A FAMILY-run business which has spent decades repairing and servicing cars across North Yorkshire and the North East is celebrating a significant milestone this year.
Now in its third generation in the family, Ray Wilson Accident Repair Centre is marking 50 years of business in 2022.
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The centre, located on Anchorage Lane in Northallerton, has come through many challenges over the years, from the steel crisis in the 1970s and 80s to the more recent coronavirus pandemic, and they have now reached the point where they are servicing cars belonging to the grandchildren of some of their very first customers back in the day.
Ian Wilson runs the centre today with wife Isabel and son Sam Wilson. But things were very different when his dad, Ray, took his first steps in the industry half a century ago.
“My dad started working from an early age,” explains Ian.
“He was working six days a week in Yarm. He used to have to drive across a footpath to get petrol for the cars – you wouldn’t get planning permission for that now.”
Despite the five decades of success, it hasn’t always been easy. Just a few years after launching in 1972, a recession in the global steel market brought with it significant hurdles – and fears the business may not survive.
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“You just couldn’t get steel”, recalls Ian.
“You needed it for car parts and body panels, and we just couldn’t get it. So instead of replacing them we had to repair them.
“They were hard times. We had to sell some of the vans. We had four staff down to working three days a week. We nearly went bust. I think it really scared him (Ray). But we built it back up”.
Restrictions during the coronavirus lockdowns caused their own challenges, with the team having to rely on keys being thrown through windows in order to safely repair vehicles.
“We were one of the few independent sites in the area that stayed open,” said Ian.
“We didn’t furlough any staff and we had to rely on collections and delivery. We put a big sign up saying ‘Ray Wilson still open’ so people who were driving past would realise.
“I had no idea how many key workers relied on us until that point. We were so used to talking to customers about their cars and not about themselves, but Isabel in reception would learn so much about them and what they do for a living.”
Some might think working with other members of your family could be problematic or cause a strain on relationships at home. Not for Ian. So much so that his eldest son – Tom – has decided to embark on a career change and is joining the family business just this week.
“It’s amazing how well we get on,” said Ian.
“We just click, there are no big rows. With my dad we could have been only 50 yards apart but only spoke three or four times a day because of how busy we were, so we weren’t under each other’s feet all the time.
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“We’ve never had a high turnover of staff and Scott, the body shop manager has been on board for over 30 years. The hardest thing now is finding people with the right skills. We recently advertised online for a job and only had one reply. It’s not easy, not just for us.”
But despite the obstacles, there’s no reason why Ian and his family can’t look forward to another successful 50 years ahead.
“We want to say thanks to all out customers for their loyalty and support over the years. We couldn’t have done it without them.
“It’s brilliant to have the grandkids of some of our first customers bringing their cars to us now. Talk about making you feel old!”
• Ray Wilson Accident Repair Centre is on Anchorage Lane in Northallerton. For more information, call 01609 773064 or email raywilsonarc@hotmail.co.uk
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