Jon takes on top role at Midlands Truck & Van

There’s a new pair of hands on the wheel at Mercedes-Benz dealer group Midlands Truck & Van. But Dealer Principal Jon Divers is certainly no stranger to the three-pointed star – he spent the previous 13 years working for Mercedes-Benz UK in finance and fleet sales roles, rising to become the manufacturer’s National Fleet Sales Manager for trucks.

Now he’s turning that experience to good use at the helm of one of the country’s biggest and busiest commercial vehicle dealership groups – Midlands Truck & Van employs a staff of almost 200 who sell and support the award-winning Mercedes-Benz truck and van ranges, as well as Fuso Canter light trucks, from dealerships in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

“Of course the responsibilities of my new job are much more diverse, but my background certainly helps,” said Jon. “I’m already on first-name terms with a lot of our customers. I also have an in-depth understanding of the transport industry and the pressures that operators are facing in the current economic climate, as well as a detailed knowledge of our award-winning truck and van products.

“What I really want to focus on, though, is the all-important area of service back-up. We know our vehicles are the best on the market but we need to ensure that the same is true of our level of care.

“Here at Midlands Truck & Van we never forget that a truck or van represents an operator’s livelihood. So we must do our utmost to keep their vehicles on the road, where they earn their keep. I’m determined that this must be the focus of all that we do.”

Jon’s appointment as Dealer Principal comes hard on the heels of the establishment of Midlands Truck & Van, the newest member of the national Mercedes-Benz dealer network.

The new company was formed following the acquisition on 1 April of former franchisee Gerard Mann Commercial Vehicles by privately-owned Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd.

Ballyvesey Holdings has a wide range of trading subsidiaries that include property development, management and investment businesses. However, its main activities are concentrated in transport and logistics, trailer manufacturing, transport industry services and construction equipment.

The parent company is also heavily involved in the commercial vehicle sales and service arena, and its impressive portfolio already includes another, highly successful Mercedes-Benz dealer, Intercounty Truck & Van, which has headquarters in Wellingborough and other facilities in Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Toddington.

Jon added: “Ballyvesey Holdings is very much focused on operational excellence and delivering an outstanding customer experience. We are already planning to invest in our commercial vehicle dealership premises, as well as in staff training and technology, to ensure that we provide the very highest levels of service.

“I have inherited a first-class team of people and am proud to have been entrusted with this new franchise for Mercedes-Benz, surely the world’s most iconic automotive brand, in this, its 125th anniversary year. ”

Outside work Jon is a keen cyclist – a successful amateur racer in his younger days, he recently took part in a sponsored ride from the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz, in Stuttgart, Germany, to the manufacturer’s UK base of operations in Milton Keynes, over three days, raising £5,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Article source hgvuk.com