ATF Professional speaks to sisters Olivia and Izzie Hutchins from Green Car Depollution, a leader in providing innovative and bespoke depollution equipment to the vehicle recycling industry, about their roles, their opinions of the industry, and the service their company can offer to vehicle recyclers.
Green Car Depollution have seemed synonymous with the UK vehicle recycling industry for quite some time. Can you provide some background about the company and the current day enterprise?
Green Car started around 11 years ago with a view to offering the best quality and innovative depollution equipment in the industry. The business has grown over the years, and in recent times it has become a leading operator in the UK and beyond. We pride ourselves on our family business fundamentals whilst offering a second to none customer experience.
Headed up as sisters, Olivia and Izzie, can you explain your roles?
Olivia – I started the business with my father, Julian, who has been well known in the industry for over 20 years. As owner and co-founder of the business, I have overall responsibility for the strategy and commercials on both a day to day and long-term basis.
Izzie – I joined the business five years ago to head up the sales marketing aspect of the business. And assisting Olivia and Dad (Julian) with taking this already rapidly growing and expanding the company to the next level!
It is fair to say that the vehicle recycling industry is very much male-dominated. Have you ever come across any negativity from those in the industry because of your gender?
Olivia – Having been in the industry now for over ten years and as a woman in business, I believe that the industry is moving forwards. I have always enjoyed positive relationships with others in the industry, and I hope that, as can be seen with Green Car, there is plenty of room for women to lead and become part of the future of the industry overall.
Izzie – Not at all. We do have a father who has been in the business for as long as we can remember, but we’ve worked hard to gain our own personal experience and knowledge of the sector, which I think has earnt us respect from both men and women in the industry.
Depollution equipment is an essential part of any vehicle recycling yard. What criteria do you set when designing your equipment, and how important is feedback from existing clients?
Olivia – Quality and functionality are absolutely paramount to us. We are always looking at ways to improve the speed and efficiency of our customer’s operations. Fortunately, with us being a very close-knit business, we are fleet of foot in terms of developing our range to better suit our customer’s needs. Bespoke solutions are also something of a speciality for us.
Izzie – Agreed. The industry’s legislation is ever-changing as are vehicle recycler’s requirements. Our team’s wealth of skill and knowledge, paired with longstanding strong customer relationships, allows us to continuously adapt and mould our products to keep ahead of the curve.
No two yards are the same; therefore, how much do you enjoy providing solutions to the challenges your customers bring, regardless of their operation size?
Olivia – Absolutely correct. We are fortunate to have customers who range from startups to major corporations. We always undertake thorough dialogue and site visits with our customers before undertaking the work required. This is beneficial to both parties and always leads to some interesting and innovative solutions!
Izzie – No two yards are the same, and no two days at Green Car are the same! It’s an exciting and progressive time for vehicle recycling. We love the challenges set by all of the weird and wonderful enquiries and requests we get here.
You must have seen so many differing yards in your time at Green Car Depollution and have seen and continue to see the industry evolve. What would you consider are the changes you have noticed, and how do you think the industry will progress in the future?
Olivia – The industry is really evolving now, and I would say that the UK leads the way in many facets of depollution. Depollution equipment, in particular, is becoming an aspect of any yard that needs to perform at a robust and efficient level, and this is where our growth has been derived from. The future looks very bright in our eyes as yards continue to invest and evolve; we look forward to continuing to work closely with our customers in the future to aid them in their development.
Izzie – We are seeing more and more vehicle recyclers being proactive instead of reactive to legislation/EA visits etc. They are ordering new systems and other equipment because they genuinely want to clean up their operation and want their business to have a positive impact on the environment. Global warming is something that really can’t be ignored anymore, and ATFs really do recognise how important vehicle depollution is in helping to slow it down.
To find out more about Green Car Depollution, please visit www.greencardepollution.com
