Bosch Gets Things Rolling With Wheel Service Equipment

It has been more than two years since Bosch first delved into the wheel service equipment sector, firstly with the official acquisition of Beissbarth Automotive Group in April of 2007, and then a second acquisition of Accu Industries Inc. exactly one year later in April 2008. Now with more than a year-and-a-half behind them since acquiring both companies, it’s interesting to see how things have progressed since.

Each company brought something new to the table for Bosch. With Beissbarth, it was an expansion of its chassis-measurement systems product segment and the addition of tire-servicing equipment. With Accu Industries, its strength was in the selling and providing technical support for its line of tire changers, wheel balancers, and wheel alignment equipment as well as the equipment itself.

“Strategically we want to be able to offer diagnostic solutions to our customers. Looking forward we have to do more than just provide parts,” says Jim Frazer, director of marketing for Bosch’s Diagnostic Unit. “It’s the whole package and our customers don’t see [diagnostics] as split, they just see diagnostic as one portfolio which includes underhood as well as undercar products.”

Normally, when technicians think Bosch, they think oxygen sensors, batteries, various diagnostic equipment, but not wheels. Working under the auspices of the Bosch Diagnostics Unit, their test equipment unit covers wheel aligners, wheel balancers, tire changers, nitrogen tire filling systems and brake lathes, in addition to software downloads, training, and technical support and sales.

“Our challenge is no different than everybody else’s and that is the huge recession has really thrown a curb ball at us,” continues Frazer. “It’s been very difficult to find ways to be successful during this extreme downturn and that’s been our biggest challenge so far.

“In general our wheel service products seem to be doing a little bit better than our diagnostic products. Basically, due to the impact of the recession, what’s moving the fastest right now are the low-and mid-priced point products. What we find is that many of our customers are putting off capital investments this year in favour of waiting to see how things are going to go, and as a result they’re investing in lower cost equipment when they do feel the need to invest.”

In addition to selling its equipment to independents and collision repair facilities, one advantage to Bosch’s participation in the wheel service equipment sector is that Bosch supplies much of its own equipment to its participating members in Bosch’s car service program, which now includes nearly fifty garages across Canada.

“A distinguishing factor is that our network is not a franchise network. They’re independent shops and they choose to become Bosch car service members and in doing so they get additional value at a program they get to participate in that we sponsor, but they’re still free to purchase whichever equipment they feel; however, we do offer them discounts above and beyond what others would get in the marketplace,” notes Frazer. “And we hope they invest in our equipment more than not.”

SSGM