LKQ Europe, the continent’s leading distributor of automotive aftermarket parts, services, and solutions, has announced an ambitious goal to expand its concept network to 10,000 partner workshops. This initiative comes as part of a broader effort to unify its 16 diverse workshop concept brands under a centralised hub, fostering greater collaboration and innovation across the region.
Currently, LKQ Europe’s network includes nearly 8,000 partner workshops spread across 11 of the 18 countries in which the company operates. By onboarding an additional 2,000 workshops in the coming years, LKQ aims to solidify its position as the go-to partner for independent garages seeking to compete more effectively in the evolving automotive landscape.
A Unified Network with Local Adaptation
The newly launched central workshop concept hub is designed to bring LKQ Europe’s various in-country concept teams closer together. By doing so, the company intends to facilitate the sharing of best practices and resources, allowing its partner garages to benefit from a harmonized approach to proposition development and innovation.
Despite the move towards greater unity, LKQ Europe is keen to maintain the localised strengths of its concept brands. Each brand will continue to cater to the unique needs of workshops at different stages of their development, ensuring that local languages, cultures, and customer expectations are met.
Andy Hamilton, President and Executive Managing Director of LKQ Europe, emphasized the importance of this approach: “Workshop concepts help independent businesses to compete on a level playing field, and are key to our mission to support customer growth by professionalizing and future-proofing the independent aftermarket."
Benefits for Workshop Partners
Workshops that join LKQ Europe’s concept networks must meet specific criteria, ensuring that they provide high-quality service, use top-tier parts, and have access to ongoing training and expertise. In return, these workshops can operate under a recognised brand, which signals excellence to customers and opens up new business opportunities, particularly with fleet and leasing companies.
“A much greater proportion of vehicles on Europe’s roads are no longer owned by the driver, but by a fleet or leasing company,” explained Hamilton. “Recognised networks that have scale and digitised customer platforms are the only workshops that can realistically compete for commercial agreements with fleet customers, and we are committed to helping our workshop partners open up new business opportunities in this space.”
In addition to brand recognition, LKQ Europe’s workshop concept members benefit from marketing support, cutting-edge digital solutions, and the latest technical education through the LKQ Academy. The company’s strategic partnerships further enhance business opportunities for its partner garages.
Expanding Reach Across Europe
LKQ Europe’s network includes a wide range of concept brands, each tailored to meet the specific needs of workshops in different countries. Brands under the LKQ umbrella include 'a posto' RHIAG, DediCar, Officina N°1 (Italy), 1TEC Auto Hub (UK), Auto Kelly Autoservis (Czech Republic and Slovakia), and many more.
For more information on LKQ Europe’s workshop concepts and the new harmonized approach, visit their dedicated website at www.lkqworkshopconcepts.com.
About LKQ Europe
LKQ Europe, a subsidiary of LKQ Corporation, is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and is the leading distributor of automotive aftermarket parts for cars, commercial vans, and industrial vehicles in Europe. With a workforce of approximately 27,500 employees, the company operates over 1,000 branches and generated around $6.3 billion in revenue in 2023. LKQ Europe supplies more than 100,000 workshops across 18 European countries.
