Carglass
{{Short description|Car glass repair brand}}
{{Infobox company}}
Carglass is a commercial brand for car glass repair and replacement that belongs to the Belron group, a subsidiary of the Belgian D'Ieteren group.
The company was founded in 1979 in Sweden by the Belgian Leroi family. This family had a wholesale business in car windows in Belgium. Carglass Nederland started its activities in 1982 with the takeover of wholesaler Mobielglas. The first own branch was started in Eindhoven, the second in Heerlen. Since 1987, Carglass has been part of the South African group Belron. The real breakthrough and greatest growth was achieved from 1989 when the number of branches, number of employees and turnover increased very quickly. At the end of the nineties, the company came back into Belgian hands when the car group D'Ieteren took over a majority of shares. The remaining shares are held by the Belgian investment group Cobepa. In 2016, Carglass started repairing minor car damage. In 2019, the company announced that it would stop this service, due to a disappointing number of reported car damage. At that time, Carglass offered this service in 24 branches, under the name Carmetics. Employees who worked in this branch were given a different position within the company as much as possible. An unknown number of people were dismissed. In 2020, Belron took over the automotive glass activities of car service chain A.T.U., the largest garage chain in Germany. Since then, Carglass has been providing car window repairs and replacements in the almost 600 A.T.U. sales outlets in Germany and Austria. In the same week, Belron announced that it would be reducing its services in France. It was negotiating the sale of Carglass Maison, for home car repairs, to the German holding company Mutares and HomeServe France, which is part of a British listed group of the same name.
Locations
Carglass is present in most European countries and throughout the world.{{cite web |title=Qui Sommes-Nous |url=https://www.carglass.ch/fr/a-propos-de-carglass/qui-sommes-nous |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=Carglass® |language=fr}}
= France =
File:Carglass_France_siège.jpg .]]
Carglass' headquarters are now located in France Courbevoie in Hauts-de-Seine, north of the La Défense business district.
Carglass had, at the end of December 2022, nearly 3000 employees, in more than 700 intervention centers{{cite web |last=Lamigeon |first=Philippe |date=2023-07-17 |title=Carglass intervient dans 280 Norauto |url=https://auto.zepros.fr/carrossiers/vitrage/carglass-intervient-280-norauto?utm_source=dialoginsight&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NL%20Zepros%20R%C3%A9seau%2025%2f07%2f23&oft_id=43635645&oft_k=MB9SYIMe&oft_lk=DlhBrd&oft_d=638258686775700000 |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=Zepros |language=fr}} and more than 350 workshop-vehicles.{{Cite web|title=Qui sommes-nous|url=https://www.carglass.fr/a-propos-de-carglass/qui-sommes-nous|access-date=2021-12-13|website=carglass.fr}}.{{cite web |date=2023-01-04 |title=Carglass, spécialiste de la réparation de pare-brise |url=https://www.votrejournal.net/carglass-specialiste-de-la-reparation-de-pare-brise/ |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=Votre Journal |language=fr}}
The headquarters, in Courbevoie, also includes a car glass repair and replacement center, as well as the corporate repairer university. In 2014, Carglass created the first professional glass operator qualification certificate, recognized by automotive professionals.{{cite web |last=Pérou |first=Justine |date=2020-02-26 |title=Carglass prévoit de recruter 500 collaborateurs en 2020 |url=https://www.largus.fr/pros/actualite-automobile/carglass-prevoit-de-recruter-500-collaborateurs-en-2020-10248392.html |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=www.largus.fr |language=fr}}
Carglass' internal customer relations center is located at the Futuroscope Technopole in Poitiers, Vienne.{{Cite journal|last=Nouvelle|first=L'Usine|date=2006-03-31|title=Carglass ouvre un centre d'appels au Futuroscope - Quotidien des Usines|url=https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/carglass-ouvre-un-centre-d-appels-au-futuroscope.N13049|journal=L'Usine nouvelle|language=fr|access-date=2020-03-09}}
Since 2010, Carglass has invested in a CSR approach, promoting the repair of windshields instead of their replacement, recycling 100% of broken windshields and electrifying its fleet of workshop vehicles. The company is certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 and has obtained the Gold Ecovadis seal.{{cite web |last=Pérou |first=Justine |date=2020-02-26 |title=Carglass prévoit de recruter 500 collaborateurs en 2020 |url=https://www.largus.fr/pros/actualite-automobile/carglass-prevoit-de-recruter-500-collaborateurs-en-2020-10248392.html |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=www.largus.fr |language=fr}}{{cite web |last=Gervasio |first=Jean-Marc |date=2022-12-14 |title=Neil Rogers prend la tête de Carglass France |url=https://www.auto-infos.fr/article/neil-rogers-prend-la-tete-de-carglass-france.261981 |access-date=2024-05-07 |publisher=www.auto-infos.fr |language=fr}}
Ownership
Belron, the brand owner, has the following shareholders:{{cite web |date=2021-12-17 |title=Clôture de l'opération avec les nouveaux actionnaires de Belron |url=https://www.dieterengroup.com/fr/communiques-presse/cloture-de-loperation-avec-les-nouveaux-actionnaires-de-belron/ |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=D'Ieteren Group |language=fr}}
- D'Ieteren group
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
- Hellman & Friedman
- GIC
- BlackRock
- Management, employees and founding family.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.carglasswindscreens.co.uk/ Carglass] in the UK
Category:Automotive part retailers
Category:Automotive companies established in 1986
Category:French companies established in 1986