US buyer swoops for Parts Alliance

Automotive parts distributor The Parts Alliance has been sold to North American company Uni-Select in a deal worth £205 million.

The move gives Uni-Select a point of entry into a new geographic market, sitting alongside its existing Canadian Automotive Group and FinishMaster US operations. With the addition of The Parts Alliance, Uni-Select now has a team of more than 6,000 employees spread across a network of 16 distribution centres and 430 corporate stores located in North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Henry Buckley, president and CEO of Uni-Select, said: “This is an exciting new growth pillar for Uni-Select in the large and fragmented UK marketplace. The Parts Alliance is the UK’s second largest automotive aftermarket parts distributor with 161 locations and growing plus affiliated members, all serving local and national customers across the UK. The cultural fit is exceptional and the growth prospects are significant.’’

Peter Sephton, president and CEO of The Parts Alliance, join’s Uni-Select’s executive team as president and CEO of the European Automotive Group. He said: “All of my colleagues and all other stakeholders see the opportunity for long-term financial growth and stability, as well as personal growth as we join a team of like-minded individuals.”