Howard Basford Accident Repair Network has acquired the Greyhound Ford Bodyshop premises in Accrington, in a deal that expands the firm’s network to nine locations and will benefit customers in North and East Lancashire. This latest acquisition is part of the company’s business development and growth plan to complement their current cluster sites in the Manchester area, further broadening the northwest coverage, to the north and east.

The Accrington site is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art body shop, located within easy reach of the M65, Preston, Blackburn and the local Accrington community. Howard Basford will be retaining the entire team at the site, increasing the group’s total team numbers to 240 across all nine locations.

Michael Pilling, Chairman and Managing Director of Greyhound Ford, said: “I am delighted with the business transfer to Howard Basford, especially in light of the company’s excellent reputation in the Bodyshop industry and I am thrilled that our highly skilled team will be able to continue to work at the site. My thanks go to the team for their continuous effort over the past 40 years and I do not doubt that they will continue to provide outstanding service as part of the Howard Basford Group.”

Tracy Howard, Chairman of Howard Basford, said: “The acquisition of the Accrington site is a fantastic opportunity for Howard Basford to expand our offer in a new area and build on the great work already achieved by Michael and his team over the past four decades. The transfer will be made as smooth and efficient as possible, to ensure that customers continue to receive the highest level of service.”