The ambitious plans were revealed at the firm’s annual ‘state of the nation address’, where bosses pointed to spectacular sales increases in the heavy panel van sector over the past five years.
Sales last year hit a record 82,118 units – a 10.4% increase on last year and up 25.7% five years ago.
The Iveco Daily enjoyed an 8.3% market share in the sector in 2007 but in four years time, the firm is confident of racking this figure up to 15%.
Iveco marketing director Andrew Bucci said: “The sector is booming as light truck operators continue to ‘buy down’ and small van operators are ‘buying up’.
“While 60% of these vehicles are panel vans, nearly 40% are chassis-cabs and that suits us and the Daily in particular.”
In this sector, some 80% of vehicles sold go to contract hire and leasing firms – Northgate, for example, bought almost 12,000 vehicles alone in 2007.
And while Mr Bucci said he wouldn’t be neglecting that market, he stressed that the firm wouldn’t be chasing volume over profits.
He said: “We want growth, but only profitable growth.
“We are determined to balance our volume and profitability mix to achieve our objectives.”
One of the ways Iveco intends to increase its sales is by radically reshaping its dealer network to better meet UK requirements.
Managing director Henk van Leuven is basing his plans on a Dutch model which uses the number of people per kilometre, the economic use of the country and the population density to determine the maximum distance an operator is likely to be willing to travel to a service dealer.
Using this equation, he has worked out that in the UK, Iveco needs 18 main dealers, 32 full service points and 75 specialist sales and service points to satisfy the needs of Daily buyers.
Mr van Leuven said: “This will double the number the number of outlets selling the Iveco Daily and will boost the number of service locations by 25%.
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