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Special Feature


Sue Walker


Before opening her Rader International franchise in Leicestershire earlier this year, Sue Walker worked in the education sector, including as a headteacher for the last eight years


Rader International


How did you find out about franchising and about Rader International? I decided to retire in July 2016 and move north where my husband’s work was based. I was not ready to stop working and my husband, Paul, already knew the directors of Rader International in Manchester, which specialises in remanufacturing and repairing alloy wheels. Rader International was looking to expand through franchising, and it was Paul who suggested opening a franchising business remanufacturing alloy wheels closer to home in the East Midlands. In Manchester, I saw the Rader process of remanufacturing wheels for the first time and talked to the staff, which gave me a better understanding of how it all worked.


How was the signing up process? Dave, Tony, Ray and Neil from Rader International made it very easy for us and were keen for us to have all the information we needed to set up a new Rader venue. Key for me was the promise of full support and training throughout the franchise experience. We had several meetings to discuss how the franchise would work and I felt that the terms of the licence agreement were reached as a result of a two-way conversation.


What training and support did you receive, both initially and ongoing? By Christmas 2016, we had employed three members of staff who undertook a scheduled programme of training in Rader Manchester, so we were confident that the quality of the finished wheels were


34 | BusinessFranchise.com | May 2017


going to be the same as those that are remanufactured there. Dave and Tony are still providing regular training for our staff so we are up to date in relation to any new techniques and materials, and, occasionally, there is an issue we meet for the first time, which is then soon resolved. I had experience of managing an organisation, budgets and staffing but had no experience of remanufacturing wheels before this.


How was business in the beginning? How are things today? We located a unit in Blaby, near Leicester, which was ideal and we took possession in September 2016. For three weeks, we cleaned the unit from top to bottom, including hiring a specialist cleaning company to clean the ceiling and every overhead pipe that might contaminate our process in the future. Deliveries of equipment started arriving in October and the Rader build started. Rader International East Midlands opened in January 2017 and it was a memorable moment for everybody. When we opened our doors to customers for the first time, business was initially slow. As word of our operation has spread, new customers have come on board and we have proved that we are able to fulfil the Rader guarantee of excellent customer service and outstanding quality, as well as turn around the wheels within 48 hours of arrival. At the same time as bringing on our own customers, such as body shops and individuals, we also partner with Rader International in Manchester to assist with a number of existing national


contracts that they have. The Manchester team are also continuously researching and developing new materials and techniques to improve the Rader process.


What are your plans for the future? The future looks bright. We have taken on another member of staff and have already bought ourselves another state-of-the-art CNC [computer numerical control] machine to diamond cut the wheels, so our business plan has been moved forward and our capacity has doubled. In the future, we look forward to working with more dealerships to provide wheels to OE [Original Equipment] standards. Towards the end of the year, all being well, we may look to open up another franchise of Rader International elsewhere in the country and I know we would get the full support of Dave, Tony, Ray and Neil if we looked to do this.


How do you find being a woman in a male-dominated industry? Being a woman in the industry has never been an issue for me and I enjoy working with a great team. While the industry is perhaps historically seen as being more male orientated, I’ve yet to encounter an issue related to this and our customers are used to me either collecting and delivering wheels for Rader East Midlands or discussing accounts and pricing. It has been a massive learning curve but I love what I do. At Rader, we are an equal opportunities employer, and as we look to expand our operation, we always welcome applicants from all backgrounds.


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