30 years in business for Scania dealer Keltruck

By Categories: Commercial NewsPublished On: Tuesday 23 April 2013

keltruck30Scania dealer Keltruck Ltd celebrated thirty years in business this month with a special anniversary event, held last Friday at its West Bromwich headquarters (pictured).

The dealer, which operates from branches across the Midlands and South Wales, traces its roots to Wolverhampton in 1983, where founder and owner Chris Kelly, working alongside now-fleet sales director Mike Kelly, was involved in the sale of used trucks.

Said Chris Kelly: “I remember the first new Scania truck that we sold as a ‘distributor’, as we were called back then, and thought to myself ‘If we can’t make more [margin] than this, we won’t be selling trucks for very long!’ The reality is that we sell new trucks for much less margin today!”

Keltruck says that, whilst the scale of today’s operation is a far cry from that at its inception, many aspects of the business – and its central beliefs – have remained part of its DNA to the present day.

Managing director and dealer principal Andrew Jamieson said: “We trade with around 3,000 customers on account on a monthly basis. Each one of those customers will have a relationship with their Keltruck contact, be it via the parts front counter or our one and only Mike Kelly. These relationships are all important to us and it’s what makes us different.”

The last decade has seen considerable expansion for the company through key acquisitions – firstly of East Midland Commercials in 2005, and more recently of South Wales and Herefordshire dealership Silurian Scania, in 2011. This further network of branches, which allows Keltruck to provide increased assistance and backup to Scania operators, brings the firm’s total number of locations to 21.

The dealer credits its bonds with customers for making the company what it is today – such as that forged with fruit and vegetable distributor Spiers & Hartwell, which dates back to Keltruck’s beginnings in 1983.

Said proprietor Chris Hartwell: “Scania has long been recognised for its low overall costs and reliability but, on the rare occasion we have encountered difficulties, Keltruck have dealt with them impeccably, understanding our needs and resulting in a mutually strong trading relationship over 30 years.”

www.keltruck.com/30