Sherwood Truck and Van employee Greg Townley steps into group-wide role for Guest Motors

Commercial vehicle group Sherwood Truck and Van’s health and safety chief Greg Townley has been appointed facilities manager for parent company Guest.

Previously responsible for health and safety at Sherwood’s four sites – in South Normanton, near Alfreton; Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent; Lenton, Nottingham; and in Sheffield – he now takes care of 15 sites stretching from Sheffield to Cambridge.

The 50-year-old joined Sherwood Truck and Van in May 2010 as health and safety/projects co-ordinator based at the company’s Nottingham site. His new appointment follows the acquisition of Sherwood Truck and Van earlier this year by West Bromwich-based Ian Guest Holdings.

He lives in Hucknall, near Nottingham, with wife Beverley and two children, 13-year-old Elizabeth and 11-year-old Jeffrey. He also has a 23-year-old stepson, Gareth.

His is now responsible for site maintenance and security, prioritising repairs, obtaining estimates and renegotiating contracts with suppliers. He will also be co-ordinating health and safety, waste control and considering the business’s environmental impact.

Greg said: “This role shows that Guest is willing to adopt best practice. I was already being used to cover the role for Sherwood so it made sense for me to take on group-wide responsibilities.

“Bringing everything together will allow other line managers to focus on their primary roles.

“I’m currently clocking up about 350 miles a week getting around the sites but I know this will increase as the role develops.”

Greg started work as an apprentice light vehicle mechanic with a firm in Nottingham, worked with a main dealer for 16 years becoming a master technician, before spending eight years with another motor group at branches in Nottingham, Leicester and Northampton.

He then worked for a Leicester dealership as after sales manager, and spent the three years before joining Sherwood Truck and Van working for a multi-franchised dealership in Lincoln as service manager and health and safety co-ordinator.

Regional director responsible for the four Sherwood locations, Helen Waterfall, said: “It’s great to see someone from Sherwood moving into a group role following the acquisition.

“I know Greg will use his talent, knowledge and expertise to boost efficiency and cost effectiveness.”

Ian Guest Holdings is one of the UK’s largest independently owned commercial vehicle dealers and the single largest Iveco distributor.

The group now covers an area that includes the West Midlands, North Wales, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire. Its network includes 12 full service Iveco dealerships, supported by local agreements with an additional eight authorised Iveco repairers.

Sherwood is a leading supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, established in 1978. The company also maintains, services and repairs commercial vehicles across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and most of Cheshire.

Sherwood prides itself on its service pedigree with a stock holding of more than 15,000 lines, a fully equipped accident repair centre and 24-hour roadside support.

www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com

Nottingham-based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Sherwood Truck and Van supplies trucks to tool giant Snap-on

Sherwood Truck and Van, the East Midlands-based commercial vehicle group, has won a contract to supply ten trucks to worldwide tool giant Snap-on.

Referring to their vans as mobile tool stores, Snap-on franchisees market and sell a range of 19,000 interchangeable sockets, spanners and other components to engineering professionals.

As well as being a tool store, each van has a personal computer system so franchisees can run their business from the vehicle, which means vehicles must be able to cope with a heavy payload.

Now the group has ordered ten new EcoDaily 70C17 trucks from Sherwood Truck and Van, based in South Normanton, Derbyshire, and with sites in Nottingham, Stoke and Sheffield.

“Our franchisees spend almost all their working days in their vehicles,” said Robert Stevens, Snap-on’s UK franchise manager.

“They appreciate something that drives like a car, is easy to handle, sits comfortably on the road and looks after them in comfort and safety. Unlike truck-style products, the Daily does all this - and gives us a seven-tonne gross weight that more than accommodates a Snap-on tool store body.

“Our business is nationwide so we needed a dealer who could work with us and our existing suppliers.

“Sherwood pitched to us on the practicality of the EcoDaily, but then supported this with the strongest promise of customer service and ongoing support. And with all ten vehicles now in service, we’re more than happy with the reality of that promise.”

Snap-on’s history dates from the 1920s in the USA and began trading in the UK in 1965. It now has a network of 430 franchisees in this country – part of a total of 4,700 operating in more than 150 countries.

Sherwood Truck and Van regional director Helen Waterfall said: “Snap-on franchisees ask a lot of their vehicles but we were more than happy to supply the EcoDaily with our promise of customer care and after-sales service.

“Snap-on has built partnerships with suppliers all over the world and Sherwood Truck and Van is pleased to have become a part of that.”

Sherwood is a leading supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, established in 1978. The company also maintains, services and repairs commercial vehicles across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and most of Cheshire. It is part of the Guest Motors Group of Companies.

www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com

Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Sherwood Truck and Van supplies kit for school’s trip to basketball finals

A Sheffield school basketball team has brand new shirts thanks to Sherwood Truck and Van Ltd.

Youngsters at Brunswick Community Primary School, in Woodhouse, were kitted out by the commercial vehicle supplier before taking part in a finals tournament with schools from across Sheffield.

Extended schools co-ordinator Julie Dennison said the mixed team of year five youngsters – aged 10 and 11 – did really well, finishing fifth in the competition.

“It was excellent that they could compete using the bibs provided by Sherwood Truck and Van. The team played really well. For some children these school competitions are the only opportunity they have to take part in sport,” she said.

“This helps to raise their self-esteem and confidence. It is fantastic that the company provided this support.”

The link with the school came about through Sherwood Truck and Van employee Terry Craig, who is married to teaching assistant Caroline Craig.

Helen Waterfall, regional director of Sherwood Truck and Van, which has a dealership in Highfield Lane, Sheffield, said: “Sport is such an important part of growing up, we were more than happy to help. I’m delighted the children had such an enjoyable day out at the finals.”

Sherwood is a leading supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, established in 1978. The company also maintains, services and repairs commercial vehicles across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and most of Cheshire.

It is now best known as a dealership for Iveco trucks and vans – the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Europe. It recently became part of the Guest Motors Group of Companies.

Sherwood prides itself on its service pedigree with a stock holding of more than 15,000 lines, a fully equipped accident repair centre and 24-hour roadside support.

www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com

Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk