Kwik-Fit Fleet is increasing its focus on outright purchase fleets with a restructuring of its sales team and the recruitment of an additional senior corporate account manager.

The sales operation led by Martin Towers (pictured), corporate sales director, now sees a four-strong field-based regional senior account management team focusing on securing and retaining business with major owner-operator fleets.

Joining the four-strong regional senior account management team is Marc Jackson, who will cover the North East, Yorkshire/Humberside and the East Midlands. He has held a number of roles in the automotive industry and has been recruited from Close Motor Finance.

Jackson completes the team that also includes: Jacqueline Rowe, responsible for the South; Simon Kelly (South Midlands, Home Counties, North London and East Anglia) and Paul Frain (North Midlands, North West and Scotland).

Meanwhile, a four-strong team of corporate account managers will continue to build partnerships with leasing and rental companies. The field-based team is composed of: Paul Jones, Mark Lane, Kieron Mortlock and Luke Penn.

Additionally, Aiden Neeson fulfils a multi-functional sales role in Northern Ireland.

The sales team restructure follows last year’s light commercial vehicle initiative, aimed at securing increased levels of van-related business from both outright purchase fleets and contract hire and leasing companies.

The initiative saw:

• An expanded range of tyres in centres that cover the top 80%-plus of LCVs with premium, mid and budget priced choices across each of those sizes
• New specialist light commercial vehicle equipment in its 800 UK centres - the largest network of any fast-fit provider
• Additional light commercial vehicle training for staff
• Ensuring that the vast majority of the centre network can accommodate light commercial vehicles, including the growing number of hi-roof, long wheel base models as well as car derived vehicles, while making details of those centres and their specific facilities available to customers.

Towers explained: “Outright purchase fleets have always been a key target market for Kwik-Fit. However, our increased focus on the light commercial vehicle sector has highlighted major additional business opportunities.

“As a result, we have decided on a strategy that sees our geographically-based senior account managers focus on business with public, private and voluntary fleets operating 100-plus cars and vans.

“The restructuring means that all businesses that buy their own vehicles will receive a more focused and consistent service nationwide to meet their individual requirements.”

He added: “We have cemented a strong foothold in the leasing and rental sectors over many years and our focus on that segment of the market remains as strong as ever.

“Our LCV initiative has triggered additional business opportunities with leasing and rental companies - many of which we already enjoy strong relationships with in respect of providing a wide range of tyre and mechanical services.

"But it is also clear that the initiative is of significant interest to outright purchase fleets, particularly local authorities and utility fleets, so our sales team restructuring is particularly focused on achieving growth in the 100-plus vehicle owner/operator arena.”