City West Commercials appoints new dealer principal

City West has appointed former group aftersales director Darren Sweet as new dealer principal. Sweet joined the south west based dealer network three years ago, and now heads up the operation from its headquarters in Avonmouth.

With 30 years in the automotive industry, Sweet has worked within two former Mercedes-Benz franchises as well as Northgate Vehicle Hire in the UK and Ireland. His focus for the business going forward is to grow City West’s share of retail business in the region, while building on its national fleet sector customers.

Sweet took on the roll just prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, but City West’s four dealer depots remained open to support front line operators. 

“It was certainly something of a ‘baptism of fire’,” said Sweet. “The team have been fantastic in supporting our business, and this has allowed us to keep all departments, including Truck Sales, operational throughout the crisis. 

“We have big plans to grow this business, and the consistent delivery of great customer service will be key to the achievement of our goals,” added Sweet.

“Fortunately, the solid foundations from which we can build are already in place. I’ve inherited a first-class team of colleagues, while our branch infrastructure is among the best in the Mercedes-Benz Trucks network. In terms of aftersales, therefore, our strategy is one of evolution rather than revolution. We will continue to make incremental improvements in our service and parts offer, while simultaneously raising our profile, and ensuring that commercial vehicle operators across the region are fully aware of the timely, efficient support we can provide.”