A family-run business with nearly 70 years in the motor trade was invited to 10 Downing Street after being nominated as a ‘Local Business Champion’.
Hertfordshire-based Bennetts Car Parts, an Independent Motor Trade Factors Associated (IFA) member, was established in 1954 by the current director’s grandfather. Today, the company employs more than 250 people, distributes stock to the trade using 160 vehicles, and has 37 branches across the UK.
Business owners John Bennett and Andrea Thornton were invited to a reception at 10 Downing Street by Clare De Silva, the MP for St Albans, who called Bennetts “a real success story”.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, said: “Local business are vital for our economy, our day-to-day lives and our communities.
“Creating jobs, supporting growth in a huge variety of sectors, their tireless hard work does not go unnoticed.
“As Chancellor, I see the contribution that local businesses make across the country to all our cities, towns and villages, and this is something we can all be proud of.
“Not only do they bring immeasurable value to the economy, but they are also the heart and soul of so many of our communities.”