UAE Business Awards 2020

MEAMARKETS / 2020 UAE Business Awards 27 , Best for British Vehicle Parts & Services Almelhem Auto Parts & Services AlmelhemAuto Parts & Services is a leading provider of high-end automotive services, with a honed specialty in British vehicles. For the past two decades, the company has endeavoured to mark themselves as different through amission to deliver ‘best in class’ solutions, services and parts for their clientele. Eager to find out more, we spoke with Director Abdulaziz Almelhem, who discussed the history and achievements of the company. From the very beginning, Almelhem Auto Parts has operated under a single unifying goal – to provide affordable spare parts to clients without compromising on quality. Initially, the company specialized in Land Rovers, and indeed this carried much of its early growth, though customer demand soon bought about incredible growth, as Abdulaziz explains. “Our journey started in Kuwait in 1999, providing parts for Land Rovers. Shortly thereafter, by customer demand, we opened our first service center, with a focus on keeping to our original promise. Almelhem Auto Service & Parts gained quick success by offering a wide range of Land Rover parts, both genuine and premium aftermarket parts. A major key for the success was that we identified a market in which there was a need for an independent service center that offered premium service and aftermarket parts for reasonable prices.” On the back of this early success, the company soon expanded its service lineup to include Jaguar, which soon bought about further growth. “In a short time, we became the largest independent service center for Land Rover and Jaguar in the G.C.C. To this day, we proudly service and repair thousands of Land Rovers and Jaguars every year. Most importantly, our commitment to quality has won us clients trust.” This trust, naturally, cannot be understated in such a competitive market and region. Ultimately, this dedication to client centricity has proven to be the key to long-lasting success for Almelhem, allowing the company to weather -and overcome- numerous challenges over the years. “Our road to success was not easy and we faced many challenges, such as maintaining the success, recruiting highly skilled and specialized technicians, and scaling to accommodate growth. A main challenge we faced was being in a unique market position, whereby many of our services and promotions were a ‘first’ for consumers. “As a result, we practically had to (and still do) design our pricing menu and different services based on imagination not on historical precedence, as there were no other companies similar to ours from which we could follow their lead. We were always taking new roads that no one else has taken - it was like swimming in an uncharted ocean.” In many ways, as Abdulaziz details, this involved taking risks and being proactive and daring in the company’s approach to growth. “For example, as part of our loyalty program, we promoted a service contract that offered Range Rover customers free labor for any service, repair or diagnosis for a whole year. The cost of this contract is 199 Kuwaiti Dinars a year. According to this contract, a customer could visit us every single business day of the year and ask for a free diagnosis for his Range Rover. However, this offer turned out to be a great success, and resulted in selling hundreds of contracts.” More recently, the company has expanded again, opening a new branch in Dubai in February 2018. “At the same time, and with increasing demand for accessories, we started diversifying our line up of accessories with premium brands and very attractive products especially for Defenders. This new investment is showing promising results for the near future”, Abdulaziz adds. Yet, Almelhem Auto Parts & Services has more to come still. As of late last year, it added Porsche to its line of supported brands, offering owners a selection of genuine and aftermarket parts. In his closing comments, Abdulaziz reveals more of the company’s more immediate plans. “Most importantly throughout all of this growth and success, Almelhem continues to operate with the required tools and equipment for Porsche vehicles to provide the most accurate repairs, as we did with Land Rovers and Jaguars. Moreover, our service centers now offer quick service to other German marques and we have new products and services that will be released in the near future, so stay tuned!” Company: Almelhem Auto Parts & Services Address: Hawally, Kuwait Website: https://www.almelhemauto.com/ Telephone: Kuwait: +965 2473 0891 , Dubai: +971 50 381 0235