AA DriveTech, the recovery organisation’s driver training and risk management arm, has bought off-road training firm Nationwide 4×4 for an undisclosed sum.
The 4×4 specialist, which will continue to operate as a separate legal entity from the AA, provides training for heavy-duty vehicles including 6×6 and 8×8 models for the blue light and corporate sectors, along with organising off-road motor sports events in the UK. Nationwide 4×4’s owner, Selwyn Kendrick, will take up a role within AA DriveTech to work on the expansion of the business.
Kendrick said of the acquisition: “We’re keen to grow the business significantly in the next few years, and access to the resources that the AA can provide will help us expand on our leadership position in this developing marketplace.”
Jim Kirkwood, MD of AA DriveTech, said: “The introduction of the corporate manslaughter act and recent bad winters, has highlighted for many organisations that they need to have 4×4 vehicles available and drivers properly trained to operate them safely. Nationwide 4×4 enables us to expand the breadth of our portfolio and offer an even more comprehensive ‘one-stop-shop’ to our customers.”
The move comes in the wake of AA Drivetech launching a claimed industry-first hybrid driver training course in October, with a team of six trainers covering the country and offering a 3.5-hour course in getting the best efficiency from petrol-electric hybrids.
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