VEHICLE salvage and online vehicle auction business Copart UK has opened its new Customer Excellence Centre in Bedford.
The centre on Priory Business Park will create around 35 new jobs. Copart has also recruited Richard Howe to run the central operations.
Mr Howe, who has more than 30 years of commercial, technical and claims experience, joins Copart from Markerstudy Insurance where he was head of engineering. Copart UK handles vehicles collected for customers, who include most of the UK’s biggest insurers, for salvage and remarketing via their global online auction.
Mr Howe will be running the company’s customer service activity, including claims settlement for insurers, vehicle engineering and operational audit.
“I am joining Copart at a very exciting time, as the business continues to expand and invest in the continuous improvement of products and services in line with the growing needs of customers,” he said.
Copart secured 10,000 sq ft of office accommodation in November on three floors of Franklin Court in Bedford’s Priory Business Park as part of its expansion programme. The new Customer Excellence Centre houses around 135 staff, around 100 of them having moved to Franklin Court from Copart’s head office in Wootton.
The additional space created in Wootton by the move also brings the potential for new roles there, in areas including finance, HR, IT and marketing.
Copart UK, part of the US-based global Copart business, has seen significant growth across the UK and has around 1,200 employees across 18 locations, including more than 250 in Wootton. The number of roles it offers in the UK, including current vacancies, has increased by nearly 15% in the past 12 months.
UK and Ireland managing director Jane Pocock said: “We are delighted to announce that our Customer Excellence Centre is now open and operational, allowing us to provide our partners with world class end-to-end outsourced services and drive more returns from their vehicles.
“Given the essential nature of the services we provide, we were determined to push ahead with opening the centre despite the current national lockdown.”
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