David Payne & Son

What David Payne & Son does

David Payne & Son is a family-owned, single-site commercial vehicle body repair, refurbishment, and painting specialist headquartered in Aylesford, Kent. Founded in 1972 by David Payne along with his wife Ann and son Chris, the company relocated to its current 1.5-acre freehold site in 1980 and expanded by acquiring the adjacent property in 1990. It serves both commercial fleet operators and individual vehicle owners across the South East of England, offering eight service lines — bus repairs, cab and van repairs, coach repairs, horsebox repairs, Luton body repairs, paintwork, trailer repairs, and van repairs — and operates a collection/delivery service within a 50-mile radius of Kent.

The company's technical base centers on physical workshop infrastructure: nine full-length repair bays, three large spray booths capable of accommodating vehicles up to 16 meters (including double-deck buses), full-length overhead gantries, two-post lifts, and manufacturer-spec jig systems for cab alignment and welding. It is an authorized repairer for eight commercial vehicle OEMs (Chereau, Fruehauf, Gray Adams, Klège, Lamberet, Montracon, Schmitz Cargobull, and Solomon) and is approved by all major UK insurance companies, enabling direct work on warranty and insurance claims. The paint department uses PPG Fleetwatch-approved systems. Notable customer work includes TFL-compliant upgrades and vintage Routemaster repaints for London bus operators, alongside fleet maintenance for HGVs, LCVs, coaches, trailers, and horseboxes.

The business model is professional services on a quote-based, pay-as-you-go basis with mobile and digital photo estimates; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled per job. Lead generation runs through OEM referral channels, Google Reviews displayed on the website, and a website-based 'Get a Quote' CTA. The company is privately held by the founding family, has not raised external capital, and employs 10+ staff across production, parts, business development, compliance, estimating, customer service, finance, and collection/delivery. There are no disclosed financial figures and no software or AI components to the operating model.

Name

David Payne & Son

Legal name

David Payne & Son (Coach Builders) Limited

Website

https://dpayneandson.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

David Payne & Son is a family-run, single-site commercial vehicle body repair, refurbishment, and painting specialist in Aylesford, Kent, serving fleet operators and individual vehicle owners across the South East of England under eight OEM authorizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Repair Services

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAKAEAH

Body Shop Mechanical & Suspension Repair (Post-Collision)

Transportation & Logistics/Vehicle & Equipment Maintenance, Repair & Services (MRO)/Collision Repair, Bodywork & Paint

SECONDARYTLAIAFAG

Rework, Repair & Refurbishment (Depot/Light Manufacturing)

Transportation & Logistics/Third-Party & Fourth-Party Logistics (3PL/4PL) / Contract Logistics/Value-Added Logistics (Kitting, Labeling, Postponement, Light Assembly)

Keywords

• Commercial vehicle repairs
• HGV body repairs
• Bus refurbishment services
• Trailer repairs
• Vehicle respray services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aylesford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Vehicle Repair Services: Primary revenue from repair, refurbishment and painting of commercial vehicles including HGVs, LCVs, buses, coaches, trailers, horseboxes, and Luton vans. Services include accident repairs, resprays, body replacements, and component repairs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

David Payne & Son is a family-run commercial vehicle repair, refurbishment and painting specialist operating from a 1.5-acre facility in Aylesford, Kent. The company repairs HGVs, LCVs, buses, coaches, trailers, horseboxes, Luton vans, ambulances, and refrigerated bodies using jig systems, manufacturer-spec welding, and PPG Fleetwatch-approved paint systems, with services including accident repairs, resprays, body replacements, and component repairs.

Product overview

David Payne & Son operates as a single-location commercial vehicle repair service rather than a unified software platform. The company offers eight distinct repair and refurbishment service lines—Bus Repairs, Cab and Van Repairs, Coach Repairs, Horsebox Repairs, Luton Body Repairs, Paintwork Services, Trailer Repairs, and Van Repairs—all delivered through its Aylesford, Kent facility. Services range from accident repairs and resprays to complete refurbishments, with the paintwork department using PPG Fleetwatch-approved systems. The company serves both individual vehicle owners and commercial fleet operators across the South East of England, offering collection and delivery within a 50-mile radius.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bus Repairs Accident repairs, refurbishments, and resprays for London and private buses, including TFL-compliant upgrades and vintage Routemaster repaints.
• Cab and Van Repairs Advanced repairs and diagnostics for cabs and vans using jig systems, alignment technology, and manufacturer-spec welding processes.
• Coach Repairs Repair and complete repaint services for coach operators, delivering quality finish for coach fleets.
• Horsebox Repairs Repairs and refurbishment for all sizes of horseboxes, including flooring, ramp, bodywork, and complete repaints.
• Luton Body Repairs Repairs to Luton van bodies, including damaged roof repair or complete replacement when needed.
• Paintwork Services Expert paintwork and resprays for all vehicle types using PPG Fleetwatch-approved systems and premium paint brands.
• Trailer Repairs Full trailer repairs, refurbishments, and body replacements to extend fleet life, approved by top insurers and manufacturers.
• Van Repairs Tailored services for both individual vehicle owners and commercial fleet operators, designed to minimize downtime and keep business running smoothly.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ChereaucoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerChereau is a French manufacturer of temperature-controlled vehicle bodies. David Payne & Son is an authorized repairer for Chereau products, enabling them to perform approved repairs on Chereau refrigerated bodies.
• FruehaufcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFruehauf is a major trailer manufacturer. David Payne & Son is an authorized repairer for Fruehauf trailers, allowing them to conduct approved repairs and refurbishments.
• Gray AdamscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGray Adams is a commercial vehicle body manufacturer. David Payne & Son is an authorized repairer for Gray Adams products.
• KlègecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKlège manufactures commercial vehicle bodies. David Payne & Son holds authorized repairer status for Klège products.
• LamberetcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLamberet is a manufacturer of refrigerated vehicles and bodies. David Payne & Son is authorized to perform repairs on Lamberet temperature-controlled vehicles.
• MontraconcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMontracon is a UK-based trailer manufacturer. David Payne & Son is an authorized repairer for Montracon trailers.
• Schmitz CargobullcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSchmitz Cargobull is a leading European manufacturer of trailers and semi-trailers. David Payne & Son holds authorized repairer status for Schmitz Cargobull products.
• Solomon (Temperature Controlled Vehicles)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSolomon is a manufacturer of temperature-controlled vehicles. David Payne & Son is authorized to perform repairs on Solomon temperature-controlled vehicles.
• Major Insurance CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Payne & Son is approved by all major insurance companies to perform insurance repairs, enabling them to work directly with insurance providers and work providers on vehicle claims.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TruckEast: Commercial vehicle repair and maintenance provider serving HGV and LCV fleets across the East of England, with workshop capacity, MOT facilities, and OEM relationships. Comparable to DP&S as a regional authorized repairer focused on commercial fleets.
• A&M Coachworks: Specialist commercial vehicle accident repair centre serving trucks, vans, buses and coaches, offering bodywork, paint, and chassis alignment. Closely comparable to DP&S on customer verticals, facility scale, and service mix.
• Cardocks Truck & Bus: UK commercial vehicle body repair and refurbishment specialist offering HGV, LGV, bus and coach repair services with manufacturer approvals. Directly comparable to David Payne & Son in customer type, OEM-authorization model, and accident/bodywork service mix.
• Albion Vehicle Services: UK commercial vehicle body repair specialist serving HGVs, trailers and buses with workshop facilities and spray booths. Operates a similar model to DP&S, including accident repair, refurbishment and insurer-approved work.
• W H Bowker Commercials: UK HGV truck and trailer repair specialist providing servicing, bodywork, and refurbishment to commercial fleet operators. Comparable regional workshop competitor with similar authorized-repairer business model.

Broad incumbents

• Nationwide Accident Repair Services: UK nationwide accident repair network providing insurer-approved bodywork and refurbishment across multiple vehicle categories. Broad incumbent comparable on insurance-instructed repair model though not focused on heavy commercial vehicles.
• Solus Accident Repair Centres: Aviva-owned nationwide accident repair network handling insurance-instructed repairs across cars and commercial vehicles. Comparable as an insurer-approved bodyshop network, but broader in scope and not specialized in HGV/bus/heavy commercial work.
• Steer Automotive Group: The UK's largest accident repair network with national coverage across cars and light commercial vehicles, owned by QUILON. A broad incumbent operating at scale across multiple segments overlapping with DP&S's fleet and LCV work, but with much wider geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about David Payne & Son