Ford has announced the launch of its "first" sales channel for trade parts,‘Parts Plus’, aimed at independent repairers.

Ford has planned 84 Part Plus Centres, with the first opening this summer.

The location of the first centre will be revealed at a later date.

Parts Plus Centres will hold stock of genuine Ford, Motorcraft and Omnicraft parts, supplied through a “reliable and regular” distribution service.

Based on local business knowledge, customers can expect advice from product experts and take advantage of an ongoing marketing programme.

Parts Plus customers will also receive a range of benefits including technical support on how to repair Ford vehicles and marketing advice on how to grow their business in an increasingly complex and competitive market.

Richard Allott has been appointed as operations director for Parts Plus, joining the division from Ford Retail, where he has been TrustFirst Parts’ operations director for the last five years. 

Britain’s customer service director Carlos Ovilo said: “Providing all customers with a professional and dedicated service is a key priority and this exciting initiative enables us to move our already successful wholesale offering to the next level.

“We are delighted to welcome Richard Allott to lead the implementation of the project – he brings with him a wealth of operating experience in this sector and we look forward to the insights and leadership he brings to the launch and Parts Plus”.

The new service mirrors Volkswagen Group's TPS trade parts operation, which opened its first centre in December 2006 and PSA's Parts Hub which launched pilot hubs in 2015. 

A spokesperson for Ford UK told AM: "There are other franchises involved in Parts Plus and tenders are currently open to dealers. The launch marks a first for Ford globally."