Automotive service plan provider Emac has acquired the service plan business of Derby-based RDS Global.
RDS Global is a business that provides service plan products and digital support to a range of dealers across the UK and its owners included Trevor Reeve and Andrew Flinn, owners of dealer group Pentagon Motor Holdings (Reeve Derby). RDS Global’s telecoms, hosting and networking business is unaffected by the acquisition.
AM understands they are disposing of RDS Global as part of a strategic move to refocus resources on core motor retailing, aftersales and fleet activities across the AM100 top 30 dealer group.
More than 40 dealers working with RDS will transfer to EMaC, with a special team on hand to support the change-over from today.
Pentagon chairman Trevor Reeve said: “RDS Global has grown to provide a range of digital support services to the automotive retail industry but we feel now is the right time move away from providing service plan technology to dealers to focus on our core automotive activities.
“We are looking forward to becoming a customer of the Emac business. We believe it has the resources to help the Pentagon Group become more effective at selling service plans through its expertise, training services and advanced technology.”
The acquisition of the RDS service plan business adds the existing RDS service plan customer base to an EMaC portfolio, which itself has grown by over 20% during the last year.
Emac CEO Angela Barrow said: “The RDS Global service plan portfolio provides a good fit with the Emac business and we expect to manage the integration of both dealers and end-customers in a seamless manner.
“This acquisition underpins our commitment to growth and represents the latest step forward for the business. RDS has developed a high quality customer proposition and we can assure dealers and customers that this commitment to quality will continue.
"As part of the acquisition, we are particularly pleased that Pentagon has opted to enter a long-term agreement with Emac to support service plans, which speaks volumes for their confidence in our capacity to help them as we move forward.
“Looking ahead, the market can expect to see plenty of further growth initiatives announced by Emac in the months ahead. These are exciting times for the business.”
An award-winning journalist and editor, with two decades of experience covering the motor retail industry, and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) plus the National Council for the Training of Journalist (NCTJ)
As editor of AM since 2016, Tim is responsible for its media content, planning and production across AM's multiple channels, including the website, digital reports, webinars, social media and the editorial content of AM's events, Automotive Management Live and the AM Awards. His focus is on interviewing senior leaders of franchised dealer groups and motor manufacturer national sales companies to examine latest developments in UK motor retail.
Abi Chase - 23/09/2013 13:42
This is terrible for customers! The sales team (personal experience at Peugeot Pentagon) lie about the policy as they don't have the correct information, the customer is charged more as the money is there for them to help themselves. Try getting any of your own money back when you cancel - they don't give it back! No wonder Emac is doing well, they're stealing money from customers and the dealers are encouraging this.