The 8th January may not be the most historic date in world history, not unless you’re a fan of popular music as in 1935 this was the day the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was born, Elvis Presley. Fast forward to 2020 on what would have been the Kings 85th Birthday another historical moment occurred.
In the world of automotive warranties, the 8th January will always be a historical date for the WMS Group, for on the 8th January the WMS Group officially became part of the Opteven family. With FCA approval obtained in late December, Directors from both organisations put pen to paper finally agreeing Opteven´s acquisition of The WMS Group.
Opteven already has an established operational presence in UK as it manages the Approved Used Warranty programme on behalf of Volkswagen Financial Services UK. Strategically, Opteven has ambitions to continue to grow their presence throughout Europe. Now with an award-winning warranty provider as part of their group, the company envisages that this is now only the start of what will be an exciting future for both Opteven and WMS Group.
Peter Ginger and Chris Brooks will be leaving the business. However, John Colinswood will remain as Managing Director of WMS Group to drive the business forward, along with all the existing WMS Team. Martin Quail will become CEO. The highly respected WMS Group brand name will remain to support a determined unshakable commitment on ensuring ´its business as usual´
John Colinswood, Managing Director of the WMS Group, states;
“As I have said before, for our customers and staff it is ´business as usual´. We are still incredibly passionate about helping our dealer partners to provide the very best warranty products and aftersales support to their customers”.
John continues to say;
“When the original announcement was made last September, we had already started the process of restructuring our business, which included investing in our IT platform and encouraging new talented people to join us on our growth journey. All of which has already benefited our dealers and their customers alike. With Opteven’s support we plan to create new and exciting products to continually support our dealer partners. In addition, Opteven now also provides incredible career and development opportunities to the team at WMS. Overall, I’m extremely delighted with this news!”.
John concludes;
“2019 was a great year for the WMS Group, but 2020 will be even better! Confirmation of the acquisition by the Opteven Group is only the start, there is so much more in the pipeline that will revolutionise the warranty sector in the UK. WMS Group is now the awakening sleeping giant of the UK vehicle warranty market – watch this space!!”
Martin Quail, Opteven’s CEO for Northern Europe explains;
“We´re thrilled that the great people within WMS Group have now joined the Opteven family. Over the past few months we have been continually impressed by the WMS Group during this process. The official signing today is the culmination of many months of hard work by both parties. We are really looking forward to what will be a truly exciting future for both organisations. Opteven Group will invest heavily in WMS Group and its people to ensure this brilliant business, full of talented people, continues to flourish and deliver a fantastic service to UK dealers and their customers.”
—ENDS—
Note to editors
The WMS Group
Established in 2003, the WMS Group Ltd (www.wmsgroup.co.uk) are today one of the UK’s leading business-to-business car warranty suppliers, providing extended warranty cover and other motoring protection to over 3,500 dealerships across the UK.
Our warranty products and services are designed to help our dealer partners to improve their customer retention, workshop activity and ultimately, profitability. From a basic three-month warranty to a three year, all-mechanical and all-electrical product that even includes wear and tear, we guarantee to have the right products for your business.
Opteven Group
Opteven (www.opteven.com) is an independent International business with its global headquarters based in Lyon, France. Established in 1985, Opteven has grown to become a leading provider of vehicle warranty and associated products across Europe and employs approx. 600 people. Opteven has offices in Lyon, Milan, Madrid, Berlin and Warrington (UK) and provides vehicle warranty services in 8 European markets (UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Czech Replublic and Sweden). It acts as both a ’services business´ and an ´insurer’. In addition, Opteven is a leading provider of roadside assistance services to businesses in France with a roadside assistance network spanning 60 countries and territories, including all of Europe, parts of North Africa and parts of the Middle East. The business is also a strategic partner to many well-known UK roadside assistance companies, providing support to UK drivers if their vehicle breaks down anywhere in Europe. Opteven delivers a range of automotive products and services to car dealerships (franchised and independents), insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, leasing companies and banks. Opteven is focused on ensuring quality is embedded throughout its business, accordingly it is regarded as an ´exemplary company´ by AFNOR, the independent French organisation that oversees the ISO 26000 certification process. Opteven is backed by Ardian, a Paris based independent private equity investment company. Ardian is one of Europe´s largest private equity funds, managing assets worth US $96 billion throughout Europe, North America and Asia.
For further details, please contact WMS Group via email at: marketing@wmsgroup.co.uk.