An East Yorkshire company behind a ‘simple’ software solution for the motor industry, has been acquired by London-based ClearCourse Partnership.
Garage Data Systems was founded in 2006, providing affordable management tech tools for the sector.
Launched by managing director Paul Setterfeld, the initial designer and developer, it has gone on to install its systems in more than 2,000 garages and workshops, serving more than 1,500 clients in the Ƶ and Ireland.
The 10-strong GDS team offers a comprehensive suite of services to make life easier for motor trade professionals, including workshop management systems, fleet, stock, and sales management tools, and a commercial vehicle management platform.
Mr Setterfield said: “I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past 16 years as a business. We’ve always striven to deliver market leading products that improve efficiency in our customer’s businesses and deliver a tangible return on investment for them. ClearCourse has consistently delivered innovative solutions for its group companies, and we’re certain they are the right partner to help us do the same for our clients.”
Born in Cleethorpes, he grew up around the corner from a garage, William Street Motor Services, and got to know owner Chris Diplock well - "He would let me earn some pocket money while I was still at school - doing small jobs starting out with making cups of tea and cleaning up," the former Franklin College student recalled.
He was also one of the first to have a computer system at his end of the market - and it fascinated Paul to the extent he would let himself in on a Sunday to further his own education.
"In 2006, when I was a self-employed contract programmer, he came to me to ask my opinion on changing his old, antiquated system and I pitched the idea of creating something modern that he would recognise as I used his old unspported system as a template.
"It went from there."
GDS has also developed a specialised platform for boat management to meet its clients’ evolving needs.
From its headquarters in Beverley's Armstrong House, it serves more than 1,500 clients throughout the Ƶ and Ireland.
The financial terms of the deal are undisclosed, and the wider group is described as bringing a range of new value-added services, including the nascent ClearAccept payments platform. GDS will be able to offer remote and mobile payments which are in increasing demand due to the global pandemic.
For Gerry Gualtieri, chief executive of ClearCourse, it is a first venture into the motor trade in what is a 23rd acquisition in two years by the entrepreneurial fintech operator. He said: “I’m very happy to welcome the Garage Data Systems team to the ClearCourse Group. In addition to helping us expand into a new vertical sector, we see numerous opportunities to capitalise on synergies across the group in GDS.
“We look forward to working closely with the team over the coming years.”
For Mr Diplock, who provided Paul with a first office above his premises, the success is a huge source of pride for a man he counts as a close friend - often meeting for fish and chips when circumstances allow.
"I have known Paul since he was 11 years old, as he lived across the road from me," he recalled. "He used to come in to the garage and it was at a time when not everyone had a computer. I was one of the first at my end of the market and he was fascinated. I found out many years later he used ot sneak in on a weekend! That's where it started, in my office."
Of the switch over and being the guinea pig, he said: "We were using an antiquated garage operating syustem and the company had disappeared, I was worried the programme would now longer work and I'd be knackered. I started looking elsewhere, we got some demo programmes, and Paul said he could do better himself. By that time he was doing freelance programming for a living, and was quite adept.
"We were the guinea pigs, he used to ring the office and say 'would it work for you if it did that' and we would see 'maybe if it did this'
"He's taken remarkable strides since then, done very well for himself and good luck to him."
