When Aberdeen-based oil and gas manager Tom Giles made the career change to the automotive industry he knew it was a gamble.
But it was one he was prepared to take after needing a new career path.
Three years later he’s the successful owner of vehicle bodywork repair franchise Revive! Auto Innovations.
Since opening, in 2021, Tom has seen his business grow from strength to strength.
The business specialises in small to medium repairs, such as bumper scuffs, scratches and door dents.
Revive! Aberdeen predicting £500,000 revenue
In its first full year of trading Revive! generated revenues of more than £220,000 with £405,000 last year and Tom forecasting £500,000 for 2024.
Tom, who formerly worked for Weatherford UK, said: “First year of trading was tough due to Covid and I had three employees in a row that didn’t work out.
“But now in our third year of trading it’s better and we’ve a good client base with a lot of repeat customers.
“We are in a rhythm and business is good with about a months worth of orders ahead of us.”
Tom’s team consists of four full-time workers, who carry out repairs at the customer’s home or place of work – meaning they do not have to take time out of their day to drop their vehicle off and pick it back up from a bodyshop.
Revive! also carries out work for around 12 car dealerships across the north-east.
Soaring costs of fuel
Although the level of work has been encouraging there’s still concerns over the rising costs of fuel and supplies.
Tom said: “The cost of fuel has been getting worse. Looking at £2,000 a month for diesel when it used to be between £900 and £1,200.
“I’ve also had a real headache with electricity and being locked in to a horrible rate.
“To what I’m paying now it ended up costing me £10,000 more than it should have.
“I’m looking at an increase of about 10-25% in paint and supplies over the last year.
“Everything is going up. I’ve had to adjust my prices between five to 10% but that’s still not enough to cover the increase to me.”
Looking towards the future Tom is planning on hiring another full-time worker.
He said: “Everything has been fantastic and I plan on continuing what I am doing.
“I’m looking to recruit another full-time worker to join the team and continue to build our customer base.”
