Fix Auto Colchester Nears Completion, Marking Major Expansion for Franchise Partners

Construction is almost complete on the transformation of a former bus depot into what will be Fix Auto Colchester and in doing so, elevates the owners into treble-site ownership!

Directors Mark Bodimeade and Paul Shelton have overseen the development which, when fully operational next month, will see the site sit alongside their established Fix Auto Chelmsford and Fix Auto Braintree repair centres.

This new 8,750 sq ft facility further cements their footprint as one of Essex’s major vehicle repairers. Once fully operational by the end of September, Fix Auto Colchester is expected to match its sister locations by repairing up to 30 vehicles a week.

Beyond expanding repair capacity, the duo has also built a centralised admin hub on-site, streamlining operations across all three centres. This hub will handle accounts, vehicle management, and logistics — inspired by fellow franchisee Sam Smith, who successfully deployed a similar setup across his four Yorkshire locations.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for us,” said Mark. “We’ve always aimed to grow within the network, and now that ambition is becoming reality. After launching Braintree in late 2022 and relocating Chelmsford to a larger, purpose-built site, Colchester was the next logical step in building a future-ready operation.”

Paul added, “The Colchester site was a blank canvas — large, open plan, well-located, and full of potential. We’ve been able to shape it exactly how we wanted. The network has been a huge support throughout, especially Sam Smith, who’s been a real inspiration.”

Fix Auto UK’s Operations Director Mark Hutchins, who visited the new site this week, praised the achievement: “What Mark and Paul have built is nothing short of outstanding. I remember onboarding Fix Auto Chelmsford back in my business development days, and they were clear about their ambitions. Now, they’ve made good on their promise — creating a network of three top-tier repair centres with a combined capacity of over 360 vehicles a month.”

He added, “Not only have they scaled quickly and smartly, but their operational efficiency and key-to-key performance are among the best in the network. They truly run a tight and efficient ship.”