Growing together - IRS underwrites the 60th acquisition

60. acquisition of the IRS Group

The claim of the IRS Group is to offer customers a 360-degree service covering all aspects of vehicle maintenance. Through national and international expansion and the development of its service portfolio, the group is able to make a unique service promise: all services related to vehicle value preservation from a single source. With the current 60th acquisition, IRS has grown to a group with more than 2,200 employees. The strength of the regional operations remains intact, with former owners often staying on as branch managers.

Orderly transition through integration team

But no group grows together through acquisitions alone. That is why the specially initiated integration team accompanies the new operations during their transition into the Group - from connecting the IT infrastructure to equipping them with the latest workshop technology. A total of six experts from the various divisions look after the new operations during integration. The exchange of knowledge, standardization of processes, and the latest workshop equipment free up the operations for their actual day-to-day business.

Partnership at eye level

A number of success stories have been written over the past seven years. Frank Gerardy, as the former owner of Frank Gerardy GmbH in Polch, is now managing director of the entire bodywork and paint division at the IRS Group. Branch manager Claus Fink, who originally planned to retire with the sale to IRS in 2019, is also still head of the IRS Fink team in Neustadt an der Weinstraße and wants to accompany the exciting future of the business. IRS is also pursuing a partnership approach with former owners in an international context. Thus, CRYNS, as the Belgian part of the group, continues to be managed by former owner Johan van Deursen.

Craftsmanship to high-tech

IRS has also strengthened the management of the overall group. Matthias Rolinski has been CEO of IRS Holding GmbH since May of this year and is looking forward to planning the future of the group: "Our expansion strategy enables us as a group to cover the complete portfolio in the field of repair services and claims management. Our vision is to elevate all businesses that join us to the latest standards in all areas to provide the best possible service to our customers. From craft to high-tech is what we call it at our company. Digitalization as a support for the skilled trades will play a major role in the future. With specialized further education programs and technical training in the IRS Academy, we promote the know-how of our employees and ensure an equally high level of knowledge at all locations. Especially in these times, the entire body and paint industry is under economic pressure. Through the strength of the group, we can secure the future of our operations even in difficult times."

In order to unite the different services at the more than 150 locations of the IRS Group in Europe, further transformations within the group are planned. Regionality and the involvement of the former owners in the IRS operations have so far been the decisive factors for successful integrations and economic and healthy expansion.