The campaign to promote the benefits of workshops fitting parts from original equipment (OE) suppliers is taking its quality message out on the road at a series of UK exhibitions.
The Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) will have stands at the forthcoming MECHANEX show in Manchester, after a successful outing in London, and the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC Birmingham, where it will be demonstrating to visitors the merits of fitting quality parts.
OESAA, whose slogan is ‘Our Quality. Your Reputation’, represents 14 producers and suppliers of OE automotive parts to the vehicle manufacturing industry.
The main aims of the organisation are to promote the benefits of fitting OE quality components and to ensure that workshops and distributors are able to make an informed choice when purchasing spare parts.
Members will be exhibiting examples of their OE parts alongside some non-genuine alternatives currently available in the UK automotive aftermarket at the forthcoming MECHANEX show at Event City, Manchester on May 19 & 20.
Prior to that, there is an appearance on stand 5J100 at the Commercial Vehicle Show taking place at the Birmingham’s NEC on April 14-16.
OESAA Chairman Nigel Morgan, Managing Director of Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket (UK) Ltd, owners of the LuK clutch, INA tensioner & FAG wheel bearing OE brands, said OESAA’s campaign is relevant to anyone who fits parts, whatever the type of vehicle they are working on.
He said: “As well as supplying OE parts to the passenger car sector, many of our members also supply parts for HGVs and, of course, LCVs. These shows give us the ideal opportunity to take our message directly to those who fit parts for all types of vehicles; cars, trucks, buses and coaches as our members all share a common concern – safety, and we want every mechanic in every workshop to recognise and understand the risk of fitting inferior or sub-standard non-tested parts.
“Vehicle manufacturers and OE suppliers invest millions in R&D and testing to ensure that their products offer the highest levels of performance and safety to the consumer. The end-user experience is key to this message – namely that a vehicle is more likely to ‘feel the same and drive the same’ if the original parts are replaced ‘like-for-like’.
“The additional benefit for the installer is the reassurance that the product will fit first time, every time and that they can just ‘fit it and forget it’.”
OESAA members say that some aftermarket parts suppliers are claiming to ‘match OE quality’, even though it is clear by physically comparing the components that they don’t.
