Getting up to speed
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They queued around the corner when the new Renault Trucks Coventry dealership announced it was recruiting. Now, it's time to deliver on the E4m investment.
Words: Kevin Swallow / Images: Tom Cunningham The national distribution of goods has become the primary business focus for road transport across the Midlands, where everyone involved in logistics has a hub or access to a central distribution centre.
With all that rolling stock, it's even more important that manufacturers also have a presence.
Thanks to a &tin investment, Renault Trucks has now plugged a gap in its network.
When it announced it would be holding an open day for potential technicians and office staff, people queued around the corner.
Chris Hammond, director and general manager of Renault Trucks Midlands, says the arrival of Renault Trucks Coventry, on the Bermuda Industrial Estate in Nuneaton. is good news at a time when competitors have to cut their cloth accordingly in tough trading conditions.
"We have been able to benefit; where competitors have been drawing back, we have been investing and employing local people," he says.
Location, location, location
The marketing team at Renault Trucks pinpointed Nuneaton and Coventry as the areas in which to invest, "It has a large vehicle parc with good registrations, so to increase market share, Renault needed a service outlet in this area," he reveals.
It will sell the full range of new Renault Trucks vehicles, from 2.8-tonners to 44-tonners, and used vehicles through TruckPlus.There are tachograph services, wash bays, light CV bays. two full-length pits, and a washing area for trailers It even has a shower facility for drivers on site at the hack of the building to freshen up while technicians work on their vehicle.
To help get it off the ground, the management learn from Tipton in the West Midlands have been drafted in, hut, as Hammond says, the site will be looking to become independent and self-sufficient as soon as possible.
The long-terms plans include the site becoming a 24-hour operation, with a 23-strong team. including 18 technicians. Already the site has seen business increase through breakdown recovery and local maintenance programmes for trailers (box, right). •