Supreme Group

Our History

The Founder Richard Harper had worked in Commercial Vehicle repairs & maintenance and also supporting the Diesel Generators running the North Sea oil rigs since the early 1970’s. The full time venture of being self-employed was when Richard initially rented a small Garage on the Old Road in Acle Norfolk. The main activities were car sales and repairs for third party vehicle Owners. Richard with the help of a Barclays Business loan purchased the property in 1977 for the princely sum of £10,000. A local Breakdown & Recovery service was developed due to the high number of accidents and breakdowns on the A47 Acle Straight as it was known then. There was competition from another well-known Garage & Recovery Company but many hours were spent around the clock fetching damaged and broken-down vehicles mostly from the Ditches of the A47 back to safe storage.

While Richard was traveling abroad on holiday sometime in 1981 he came across an English couple in the Avignon area (France) that had been involved in a car accident, fortunately nobody was hurt. Richard stopped to help. The English couple called their Insurance Company (The General Accident) who told them they would pay for the people to fly home but they would just leave the car in its damaged state in France, a local recovery firm was called to tow the damaged vehicle in from the roadside.

Richard called the UK Insurance Company and was told again that the vehicle would just be scrapped in France. Richard pointed out that he had a recovery transporter truck that could repatriate the vehicle back to the UK as there was likely Custom Duties to pay if the vehicle was left/scrapped in Europe. However, the Insurance Company didn’t wish to take the risk that recovery costs could be higher than the value of the damaged vehicle if it was subsequently declared a total loss. Richard made an offer that the Insurance Company could not refuse in that the vehicle would be brought back to the UK, the Insurance Company would be given the opportunity to inspect the damage, if they decided to total loss the vehicle Richard offered to purchase the salvage and credit the recovery costs. The only cost for the insurer would be the re-charge of the local (French) recovery and storage charges that Richard had paid to gain release of the vehicle in France. Of course, if the Insurer repaired the vehicle in the UK a charge would be made for recovery.

The recovery/repatriation business grew all through the 1980’s and 90’s repatriating over 100 vehicles a week in peak season. The Business went in different directions under different identities in the new Millennium not least as much in Construction and Home improvements, also more recently specialising in high spec cars but at an age where comfort and luxury comes at an affordable price.

Another line of business commenced in the very late 1980’s was selling and overhauling Parts & Components for the Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger helicopters, that line of business is still very active to this day.

As we write this page we are actively expanding again on the overseas recovery/repatriation of any vehicle, caravan, Motorcycle even Commercial Vehicles. We have more experience than anybody in the Business.

2025 brings 50 years in business under different identities but we have settled now under the brand Supreme-Group 1975. 50 years is a proud landmark let’s hope the next generation will incorporate the next 50 years.