A multimillion-pound investment by SYNETIQ, Britain’s largest integrated salvage and recycling company, will ready its Winsford site into the UK’s first facility with dedicated EV and Hybrid dismantling capability. The investment will provide EV-specific equipment such as depollution ramps and quarantine areas for the handling of compromised battery packs at the facility, which is already manned by extensively EV-trained specialists.

“We have seen a steady year-on-year rise in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles brought in for end-of-life processing; as the race for reduced emissions intensifies and these vehicles become both older and more commonplace, demand for their associated green parts will continue to increase,” explains Tom Rumboll, CEO of SYNETIQ.

“Technologies and manufacturing techniques will continue to evolve, but the need to reuse and recycle vehicles will remain. Now is the perfect time to invest in our ability to efficiently process EVs and prepare for increased future demand.”

Figures released by the company mirror the growing popularity of EVs and results of external studies. According to data from GoCompare, the Toyota Prius is the UK’s most accident-prone car, being involved in 111 incidents for every 10,000 examples on the road. This correlates directly with SYNETIQ’s data; since 2015 the Mk2 Prius has been both SYNETIQ’s most frequently processed hybrid and most popular green parts donor vehicle.

Battery packs are currently the most popular – and highest value – component reused from EVs and Hybrids by SYNETIQ. “The emergence of advanced powertrain technologies, operating high voltage systems and posing EV-specific risks such as thermal runaway, has altered best practice for the way they are treated, handled and stored,” states Rumboll.

“Vehicle end-of-life consideration has the potential to provide significant emissions savings that complement gains in reducing exhaust gas emissions; adapting our Winsford site is the first step in ensuring an efficient dismantling process that helps reduce the cost of keeping EVs on the road for longer,” he concludes.

“By utilising the four Rs approach of Reduce, Reuse, Remanufacture and Recycle, SYNETIQ operates a fully integrated approach to ensuring that, where possible, vehicles are kept in life and, when they can’t be put back on the road, their parts are compliantly dismantled to maximise reuse and minimise environmental impact.”

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, SYNETIQ is reflecting on its own apprenticeship success stories in three areas of the business.

The UK’s leading integrated salvage and vehicle recycler now employs apprentices in Human Resources, IT and Vehicle Dismantling, with colleagues developing important skills through on-the-job training.

As a business with an annual pay bill above the Government’s £3 million threshold, SYNETIQ pays the Apprenticeship Levy. This fund can be used to pay apprenticeship wages and training providers, allowing companies to nurture and invest in future talent.

Natalie Buckley, Head of HR at SYNETIQ, said: “We’re always looking at ways to maximise the Apprenticeship Levy for our existing workforce and potential new employees. Like many businesses, each of our departments rely on a wide range of colleagues with different skills, so there are so many opportunities on offer for Apprentices.”

SYNETIQ is also supplying donations of vehicles and parts to Colleges and Vocational Learning Centres in areas local to its site, including Hall Cliffe School Wakefield, Yorkshire Children’s Centre, Bromley Beacon Academy and Reaseheath College.

Vocational schools offer students a more hands-on approach to learning, teaching practical skills in preparation for the next steps into further education or work. By supporting Motor Vehicle colleges, SYNETIQ is helping to reduce the skills shortage within the industry – with the vision that the students it supports can one day join the SYNETIQ team.

In November 2020, SYNETIQ supplied vehicle parts to Bodyshop students within the NPTC Group of Colleges – Wales’ largest training centre for vocational students. The college currently has 50 students completing its Automotive Refinishing & Body Repair course, learning skills such as panel repair, paintwork and polishing.

John Ellis, Motor Vehicle Tutor at Yorkshire Children’s Centre, said. “I want to thank everyone at SYNETIQ for their help and cooperation in supporting the Yorkshire Children’s Centre at the Brian Jackson College. Without the help of companies like SYNETIQ, it would not be possible to offer high quality vocational training that the industry now expects.”

Click here to listen now

Hear SYNETIQ’s new CEO, Tom Rumboll, give his fascinating insight into the next steps for vehicle processing, the future of automotive recycling, and how SYNETIQ will continue to lead the industry in the future.

Covering a huge range of interesting subjects, Tom gives the background to the merger of four separate businesses which led to the creation of SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company. Tom lends his considerable knowledge to this podcast, including his predictions for the future of the industry, and personal transportation as a whole.

‘Depollution, by Salvage Wire,’ is a podcast dedicated to the interesting and inspiring leaders in the vehicle salvage and vehicle recycling industry. In the episode recorded 8th January, Tom discusses the career path that led him to his role as the newly appointed CEO the UK’s leading salvage company. He shares the insights he has gained over the course of his, which spans more than 20 years, both from a personal, and a business perspective.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone keen to gain the insiders view of a crucial industry, from one of its youngest, most inspiring leaders.

Click here to listen now.

SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company, is proud to continue its role as title sponsor of TAS Racing for the 2021 British Superbike Championship season, under the banner of SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad.

For the second successive season, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad will be the official BMW team in the race series. With top rider Andrew Irwin having joined fellow track star Danny Buchan on the team at the end of 2020, SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad is taking to the track in 2021 with a fresh livery, top riders and an eye on pole position.

As part of a wide-reaching program of support and sponsorship across different forms of motorsport, the headline sponsorship of a leading team in the British Super Bike Championship will see SYNETIQ put its ethos of leading through excellence into action yet again, on two wheels as well as four.

Commenting on the renewed support of the team, Richard Martin, Chairman of SYNETIQ, said: “We are proud to be the headline sponsor of this great team for the second season in a row. With the backing of the hard work, dedication and support of the wider SYNETIQ BMW team, I can’t wait to see what Andrew Irwin and Danny Buchan can achieve on the track 2021.”

As the largest integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company, formed to create the most innovative and trusted business in the industry, SYNETIQ is proud to have major household names in its portfolio. These include insurers, accident management companies, fleets, police forces, logistics companies, vehicle repair bodyshops, and remanufacturers. In 2021, its name will be found at the sharp end of the grid.

Team Principal of SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad, Philip Neill explained: “We pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with our partners and we are naturally delighted to retain SYNETIQ as our title partner for the second year in 2021, which will also be our seventh consecutive year together with BMW Motorrad. 2020 was a difficult year for everyone in many ways and we are excited at the prospects of the 2021 BSB season with two very exciting young riders and the new BMW M1000 RR.”

SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest UK-integrated salvage and vehicle recycling company, is delighted to have been included in the prestigious Yorkshire Business Insider list of the 50 Most Exciting Companies in the region.

Celebrating the companies that display outstanding initiative, ingenuity, and innovation, those lauded are the businesses ‘primed to make a big difference in the near future’ and destined to become household names.

Headquartered in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, SYNETIQ has recently made headlines with significant investment in its sites and infrastructure. In December the business announced a 25-acre expansion of two of its Doncaster sites, integrating them to create one new industry-leading operation.

The company is also innovating, in line with the Government’s announcement of a ban on conventionally powered cars by 2030, with plans for a new centre of excellence for electric vehicle recycling at its Winsford site. The first of its kind in the country, it will form an invaluable resource as the UK gears up for a shift to zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.

Speaking of the news, SYNETIQ’s recently appointed CEO, Tom Rumboll, said: “We’re immensely proud to have made the Yorkshire Business Insider 50 Most Exciting Companies list.  It is a reflection of the progress we have made since SYNETIQ was created and the focus we place on not only the company, but also our people . . 2020 presented challenges, but we’ve emerged stronger and ready to seize the opportunities that 2021 presents. we have deep and broad roots in Yorkshire, and we see our home a vital part of who we are.”

In addition to the Yorkshire Business Insider announcement, SYNETIQ is also currently a finalist in three categories for Doncaster Business Awards 2020/21, which will be unveiled as part of a ground-breaking digital event in March.

SYNETIQ has revolutionised its payment processes for its auction customers by implementing HSBC’s Open Payments platform.

The UK’s largest vehicle salvage and recycling company is the first in its sector to introduce the new platform, marking the latest improvement in customer experience for vehicle buyers.

The new platform allows SYNETIQ to send payment requests for auction purchases direct to the customer’s bank, with values and references set automatically, which means funds can be transferred directly between banks – a first within the salvage industry.

This will drastically cut administration time for SYNETIQ and its customers and eliminate the chances of incorrect or misplaced payments.

As a major development that offers secure online money transfers, Open Payments dramatically improves the payment process for SYNETIQ’s vehicle salvage auction customers. It also streamlines the firm’s accounting processes, while bringing ease of use and peace of mind to customers.

HSBC Open Payments delivers regulated access and control of consumer banking and financial accounts through third-party applications with greater accountability. The introduction of the payment process by SYNETIQ provides both seller and buyer with improved cashflow and cash management.

Jonathan Pervin, SYNETIQ’s Financial Controller commented: “We are proud to be at the forefront of this latest technology. Through our collaboration with HSBC on the implementation of this new platform, SYNETIQ is able to offer the most secure payment system possible to our customers. The automation of internal processes that this enables will increase the efficiency of our service for our customers.”

The Open Payments platform was trialled by SYNETIQ and a few of its customers in December and, after unanimous approval, is being rolled out to all customers who purchase vehicles directly from SYNETIQ.

Open Payments is compatible with more than 40 major banks and, with coverage from most of the UK’s domestic banks already in place, customers can enjoy faster payments with added peace of mind.

Alongside the increased security offered by the system, this has allowed SYNETIQ to integrate the payment platform into its wider systems, automating many processes at the same time. Invoicing, payment-matching and fund clearance are now handled seamlessly by SYNETIQ’s own proprietary Frontier software.

The leading stock control software package for green parts management, Frontier Dismantling provides cloud-based stock control for hundreds of thousands of green parts and, although owned and developed by SYNETIQ, is widely used across the vehicle salvage and dismantling industry.

Frontier Salvage is the core salvage management system, also utilised across the industry. The software handles everything from insurance related contracts and vehicle uplifts, through to vehicles sales and recycling. Both Frontier systems are designed to make it as quick and easy as possible to process vehicles and parts.

With Open Payments, SYNETIQ is once again leading the industry. Offering improved customer experience and allowing new revenue streams, it helps provide a more sustainable service model. Jonathan Pervin added: “The launch of Open Payments with HSBC shows that SYNETIQ continues to innovate across all aspects of our business, driving the industry forward through compliance, customer experience and increased simplicity across operations. We continue to strive towards continual improvement in all of these areas.”

SYNETIQ has announced that, as of the 1^st January, current Executive Chairman Tom Rumboll has moved to become the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Tom now takes overall responsibility for the performance of the business and its people.

Richard Martin, current Managing Director, will take up the role of Chairman; bringing many years’ of knowledge and experience as a key figure in the salvage and vehicle recycling industry.

Tom joined the team as Executive Chairman upon the formation of SYNETIQ, having played a pivotal role in the merger that created the market-leading salvage and vehicle recycling business.

Having spent the last 20 months focusing on integration, people, processes and proposition, whilst enhancing the governance of the well managed business, Tom has worked with the teams to develop better structure, measurement, planning and communication. His background in large PLCs, regulated industries and high growth businesses has proved valuable for SYNETIQ and the business is now poised for its next phase of growth.

The rest of the SYNETIQ Executive board remains unchanged, retaining the valued industry knowledge of John Schofield and Dave Harcourt, as well as Leigh Manton who joined as Finance Director in September 2019.

Richard Martin, Chairman of SYNETIQ, said: “My fellow shareholders and I know that Tom is the right person to take the SYNETIQ business forward as we enter our next phase of growth. He has our full support as we continue to work together as a strong team, making our vision of creating a vehicle recycling industry we can all be proud of a reality.”

Tom Rumboll said: “It is a real honour that the SYNETIQ shareholders trust me to head the business they have led so well for so long. The last few years of creating and subsequently integrating SYNETIQ have been a fantastic experience, and one that has identified a number of hugely exciting opportunities for the company. I feel privileged to lead the fantastic team of this very special business to a successful, sustainable and exciting future.”

SYNETIQ has been spreading Christmas cheer in the final run up to the holidays, by completing its last round of fundraising for The Sick Children’s Trust – raising over £7,000 in total.

Despite the company’s usual fundraising being disrupted by COVID, the SYNETIQ team got its charity work back on track with a series of virtual and remote activities that promoted individual challenges and encouraged people to donate.

With ten ‘Homes from Home’ around the country, The Sick Children’s Trust give families with a seriously ill child in hospital a warm and comfortable place to stay, and a friendly ear to listen, when they need it most.

“It’s not been an easy year for anyone, but we’re proud to have been able to carry on with our work in supporting deserving charities,” explains Tom Rumboll, Executive Chairman of SYNETIQ. “As a business we focused on adapting to the new and challenging work environment and, with many team members classed as key workers, we soon realised that we could approach fundraising in the same pragmatic way.”

The Sick Children’s Trust wants to keep families together by their child’s hospital bedside, and a donation of £30 can do that. Elisa Cappello-Dowd, Community Fundraising Manager at The Sick Children’s Trust said, “Having a seriously ill child is an incredibly worrying time and by giving families a place to stay it means they have one less thing to worry about.

“This year has been a challenging year for everyone, but especially families with children in hospital. As a charity, The Sick Children’s Trust has kept its doors open to these families to keep them together and support has never been needed more. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at SYNETIQ for choosing to take on a fundraising event for our charity, and helping us to keep families together.”

SYNETIQ, the UK’s largest vehicle salvage and recycling company, has supported the Sick Children’s Trust since 2019, and it’s just one of many charities and organisations that benefit from SYNETIQs Colleague and Community forum. This allows colleagues to vote on establishing the best use of the annual charity budget, and provides an opportunity for everyone to put forward their own initiatives for discussion.

SYNETIQs teams have walked, cycled and even skydived in order to drive donations for local and national organisations, and the business promises a ‘pound for pound’ scheme for all colleagues, matching the total raised by individuals for charity up to the value of £500.

Corporate Social Responsibility has been a priority for SYNETIQ’s since its formation and its efforts have been recognised, as it’s been shortlisted for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility at the Doncaster Business Awards.

At the start of the year SYNETIQ announced its partnership with Team BRIT, which supports people with physical and psychological challenges in accessing motorsport and aims to be the first all-disabled team to race in the Le Mans 24 hour.

The company also supports regional emergency services, including the First Responders for the North West Ambulance service West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and the BARC North West Rescue Team, with practice days for event simulation. Held at SYNETIQ sites, they create a challenging training environment where rapid extraction methods and specialist tool training can be conducted safely.

The Vehicle Recycler’s Association has awarded SYNETIQ with the Stage 2 UK Standard for Reclaimed Parts from End-Of-Life Vehicles, following a two-part assessment at SYNETIQ’s Doncaster Head Office.

This new industry standard covers the removal, processing, and traceability of parts from damaged vehicles, ensuring they are safe for reuse. SYNETIQ supplies these ‘green parts’ to major fleets, Bodyshops, garages and private customers across the UK.

SYNETIQ sells original equipment (OE) non-safety related parts, such as collision panels, engines and gearboxes, through its parts procurement platform MyGreenFleet. Each part is graded from A to C, with any minor damage clearly highlighted. This quality control process is well established and means customers know exactly what to expect when ordering, with the item condition reflected in the price. The cashable saving from RRP can be as much as 75% when compared to new OE parts.

“We’re right behind this new VRA standard – it is a very positive step,” says Jason Cross, Client Relationship Director at SYNETIQ. ”We see it as being perfectly aligned with our vision: to lead the way in creating a vehicle recycling industry we can all be proud of. New, robust industry standards create a benchmark and inspire trust in the use of Green OE Parts. This can only help us and the insurance and fleet clients we serve.”

While reusing vehicle parts was traditionally a price-led decision, more information is being revealed about the environmental benefits of use. Last month, SYNETIQ reported it has helped British Gas to save 120,000kg of CO2, simply by using recycled replacement doors instead of comparable brand-new OE.

Jason added: “We’ve been supplying green parts to the fleet industry since 2010, and we’re now undertaking several trials with major UK insurers for use in insurer funded repair. Attitudes are changing towards green parts, and we’re grateful to the VRA for their efforts to raise the standards further.”