Cars Recon, a US auction reconditioning specialist is entering the UK market with the launch of a new company, International Vehicle Services.

Launched in Pittsburgh in 2002, Cars Recon now operates in 19 states and has 700 employees working in 32 locations.

Managing director, Kay Hudson (pictured) is currently recruiting local staff, partners and suppliers from offices at City Auction Group site in Rockingham, Northamptonshire.

Hudson said: “As a business, we actually have strong links with the UK. Our president and CEO, Ron Hope, spent time as a director of British Car Auctions in the 1990s and 2000s.

“It was always his intention to expand the Cars Recon philosophy into the UK and we are pleased to be in a position to make that plan a reality.”

The portfolio of services to be offered by International Vehicle Services (IVS) will be closely based on Cars Recon in the UK, including valeting, mechanical inspections and repairs, smart repairs, condition inspections using NAMA grading, and safety consulting.

“While there are differences between the operation of UK and US auctions, the fundamentals are the same and our service proposition will be very similar,” said Hudson.

“Essentially, our core commitment is that we will treat every vehicle that passes through our hands with the same level of care and expertise, whether a brand new supercar or a 12-year-old hatchback.

“In a UK market where ready-to-retail is becoming an ever more important mantra in the used car sector, we believe that there will be a strong demand for our services. It is all about fixed costs, high quality and meeting deadlines.

“It is fair to say that safety is a much bigger issue in US auctions for the simple fact that we, as an industry, have had a number of deaths on auction premises Stateside in recent years.

“However, we see a definite demand on UK auction sites for advice and consultancy on staff, vendor and buyer safety, and are already talking to a number of major UK businesses about our capabilities in this area.”

IVS has already joined the National Association of Motor Auctions and the Vehicle Remarketing Association in the UK.

“It is our intention to become part of the fabric of the UK remarketing industry and getting involved in trade organisations in this way is important.

“We are well-advanced in our set-up plans and will be able to announce our first UK deals very soon.”