Autosmart Portsmouth hits their 40th year business anniversary

The Autosmart Franchise for Portsmouth was one of the first regions set up in 1979 and is still owned by the Hatch family today.

John Hatch set up the Autosmart business with Mike Fiddler in Tamworth and as the regional manager for the South East he spent every Saturday up and down the country, in a lorry, collecting stock.

Rob Hatch, John’s son used to go with him on the five hour drive and remembers the weekly journey very clearly. Rob says, “It was the time before the M40 and the roads were a traffic nightmare. It took us all day to make the journey and bring the stock back. It was then stored in our barn so that the south east Autosmart franchisees could collect stock from there.”

It wasn’t long before an 18 year old Rob joined the business with his dad and his two week induction was memorable. Rob says, “I spent two weeks in a stifling hot caravan at the Tamworth factory with no toilet facilities surrounded by empty 205 barrels. It wasn’t very glamorous but I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

Rob took over the business from his dad in 1992 and the business has grown and changed with the times and remains very successful. Rob puts his success down to his dad and the fact he was very strict with him. Rob says, “I was known as Robert not John’s son, and on my first day I wasn’t allowed out on the road until I had learnt the products and the sales script was committed to memory. It was the days when everyone wore ties and before I left the warehouse my shoes had to be polished. It was a very disciplined environment but one that I am grateful for.”

Rob still deals with many of the customers who started with him all those years ago and continues to have great relationships with them alongside Trish his wife who is also involved in the business. To cope with the high demand Rob is now buying his own warehouse and looks to be in there by Christmas and in the next two weeks his daughter will join the business and be delivering to his National Account customers. Autosmart Portsmouth is very much a family business.

Find Rob and any of our other franchisees here