A former army Sergeant’s vehicle repair business is soldiering on to a bright future as it celebrates an annual turnover of more than £1 million for the first time ever, leading the firm to being recognised by a prestigious franchise award committee.

• Revive! Auto Innovations Surrey is celebrating an annual turnover of £1 million, for the first time
• This has led former army sergeant and business owner, Jay Belam, to be ranked as one of the best franchisees in the country by a prestigious awarding body
• Jay credits his team’s success to newfound victories in the dealership market

Despite the challenging economic climate, owner of Revive! Auto Innovations Surrey, Jay Belam, has led his regiment of skilled technicians to the significant financial milestone, becoming only the second of the 54-branch strong UK-wide franchise network to do so.

This clearly caught the eye of the judging panel at the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards, an award ceremony dubbed ‘The Oscars of the franchise industry’, which aims to celebrate the very best of franchising in the UK.

Jay will be battling it out with two other franchises on 24 November at The VOX in Birmingham for the bfa ‘Star Performer’ award, a title which recognises franchises that showcase the very best values and attitudes which help them excel in business.

According to Jay, his team’s success can be attributed to an increased level of support to car dealerships, alongside the previous business focus on traditional retail customers.

By opening two SMART (small to medium repair technique) repair centres in the Surrey area, Jay was able to offer a wider range of repair services, all while freeing up his on-the-road mobile technicians to work on the already booming retail market.

Despite riding the crest of a wave now, the team’s march to success came from relatively humble beginnings. Having previously served in the army for 12 years, (six in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, and six in the Royal Army Physical Training Corps), Jay launched his franchise in 2010, performing SMART repairs out his van, as a sole trader.

But such was Jay’s success with motorists in the Surrey area, he soon went about expanding the business. Today, Revive! Surrey is an impressive 11-technician strong operation, working out of a fleet of six vans.

Jay commented: “Our strategic decision to focus our growth plans in the dealership market has really paid dividends, and has been a huge part of our recent success. To reach the £1 million pound mark and to be nominated for this award and is a true testament to the team’s hard work.”

Mark Llewellyn, managing director at Revive! added: “In such straitened times, Revive! Surrey is a genuine and relatable business success story, which I hope will inspire other business owners to weather the storm and reach their own goals, whatever they may be.”

But Jay has no intention of resting on his laurels, he has already set his sights on growing the business further, as well as helping other Revive! franchise owners achieve their goals through his involvement in the firm’s training programme.

Jay concluded: “Amid the cost of living crisis, as a business we will face challenges, but given our recent success, I really want to see how far we can go as a team, and help as many Surrey residents’ cars back on the road as possible.

“It has also been incredibly rewarding to be given the opportunity to share my business skills, as well as the transferable skills which I picked up during my military experience with other franchisees via Revive!’s training initiatives. In fact, the sessions reminded me of my time training army recruits – even if I didn’t insist on them doing press ups!”