| Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia | |
| Birth Name: | Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia |
| Birth Place: | Kampala, Uganda |
| Nationality: | British-Indian |
| Occupation: | Businessman and Entrepreneur |
| Known For: | Founder of Euro Car Parts Non-Executive Chairman of Dominvs Group |
| Spouse: | Rani Ahluwalia |
| Children: | 3 |
Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia (born October 1958)[1] is a British-Indian businessman and entrepreneur based in London.
He is the founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Dominvs Group, a real estate, hospitality and asset management company.[2] Ahluwalia also is founder and former Executive Chairman of car parts distributor Euro Car Parts.[3]
Born in Kampala, Uganda into an Indian Sikh family, Ahluwalia’s parents emigrated to the UK in 1972, when Ahluwalia was 13 years old, to escape persecution under Idi Amin.[4] When they arrived in the UK, the family spent a year in temporary shared accommodation.[5]
As a teenager, Ahluwalia spent time in the markets of Petticoat Lane and Liverpool Street.
Ahluwalia founded Euro Car Parts in 1978 after borrowing £5,000 from his father and bank loan to buy a car parts shop in Willesden, London. The shop, originally called Highway Autos, was renamed Euro Car Parts a year later.
In 1981, Ahluwalia opened a second branch of the company in the Willesden area. The company originally supplied car parts for BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and VW vehicles. The company expanded to become a leading supplier of parts, paints and equipment for cars and light commercial vehicles in the UK.[6]
By 2011, Euro Car Parts employed 3,500 people across 89 locations. In October 2011, Ahluwalia sold Euro Car Parts to LKQ Corporation for £280 million, with a supplementary £55 million if targets were met.[7] [8] After the sale, Ahluwalia became Executive Chairman of LKQ Corporation's businesses in the UK, Ireland and India,[9] but stepped down from the board in December 2018.[10]
He is married to Rani Ahluwalia and they have three sons who are also involved in the businesses.[11]
As of May 2018, Ahluwalia is the fourth richest refugee in the UK.[12] According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2019, the Ahluwalia family have a net worth of £500 million.[13]