Rivus owner Aurelius acquires AutoRestore to expand fleet management services

Asset management group Aurelius, parent firm of Rivus and Pullman fleet services, is to acquire mobile accident body repair services firm AutoRestore from Belron.

Aurelius said the acquisition of AutoRestore will further strengthen its fleet management offering in the UK

AutoRestore, which traded as Autoglass BodyRepair under Belron, provides over 30,000 repairs a year to B2B customers, including insurance and fleet management companies, as well as an expanding B2C offering. It runs a fleet of over 130 mobile repair vans, providing same-day mobile accident body repair services.

It’s the fourth acquisition made by Aurelius in recent weeks, following Hüppe GmbH and the co-investment in Panasonic’s European Consumer Battery Business Units as well as Bring Frigo, and will further strengthen the firm’s fleet management offering in the UK. Aurelius acquired Pullman Fleet Services from Wincanton Plc in November 2020, complementing its acquisition in late 2019 of BT Fleet Solutions, later rebranded as Rivus.

Aurelius said that AutoRestore will augment its existing fleet management business and will benefit from operating alongside Rivus, while AutoRestore customers will also be able to access Pullman’s full suite of services for HGV and LCV fleet management.

Tristan Nagler, managing director of Aurelius in the UK, said: “The acquisition of AutoRestore will further strengthen Aurelius’ fleet management offering in the UK and is another demonstration of Aurelius’ buy-and-build approach. The partnership between AutoRestore, Rivus and Pullman presents strong growth potential for the businesses. Our operational experts will ensure a smooth transition of ownership for AutoRestore and drive partnership with our existing platform, bolstering an already compelling offering we have established in the sector.”

Commenting on the sell-off, Belon Group said: “We believe Aurelius will provide the ideal platform for AutoRestore to build on its success as one of the leading providers of mobile accident body repair services.

“The sale will allow Belron to focus more time and further resources on developing and strengthening its core offering which continues to see strong demand across the UK.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.