24th July 2019
Take a drive down memory lane…
There isn’t long to go until our 10th birthday!
Like we said last time, a lot can happen in 10 years! So, in our latest commemorative blog, we thought we’d take a drive down memory lane and look at some of our personal highlights from the past decade.
Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
August 2009: Turning our idea into a reality
In 2009, we were lucky enough to be able to make our dream come true, officially opening the doors to the first Vasstech garage in Northallerton in August of the same year.
By September 2010 our team had grown from two to six – many of whom have been with us ever since!
May 2011: Vasstech Darlington opens…
Fast forward to May 2011, when not only did we open the doors to Vasstech Darlington for the first time, but we also welcomed Directors Alex and Robin to the team!
Since opening, it has quickly become a favourite local garage in Darlington, renowned for its friendly customer service advisors and highly-skilled technicians who are always on hand to offer MOTs and car repairs.
December 2012: …closely followed by Vasstech Knaresborough
Following the success of both Vasstech Northallerton and Vasstech Darlington, we knew it was time to venture a little further south – Knaresborough fit the bill perfectly.
Opening our latest branch gave us a reliable garage in Knaresborough and Harrogate. It also meant that we had achieved our next goal: to open three branches in three years!
June 2014: We felt the need… the need for speed!
In 2014 we added the first vehicle to our ever-expanding Vasstech fleet – our Golf GTI MK5!
The Vasstech Track Car is equipped with a 2.0-litre engine, roll cage, carbon dipped wheels, significant engine modifications and a stripped-out interior – it’s always a sight to behold on any of the local tracks.
November 2016: A new arrival
November 2016 was a special time for the entire Vasstech team – we welcomed Lily, the first Vassbaby!
She’s now nearly three, but Andrea and Scott – her mum and dad – are still valued members of the Vasstech team to this day.
January 2017: Our expansion continues
With a new year came a new branch. After expanding across North Yorkshire, we opened the doors to Vasstech Teesside – our garage in Stockton-on-Tees and the first of our planned North East ventures.
With six ramps and five members of staff, Vasstech Teesside is our biggest garage yet – and has been essential for keeping the vehicles of Teesside, Thornaby, Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas running smoothly ever since.
June 2017: Road trip! Our first trip to Le Mans
In June 2017, some of the Vasstech team were fortunate enough to be able to go to the Le Mans endurance race.
In true Le Mans-fashion, we chose to complete the trip in style – with a twelve-hour road trip, two Volkswagen Touaregs and a Ford Mustang – all Vasstech branded, of course. After a weekend of camping and high-octane action, we were all very pleased to see Porsche (a VASS group team no less), take home first place.
September 2018: Craig commits a daring rescue…
The team at Vasstech Northallerton got a shock last year when Kirstie, one of our customers, came into the garage and told us that she’d heard crying coming from the nearby railway tracks.
Thankfully, technician Craig jumped into action and committed a daring rescue to save little Fettle – the first Vasscat – from the barbed wire! Fettle was then taken in by Kirstie before being taken to a rehoming centre – where we hope they found a lovely new family – and have been staying away from any more barbed wire!
2019
March: Continuing our support for the local community
In March, we announced that we would be sponsoring Bedale Junior Football Club from August – marking the start of a great partnership between the club and Vasstech.
For the next two years, Bedale Juniors will be playing at The Vasstech Arena (Dobson’s Field in Bedale), and we will be the primary club and match day kit sponsor!
May: Supporting our Emergency Services and Armed Forces
As part of our continued support for our Emergency Services and Armed Forces, we became sponsors of both the Blue Light Card and Defence Discount Service card earlier this year.
Holders of these cards can access reduced prices for services, parts and even MOTs at any of our branches.
August: We turn 10!
And here we are! Time certainly flies when you’re having fun – and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.
If you’ve been with us since the beginning, thank you – without you, none of this would have been possible!
Editor’s note: we couldn’t celebrate our tenth birthday without giving Craig a special mention – for having three children since we started too!