“Probably Five” GSF TechFests in ‘26, three confirmed - what does it mean?

GSF Car Parts enters 2026 on the back of one of its most aggressive years. In 2025, the business opened multiple new branches and delivered a three-stop TechFest roadshow, designed to bring garages together with suppliers, showcase new technologies, and position GSF as a visible, influential player in the UK aftermarket. While Automechanika remains the premier global aftermarket exhibition, TechFest has become a UK-focused, trade accessible complement and is valued by garages and suppliers.

Now, the company has confirmed it will hold only three TechFest events in 2026, matching 2025’s schedule, with the only change being the northern event moving from Manchester to Newcastle. This confirmation makes a stark contrast with on camera statements from last summer.

“Probably Five” on record

At a summer 2025 press conference, covered in Garage Talk Unwrapped (watch here - 49:55 onwards), CEO Steve Horne stated on camera that GSF was planning “probably five” TechFest events in 2026, including two major flagship shows and three regional ones. The phrasing - “probably” - was measured, but the commitment was clear: GSF publicly indicated a plan to expand TechFest in both scale and geography.

Fast forward to early 2026: the official schedule confirms three events only, with no new flagship events, creating a clear gap between public statement and delivery. No explanation was offered to the trade or media. This is not a minor discrepancy; in a market where garages plan their budgets, attendance, and supplier engagement around trade events, the contrast is material and verifiable.

Owners with track record of exits

GSF’s leadership history may provide essential context. Executive chairman Sukhpal Ahluwalia and CEO Steve Horne previously built and scaled Euro Car Parts, which was sold to LKQ Corporation, a global aftermarket giant. Their careers demonstrate a pattern: build, scale, optimise, and exit when conditions are favourable.

This history makes the current TechFest discrepancy - the public suggestion of five events versus the confirmed three - particularly relevant. It is not simply a question of planning; it may instead reflect the strategic discretion of leaders with a proven track record of selling businesses. In the eyes of the industry, the apparent scale-back could signal anything from pragmatic planning to strategic repositioning for a future exit.

Ownership speculation

Further intensifying speculation are reports that global players are monitoring or interested in GSF:

• O’Reilly Automotive - a Fortune 500 aftermarket powerhouse with more than 6,400 stores in North America, a massive distribution footprint, and strong professional installer penetration. Any engagement with GSF would bring significant operational scale and strategic depth.

• Stellantis - one of the world’s largest automakers, with expanding aftermarket networks, including Mopar and service logistics, and ongoing investments in parts distribution.

Interest from organisations of this calibre, if true, would dramatically elevate GSF’s positioning in the UK aftermarket, offering access to global supply chain capabilities, scale, and integration potential. Yet publicly, GSF continues to emphasise trade engagement events, providing no clarity on ownership intentions, leaving the market to speculate.

TechFest in context

While Automechanika is the industry’s leading show, TechFest’s importance should not be understated. It serves multiple strategic purposes:

• Engagement: bringing suppliers and garages together in a hands-on, interactive environment.

• Visibility: demonstrating GSF’s commitment to innovation, training, and trade support and allows garages to visit a trade show after normal working hours.

• Competitive defence: reinforcing loyalty among garages in a market with increasingly similar pricing, stock, and delivery models.

The scaling back from Horne’s on-camera “probably five” to the confirmed three may represent more than a scheduling decision; it sends a signal to competitors that GSF’s visible trade engagement may be stabilising rather than expanding, opening space for rivals to step in.

Competition isn’t standing still

The UK motor factor market has never been more competitive. National chains, regional players, buying groups, and digitally agile independents are all vying for garage loyalty.

In this environment, differentiation comes from engagement, visibility, and perceived commitment to the trade, not just operational scale.

Same shows, bigger questions

GSF remains a major player with scale, reach, and operational momentum. But the contrast between Horne’s on-camera “probably five” statement and the confirmed three-event schedule raises significant questions:

• Has ambition been quietly reassessed downward?

• Are leadership priorities focused more on future exit opportunities than on trade engagement?

• And if plans have changed, why was this not proactively communicated to the trade?