’s a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team, who are committed to providing the highest quality service to our customers. We pride ourselves on our customer service and attention to detail, and this nomination is a testament to that.” He added that “We’ll be flying the flag for Herefordshire. There are some fantastic garages among our category, we may be smallest in the category but we’ll give it our best shot.”

Oldfields Garage Services has been providing car maintenance and repair services to the Leominster community for over 30 years. With a team of experienced technicians and state-of-the-art equipment, the garage offers a range of services, including MOT testing, servicing, and repairs.

About the awards…
The Garage of the Year award category recognises garages and aftermarket service outlets that have delivered exceptional service over the past twelve months and demonstrate high calibre business acumen to navigate the challenges of operating a thriving business in 2023 and beyond.

This includes proof of awareness and understanding of profit and loss, the difference between gross, operating, and net profit, and why the difference between mark up and margin is important for a business but ultimately delivers value for customers. The recipient of the Garage of the Year award will have demonstrated proficiency and a proactive approach in marketing, social media use and local community outreach.

The Garage of the Year will be identifiable with a team or individual delivering business performance transparency, meetings with suppliers and customers, and implementation of specific corporate governance policies such as complaints procedures, duty of care, and environmental awareness.

Pipped at the Post, but we’ll go again next year!

Tuesday 4th October 2022

After attending the Live Final at Delphi Technical Training Centre in Warwick on Saturday 1st October 2022, Oldfields picked up the Finalist Certificate at the glitzy Award Ceremony in Coventry the same evening.

The competition was fierce, with the best garages in the UK competing in several categories based on their employee numbers. The first time we’ve entered this competition, one of the biggest in the Automotive Aftermarket, the process was tough. Starting with the initial survey style questionnaire, a scenario-based question at the semi-final stage and then through to the final. The final comprised of a time constrained written question and answer session, followed by meeting the two judges where we needed to give a 3-minute presentation on the business and finally being interrogated with a series of questions based on our business and the industry in general.

“I’m obviously a little disappointed not to have won overall, but I am delighted for our team to have reached the final and to be recognised as one of the 5 best garages of our size in the UK. To spend the evening with some of the best technicians and garages in the country gave an opportunity to celebrate and learn. All the finalists should be proud, and I send a huge congratulations to all the winners”.

We’ll take what we’ve learnt this year and see if we can go one step further next time!”

Category: Automotive Industry