Information

New legislation again played a key part in the evolution of the company, this time with the introduction of a legal requirement for cars to be fitted with Catalytic Converters in 1993. By 1998 motorists were coming to B&M Tyres & Exhausts to ask for replacement Cats, and John saw his chance to capitalise on this fast emerging new sector in the aftermarket. Limited range, poor availability and prohibitive price points made it almost impossible for the Company to source suitable and cost effective Catalytic Converters, and was therefore losing sales. To overcome this, John decided to purchase ten Universal Catalysts from the USA and a Ben Pearson manual tube bending machine – enabling B&M to make and fit custom-built Cats for its customers. Word soon spread that B&M Tyres & Exhausts was able to make and fit aftermarket alternatives to manufacturers’ Catalytic Converters and customers came from miles around. Those customers weren’t just motorists themselves though. Other garages wanted to buy B&M Cats to fit themselves, and as the company was inundated with demand it was happy to become a local supplier. The order book soon grew, with production peaking at around 120 per month.