Autoglass
Encyclopedia
Autoglass is a car-windscreen
repair company based in Bedford
, Bedfordshire
, England
.
, and operated across southern England doing mobile repairs. In 1973 the Doulton Group launched Autoglass, which operated across northern England. In 1982 Solaglas International bought Autoglass, and the following year bought Windshields to create Autoglass Windshields. In 1985 it became known as Autoglass. The company replaced a complete windscreen, but when Belron, the parent company formerly known as Solaglas, bought Glass Medic in 1990, minor repairs could be made to the windscreen. In 1994 Autoglass became a registered trademark
. In 2002 Carglass in Ireland became Autoglass.
The company has used extensive advertising on commercial radio stations. A recent campaign won awards at the 2007 Radio Planning Awards. At the beginning of 2009 Autoglass launched TV adverts. By 2010 about 6 different adverts were running. Some include: repairing, replacing, preparing for MOT tests how, to use the website and causes of chips, cracks and how to prevent them. An Autoglass magazine was launched. Yellow pages adverts and a new Autoglass site.
. Autoglass makes repairs to over 1.5 million customers a year. Repairs are made to the British Standard
BSAU242a 1998.
, Egham, Surrey near to the M25 and close to London Heathrow Airport
. Belron has operations in 34 countries. 100 people work at the international office. The people include the CEO, and other managers of international jobs such as marketing, ICT and sales. This company is part of D'Ieteren
which owns Avis Europe
, which itself also owns Budget Rent a Car
.
The UK office is based at priory business park in the Kingsbrook
area of Bedford, just north of the A421 interchange with the A603 near Cardington
and the River Great Ouse
. The UK office employs 350 people.
which opened in July 2002. It is next to the A5127
and A4540
junction with the A38(M)
, next to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
. This is close to the headquarters of ATS Euromaster
.
.
They have sponsored Chelsea
and Derby County
, as well as the Football League Trophy
for the clubs in the two lower divisions of the Football League.
Windshield
The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...
repair company based in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
In 1971, Windshields was formed in BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, and operated across southern England doing mobile repairs. In 1973 the Doulton Group launched Autoglass, which operated across northern England. In 1982 Solaglas International bought Autoglass, and the following year bought Windshields to create Autoglass Windshields. In 1985 it became known as Autoglass. The company replaced a complete windscreen, but when Belron, the parent company formerly known as Solaglas, bought Glass Medic in 1990, minor repairs could be made to the windscreen. In 1994 Autoglass became a registered trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. In 2002 Carglass in Ireland became Autoglass.
The company has used extensive advertising on commercial radio stations. A recent campaign won awards at the 2007 Radio Planning Awards. At the beginning of 2009 Autoglass launched TV adverts. By 2010 about 6 different adverts were running. Some include: repairing, replacing, preparing for MOT tests how, to use the website and causes of chips, cracks and how to prevent them. An Autoglass magazine was launched. Yellow pages adverts and a new Autoglass site.
Function
Autoglass repairs windscreens on vehicles. Windscreens are either damaged by loose chippings on roads or by vehicle break-ins - TWOCTWOC
TWOC is an acronym standing for Taking Without Owner's Consent. Synonyms used by police in the UK include UTMV: Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicle, and TADA or TDA: Taking and Driving Away...
. Autoglass makes repairs to over 1.5 million customers a year. Repairs are made to the British Standard
BSI Group
BSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Standards Institution , is a multinational business services provider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.- History :...
BSAU242a 1998.
Structure
The company is part of Belron, which has its international office in Milton ParkMilton Park
Milton Park is a mixed use business park operated by MEPC plc. It is just south of the village of Milton, Oxfordshire, about west of Didcot. It is on the site of a former Ministry of Defence depot between the A34 and Didcot Power Station. Although closer to Didcot, it lies within the Abingdon...
, Egham, Surrey near to the M25 and close to London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. Belron has operations in 34 countries. 100 people work at the international office. The people include the CEO, and other managers of international jobs such as marketing, ICT and sales. This company is part of D'Ieteren
D'Ieteren
D'Ieteren SA is a company, based in Belgium that is engaged in the automobile distribution, short-term car rental, and vehicle glass repair and replacement businesses.- Activities :...
which owns Avis Europe
Avis Europe
Avis Europe plc is a United Kingdom-based company which holds the licence to operate the two main vehicle rental brands of Avis Budget Group in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as Asia in the case of Avis...
, which itself also owns Budget Rent a Car
Budget Rent a Car
Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. is an American car rental company that was founded in 1958 in Los Angeles, California by Morris Mirkin. Budget's operations are headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey....
.
The UK office is based at priory business park in the Kingsbrook
Kingsbrook
Kingsbrook is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.The boundaries of Kingsbrook are approximately the River Great Ouse and Priory Country Park to the north, Cambridge Road and the A421 to the south and east, with Redwood Grove and Willow Road to the west.The Fenlake and ...
area of Bedford, just north of the A421 interchange with the A603 near Cardington
Cardington, Bedfordshire
Cardington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, EnglandPart of the ancient hundred of Wixamtree, the settlement is best known in connection with the Cardington airship works founded by Short Brothers during World War I, which later became an RAF training station...
and the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
. The UK office employs 350 people.
Subsidiaries
A subsidiary of the company, Autoglass Specials, repairs the windows of larger vehicles such as trucks or coaches.Training
It has its National Skills Centre on Chester Street in NechellsNechells
Nechells is an area in inner-city Birmingham, England, with a population of 27,969 . It is also a ward within the formal district of Ladywood. Nechells local government ward includes areas, for example parts of Birmingham city centre, which are not part of the historic district of Nechells as such...
which opened in July 2002. It is next to the A5127
A5127 road
The A5127 is a major road in England which runs between Birmingham and Lichfield, Staffordshire. For much of the route the road follows the old route of the A38 which has since been moved in order to by-pass places such as Erdington and Sutton Coldfield and form a relief road from Birmingham city...
and A4540
A4540 road
The A4540 is a Ring Road in Birmingham, England, also known as the Middle Ring Road, or the Middleway. There are proposals to make it a red route. It runs around the centre of the city at a distance of approximately . Birmingham City Centre is the area within this ring road. The ring road was...
junction with the A38(M)
A38(M) motorway
The A38, also known as the Aston Expressway, is a motorway in Birmingham, England. It is long and was opened on 24 May 1972. It forms part of the much longer A38 route....
, next to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal is a canal of the Birmingham Canal Navigations in the West Midlands of England. Its purpose was to provide a link between the Coventry Canal and Birmingham and thereby connect Birmingham to London via the Oxford Canal....
. This is close to the headquarters of ATS Euromaster
ATS Euromaster
ATS Euromaster is a European tyre service provider with a network of over 450 Service Centres in the UK. It is based next to the A38 in Aston in Birmingham. It is the UK's largest tyre supplier to commercial vehicles...
.
Sponsorship
Autoglass are also notable for sponsorship deals in English footballFootball in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
.
They have sponsored Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, as well as the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
for the clubs in the two lower divisions of the Football League.