• Seven disenfranchised Bedford truck dealers have already been signed
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
up by other truck manufacturers — and several other similar • deals seem imminent.
So far three have been recruited by Iveco Ford, three by Seddon Atkinson and one by Renault Truck Industries. More are expected to join the Renault and Leyland networks within the next few weeks.
Iveco Ford, which trimmed its combined dealer network from 200 to 110 dealers last year, has plugged gaps in its network by taking on former Bedford dealers Lookers of Blackburn, Trimoco of Norwich and Dencourt Motors of Belfast.
Seddon Atkinson has taken on Batchelor Bowles of Leicester, Drake and Fletcher of Maidstone and Charles Warner of Lincoln, and in addition has recruited a disenfranchised Iveco dealer, Viscount Commercials of Swansea.
Renault's first Bedford recruit is Bedford's biggest truck dealer, USG of Portsmouth, which joined its network last week. Re nault, which believes it can win municipal and military business which currently goes to Bedford, plans to recruit another three Bedford dealers immediately and hopes to have six more by the end of the year.
Recently-merged Leyland, which many expect will make big market gains from former Bedford customers, is poised to sign up its first Bedford dealer, Already, the Bedford-dominated Kirkby Central group, has taken over a Leyland franchise at Phillips Truck Services in Sheffield.