KERR & SMITH + Kerr & Smith now represents Iveco
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Ford in the west of Scotland after Wylies' decision to give up the franchise.
Once a prominent Bedford dealer, Kerr & Smith has already been successful with Iveco Ford at its Cumnock, Ayrshire, headquarters. It's held the franchise there for over two years.
For the moment, it's leasing the former Wylies' outlet in Kilbirnie Street on Glasgow's South Side in a move that safeguards 25 jobs, but is hoping to set up a greenfield site in the city. The 2.5-acre Kilbirnie Street depot boasts nine service bays plus a PDI workshop and a parts department.
Kerr & Smith now has one of the largest dealer areas in the country, and managing director Jim Kerr says parts and service agents will have to be appointed to provide comprehensive aftersales coverage. "There are a lot of good existing firms out there without franchises which could be suitable," he says.
DEREK JONES + Scania distributor Derek Jones has set up shop in Corby. It now occupies a former BRS site which it acquired from local haulier HC Davis, and which is being refurbished. The 1.5-acre depot in Geddington Road includes a four-bay workshop and a parts department. "Corby has always been part of our area of responsibility, and there are a lot of customers around there," says marketing director Karen Jones. "The move will also help relieve congestion at our headquarters site in Islip."
CLEAN CABS + Hauliers should do more to ensure drivers keep the interior of their cabs clean and habitable, says Glass's commercial vehicle editor George Alexander. Filthy seats, grubby carpets, and the stench of stale cigarette smoke can wipe substantial sums off a truck's second-hand value, he warns.
"I want to be able to climb into a cab wearing my suit," says one south of England MAN dealer. "But although some drivers are so proud of their vehicles that you could eat your dinner off the engine cover, I've seen trucks with seats that are so filthy that you can't see the pattern."
Alexander believes hauliers could benefit by offering cash incentives to drivers who treat their cab interiors as they would their own home and threaten disciplinary action for those who don't.
After all, a clean and tidy truck is more likely to find a buyer than one that's little better than a mobile rubbish tip.