From car body repairs to hog roast assembly, and vehicle hire to dog washing, if there’s a gap in the market, and it fits into the business structure, James Alpe will give it a go.

His business, spread across two sites in Clitheroe, Lancashire, counts those four services plus mechanical repairs, vehicle conversions, sign-making and valeting among its many interests. 

The obvious question is why?

Alpe’s reasoning is diversification, full utilisation of staff skills and spreading the business risk; he also believes there are synergies that enable him to offer a one-stop shop to customers, in particular fleets. But more of that later.

Now employing 70 staff, Alpe has come a long way since setting up James Alpe Ltd 25 years ago as a one-man vehicle salvage and repair business on his parent’s farm in the Ribble Valley.

“I was the third of three sons so there wasn’t enough work for me on the farm,” he says, by way of explanation.

Fact file

Company: James Alpe Ltd
Head office: Clitheroe
Turnover: £6 million
No of sites: Two
No of staff: 70
Bodyshop throughput: 60 per week
Mechanical repairs: 30-40 per week

• Read this story in full in the 12 Dec 08 issue of AM. To subscribe to AM magazine click here or call 01733 468659.