Meet Our Staff

nicky@carbase.biz Nicky Loader Sales Executive

It was about six and a half years ago that I made the switch from customer services and followed my father into the motor trade. My previous experience has always been customer focused, I’ve worked for the RAC and run a pub amongst other things, but having a good rapport with people I meet is always important to me and I always try to go the extra mile where my customers are concerned. Apart from the job, my interest is dance, modern dance in particular and until recently I regularly did ‘Street Dance’ classes which is something that I’d quite like to get back into at some point.

andyp@carbase.biz Andy Peters General Manager

I started out 15 years ago as a Sales Executive at a large used car supermarket and ten years later when I left, was the General Manager. I spent the next three years working as a freelance consultant, advising and training staff at independent garages before joining Carbase in 2009 as the General Manager. I’ve always enjoyed a wide range of sports, particularly rugby, but currently only play a little tennis. My other love apart from my family that is, are motor bikes and I’ve just bought a very nice Kawasaki Z750 - now all I need is a day off, some sunshine and a dry road.

stuart@carbase.biz Stuart Austin Business Manager

There aren’t many Business Managers who started their working life in the Royal Navy Submarine Service but that’s exactly what I did. I spent thirteen years traveling the world in a submarine as a Weapons Engineer Mechanic. I then moved into the motor trade and before starting at Carbase spent eleven years as a Business Manager working at a variety of main dealers selling Mercedes Benz, BMW, Vauxhall and Toyota. In my spare time I played rugby and boxed but now I go to the gym for fitness and play pool to relax.

emma@carbase.biz Emma Lambert Service Controller

I‘ve been working within the Motor industry for the last ten years. I started working for Mercedes when I was attending College completing A Levels, and have since worked for BMW and VW, within the Service and Sales departments. I joined Carbase in September 2009, as I wanted a more varied role with the freedom to introduce new ideas. I enjoy being part of a family run business and have made some great friendships, there is good team spirit here at Carbase and a willingness to help colleagues and customers alike.

martino@carbase.biz Martino Portelli Sales Controller

Thirty years in the trade may sound like a long time but it doesn’t feel it as so much constantly changes. I started when I was still at school and just stayed in the trade. I worked in a garage at the weekends to earn extra money and because I enjoyed it. I then moved across into sales and gradually worked my way up and have now undertaken all the major roles available. I consider myself to be a used car specialist and have amassed a huge amount of knowledge over the years which holds me in good stead day-to-day.

lou@carbase.biz Louie Saladino Group After Sales Manager

I started in the motor trade twenty five years ago as a valeter driver, moved on to the body shop and then the service department, before a final move to Customer Service and After Sales Support. I really do much more than just after sales as I’m in charge of all vehicle preparation prior to sale from safety checks to valeting, body work repairs to organising MOTs and servicing. Basically it’s my responsibility to ensure that all our cars are in top condition before you buy them.

sam@carbase.biz Sam Buckland General Sales Manager

On leaving school I undertook the first ever GNVQ in Vehicle Sales at Oxford, Henley-on-Thames to be precise. At 17 I was washing cars but quickly progressed through vehicle preparation to become a vehicle valuer for both retail and part exchange vehicles. I now both buy and sell cars at Carbase where I’ve been working as the General Sales Manager for about seven years now. I just love the motor trade and any spare time that I get I still spend around cars.

tim@carbase.biz Tim Walters Vehicle Administrator

I’ve been working at Carbase since leaving full time education. Back when I started we were just a small used car dealership in Brent Knoll stocking around 40 cars. We have now grown to be the largest used car dealer in the South West, with over 450 cars in stock. Since I started at Carbase I have worked through all the positions within the business including a salesman and running my own site, I now work within the Vehicle Admin/Accounts department looking after all the vehicles we have in stock and the new stock that we have arriving daily. Outside of work I have a very hectic social life from a full time crewman at a local RNLI lifeboat station to the chairman of Burnham on Sea and Highbridge Round Table.

roger@carbase.biz Roger Orgee Sales Executive

I started working in car sales back in 2007 for a main Vauxhall dealer where I was a Sales Executive. After my time at Vauxhall I worked for a large industrial electronics manufacturer as a Sales Manager, but before my sales career I was actually a Racing Instructor for race tracks like Snetterton, Brands Hatch, and Bedford Aerodrome. For the past 15 years I have been involved with motorsport, starting karting competitively at the age of 8, and progressing to the single seater cars in the Formula BMW championships. I still race competitively in Formula Ford at Castle Combe, when I’m not at work or the race track, I can be found playing squash to help keep fit.

gerry@carbase.biz Gerry Janes Accounts Administrator

My first job after taking time off to have my family was with a family owned motor dealership in Middlesex, where I dealt with the administration and accounts of the company. Since then I have always worked in administration or accounts. I started with Carbase after moving to the West Country four years ago and have found that this family owned dealership, really does care about the team that works for it and their customers. This shows by the amount of people that come back to buy from us again. If you come to the Weston-super-Mare branch on a Saturday you’ll see me on the Service Reception desk

phil@carbase.biz Phil Spence Sales Executive

When I left school I went to Filton College to learn C++ a computer programming language and then travelled all over Europe programming for banks, airlines and Visa card. This life style was great to start with but didn’t fit with having a family. My sister who was already in the auto trade suggested that since I was good with people and loved cars that I try it and eight years on I still love it. Any time that I’m not spending with my family I spend with a friend renovating cars including a couple of Lancia Delta Integrales, a Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9 and a Renault Clio William the one with the gold wheels.

kristelle@carbase.biz Kristelle Chant Accounts Supervisor

Since leaving college I have been working within an accounts environment for around 5 years. For the last two years I have been working with Carbase in the accounts department. Although I don’t deal with our customers on a day to day basis, I am fully aware of how important it is to give them the best service possible. And this we endeavour to do.

jason@carbase.biz Jason Ames Sales Executive

I’ve been selling cars for about eight years now working in the Bristol area for most of that time, which is handy as I live there. I’ve worked for main dealerships for a good few years but really enjoy selling the wide range of makes and models that I now sell here at Carbase. It means that we really do have a car for almost everybody which is nice. Before working as a Sales Executive I worked for a major sport company as a store manager and was a keen footballer playing regularly for a five-a-side team, I now have two lovely young children a daughter of eight and a son of four so these days I rarely get the opportunity.

julie@carbase.biz Julie-Anne Skinner Accounts Assistant

I used to live and work in Peterborough, but now live in Weston-super-Mare. I’ve worked in administration for 3 years and have only recently joined Carbase. Since joining the company I have found everybody to be very welcoming and friendly. My main role at Carbase is working in the accounts department, but I do sometimes work on the Service desk, where I look after customers who come in for MOT’s and Services.

charlotte@carbase.biz Charlotte Tillen Sales Executive

I have been working in car sales with Ford and Vauxhall for around 10 year now. I did have a year out whilst I worked in insurance sales, but I just didn’t get the same satisfaction as I got out of car sales. After leaving college and before I got into car sales I worked on a Kibbutz in Israel as a way of starting my travels. There are still many parts of the world I wish to see, and hopefully within the next year I will be able to tick a few more off my list. I am heading towards my 30th birthday shortly, so to give myself a challenge and to get into shape I decided I would take part in a 10k Race For Life Run to help Cancer Research UK, as well as doing a 5k Night Run for St Peters Hospice. By completing these challenges it will help me aim towards running a half marathon in the future.

sales@carbase.biz Mark Hawkins Workshop Co-ordinator

On the first day that I left school my father, who didn’t want me to join the army, took me down to my local garage where I was taken on as an apprentice. I was seventeen then and over the last nineteen years I’ve learned a thing or two and now lead not only an excellent team of mechanics, but a team of great people and good friends. I’m a proud father and work hard to support my wife and two great kids Amber five and Max two who take-up any spare time, energy and money that I may have.

danny@carbase.biz Danny Port Sales Executive

Over the past 6 years I have done a variety of jobs within sales, from Cars, to mobility products, and even to 3D TV’s. Whilst I was at college I studied Business Management, Critical Thinking, and Psychology which have been a useful tool so far in my career. Outside of work I enjoy going to the gym in order to keep fit, however, I feel I would benefit a bit more if I ate healthier and tried to cut down on the sweets! Outside of the motor trade I have travelled abroad for the best part of a year taking in different ways of life. I have recently had middle name was changed as a present from my fiancé to Boomshakalaka, there is a funny story behind it so feel free to ask when you pop in.

service@carbase.biz Felix Coles Technician

I’m at my most popular when my friends are taking their cars for a track day. They know that if anything’s not tuned to perfection, or if anything goes wrong I’ll get it sorted quickly and efficiently and I enjoy doing it. I’ve worked in the trade for eight years starting at Nation Wide Auto Centre and I’m experienced with both car body repairs and as a mechanic so can do almost anything required to a car. I gained my Level Three NVQ and Technical Diploma at college in Bristol so have all the qualifications to back me up. As a father of a great two and a half year old lad I’m always busy, but try to find time here and there to do all sorts of things.

mikeg@carbase.biz Mike Gulliver Compliance Controller

I sold my first car when I was only sixteen but didn't moved full-time into the family business until 2007. I'm currently based at the largest of our three sites at Lympsham. I’ve enjoyed a variety of sports over the years, my favorite being rugby and rock climbing which I still do every now and again. Mind I was put off a little when my climbing partner lost the rope halfway up a climb and we had to be winched off the cliffs at Hurston Point by helicopter.

service@carbase.biz Jon Fear Technician

On leaving school I became an apprentice at Nation Wide Auto Centre where I stayed for eleven years undertaking servicing and MOTs on all makes and models. I moved to Carbase last year and enjoy working on the higher quality vehicles that we sell and service. When I’m not working I spend a lot of time doing DIY on the house, I’ve re-wired and re-plumbed it and have almost completed the decorating as well. I have a daughter of one and a half who now she’s up and running about, is quite a handful. I’m also getting married next year which I’m looking forward to enormously.

tom@carbase.biz Tom Rowland Business Manager

I’ve been a specialist used car Sales Executive for about seven years now, but before that I had a variety of jobs. On leaving school I went to the same football academy that Joe Cole and Frank Lampard started at and trained to be a professional footballer. Unfortunately I had to leave after three years due to the expense. I still play whenever I get a chance but it’s not as often as I would like. I’m also now a family man with a son of two and a half and another one on the way so have much less time for sports.

service@carbase.biz Simon Maynard Technician

I started working on Saturdays at my local garage at the age of 15 and went on to undertake a five year apprenticeship. I started right at the bottom and over the last thirty years have worked my way up. Although I’m a specialist in diesel engines I’m quite happy on petrol engines, cars and vans. The thing that I like the most about the trade is that you’re always learning. As new technologies come along you have to stay ahead of the game which keeps it interesting. I also love big bikes and have a Yamaha 1300 XJR and a monstrous 2300cc Triumph Rocket to play with in my spare time.

pete@carbase.biz Pete Reece Sales Controller

My journey from school to Sales Controller is not typical at all. On leaving school I started work as a boat finisher before undertaking a full apprenticeship and becoming a boat builder. I eventually had a total change in career direction and moved into the retail sector finally becoming a retail manager for a large supermarket chain. One more change in direction and an opening in used car sales saw me become a Sales Executive at a car supermarket and due to hard work and diligence I am now the Sales Controller at the Weston branch.

service@carbase.biz Phil Durston Workshop Co-ordinator

When I started at 15 I never thought that over the next 36 years I would have worked for Vauxhall, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Citroen, and Peugeot main dealerships before moving to Carbase. I’ve now been undertaking MOTs for around twenty years or so and been a workshop manager for 15 years. I also manage to have a life outside the job in which I enjoy sports both watching and participating and I can regularly be found working out at the gym to keep fit.

andyr@carbase.biz Andy Roach Sales Executive

I sold my first car in 1986 and almost 25 years later have built up a huge knowledge of all makes and most models but having worked at Ford, Land Rover and Peugeot main dealerships I guess that these are the vehicles that I still know and like the best. I have two children at university, one at Bristol the other at Reading and spend any spare time that I have cooking, gardening and playing cricket, all of which I enjoy enormously.

service@carbase.biz Alex Francis Technician

I come from a family of mechanics and even when I was young loved working on both cars and motor bikes. I’ve worked for British Airways and studied electronics at college which is now very useful with the added complexity of the modern car. While I’ve worked as a manager for a variety of fast fit outlets, what I really like is the satisfaction that I get from identifying a problem and then fixing it. I was very pleased to be offered the opportunity to work at Carbase as a mechanic rather than a manager and get back to what I enjoy the most.

duncan@carbase.biz Duncan Jones Sales Executive

I’ve been in the trade for donkeys years now and worked across most of the West Country from Bristol to Exeter. I specialised in Hondas, Peugeots and Citroens before changing to sell used cars here at Carbase five years ago. My previous experience includes eleven years in the finance industry including a spell at Lloyds Bank. This has proved to be very useful as I ensure that Carbase stays up-to-date with all the latest aspects of vehicle financing. I’m also both a skittles and karaoke champion, a singer and guitar player and most importantly the father of two gorgeous girls.

service@carbase.biz Martin Worton Technician

I came to the trade straight from college and now have 15 years experience of all sorts of cars and vans but have a particular expertise in Renaults as I worked at a Renault main dealership before moving to Carbase just over a year ago. I’ve been qualified as an MOT tester for over twelve years now and do appreciate using the latest equipment that’s available here. I’m an enthusiastic if occasional fisherman in particular Carp fishing and my claim to fame is a 35lb example which I caught not far from London.

alex@carbase.biz Alex Jones Sales Manager

Straight from school I trained to undertake mechanical breakdown recovery before moving into service and repair, professional valeting and preparation and going on to cover finance, insurance and accounts to name just a few areas. My claim to fame though is that I sold the first Carbase Car about ten years ago; I still remember it, a five door Vauxhall Vectra CD and I haven’t looked back ever since. My interest in technology has helped Carbase stay at the forefront of vehicle service and sales technology and I’ve introduced systems that help us to operate in both an efficient and organised manner.

andyj@carbase.biz Andy Johnston Site Manager

Having spent many years running pubs in the Reading area I decided to have a complete change of direction and five years ago I returned to my home town Weston-super-Mare. When I started work at Carbase I thought that it would probably only be a temporary position but five years later I’m still here. My role as the Site Manager includes ensuring that the right car, is in the right place, at the right time, for the right person. Whether it’s on the forecourt, in the workshop, at the storage facility or available for a customer. When I’m not working I still like to keep my mind ticking over and love crosswords, gardening and long walks.