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DEALER NEWS ROUND-UP DEALERSHIP SOLD
Page 51
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Scania dealership Derek Jones Commercials has been sold to a new company owned 65% by fellow Scania dealership RoTruck and 35% by a Derek Jones Commercials management team. It will keep the Jones name, with James Armstrong as managing director.
Derek Jones himself is retaining ownership of Derek Jones Bodywork and municipal body builder Clarke Detail. "I have decided the time has come to take life a little easier, and I'm delighted that Ro-Truck and two of my fellow directors have decided to continue the business," he says.
BLOCK SUPPORT The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) has broadly welcomed draft regulations governing a fresh approach to Block Exemption—but it wants clarification on a number of the European Commission's initiatives.
These include the possibility that dealers will not automatically enjoy an exclusive sales territory. The EC is also looking at the way technical information should be provided to nonfranchised dealers.
"The important thing, however, is that the special case made out by the industry for a continuation of the long-standing system for the distribution and aftersales care of vehicles has been accepted," says RMI chief executive David Evans. "There will be a renewed regulation for the motor industry."
Truck dealers seem relaxed about the impact any changes might have on their businesses. Brian Silvey, managing director of Renault dealership Thompsons, says: "Anybody who buys a truck needs it serviced quickly and efficiently, and will always want to be able to call on franchised deal ers for their specialist knowledge, whatever happens."
MK MOVES
ERF distributor P&K Truck Centre won't have any trouble paying for its brand new £1.5m base —on the very day the two-acre site opened the firm took a 35-truck order worth a cool .E2m.
Managing director Steve Bradley says the orders "are a fantastic vote in con fidence for our bold decision to relocate from Liverpool to the Catalyst Industrial Estate here in Widnes. There is good motorway access and Widnes is within easy reach for many more truck operators in the North-West who would not otherwise have come to our former premises."
Facilities at the site include a six-bay workshop (three are drive-through) with state-of-the-art diagnostic kit including equipment to calibrate and repair tachos and speed limiters. Contact: 0151 420 4700.
SENIOR SERVICE
A dealer's service manager who has only been doing the job for 18 months has won one national prize and was runner-up for another. David O'Neill of Mercedes-Benz CV dealership Vardy Continental of Glasgow is Vardy Group's service manager of the year; he also came close to scooping Mercedes-Benz's annual service manager accolade. Before he joined Vardy Continental O'Neill spent six years as transport manager for Glasgow City Council and nine years with the Department of Transport. He holds a Master's degree in business administration from Strathclyde University.
So what's O'Neill's approach to providing a good aftersales service? "You have to have a 'yes' culture," he replies. "If the customer asks you for something you say 'yes'—then work out how to do it."