Formula One Autocentres has appointed finance director Simon Hughes as managing director following the retirement of long-serving boss Jon Butcher.
Butcher will step down in July after nearly 40 years with the business, having joined the company in 1987 as a tyre fitter before progressing through management and sales leadership roles to become managing director six years ago.
Hughes, who joined Formula One Autocentres in 2020, will take over leadership of the business as it continues an expansion programme following the acquisition of 35 ATS sites.
The company currently operates more than 170 locations across the UK and employs around 1,100 staff.
Hughes said the business was in a strong position following its recent growth activity and remained focused on further expansion.
He said: “They are very big boots to fill. The good news is we’ve got a really strong team in place, who excel in what they do, every day.
“We are passionate about the service we provide to our customers, delivering what you’d expect from a family-owned business.”
Targetting growth to 250 locations across the UK
Hughes said the company was targeting continued growth towards 250 locations.
“Jon’s legacy is massive, and it’s a huge honour to be asked to lead the company into such an exciting time.
“We are in a healthy position following our expansion, with the acquisition of the 35 sites from ATS, the pipeline of new sites and our ambitious plans to continue to grow towards 250 locations.”
Before joining Formula One Autocentres, Hughes held retail leadership roles at JD Wetherspoon, H. Samuel, T-Mobile and Tesco.
The business said Hughes will oversee plans to increase the network to 185 sites over the next 18 months.
He also highlighted ongoing investment across the estate, including a refurbishment programme covering every site every five years.
“This is a really exciting time to be taking the helm, as the future is very bright for Formula One Autocentres,” Hughes added.
“An ambitious refurbishment programme has been signed off, whereby each site will be refurbished every five years, and this will include the new ATS centres.
“In addition, we have also added Michelin tyres to our stock packs from May and continue to introduce new technology across the estate.”
Reflecting on his career with the business, Butcher (pictured left) said he was proud of the company’s development and customer-focused approach.
He said: “I have really enjoyed my time at Formula One Autocentres, spending time in pretty much every part of the business and working with some fantastic people.
“We have built a brand that we can all be extremely proud of, which puts customers at the forefront of everything we do and is synonymous with the very best service at the very best price. This will no doubt continue under Simon’s leadership.”