The new combined Region 2 is the biggest sales region for the German firm apart from its home markets.

The move is aimed at a combined drive towards an 18% market share across all its sales territories in Europe. Recently appointed CEO of MAN ERF UK, Des Evans takes on the role as CEO of Region 2 and will work closely with Michael Hynes, General Manager, MAN Importers Ireland Limited.

Mr. Evans is delighted with the development of the regional approach, saying, "The new levels of cooperation that now become possible with this move to regionalisation, will give us the opportunity to support Michael and MAN operators in Ireland better than we have ever been able to before. Between us, we have a tremendous team that has all the tools to hand to help make the MAN brand into a front-runner in Ireland.

"The local focus that Michael and I can now bring to bear on Ireland will, we believe, give us the right background to deliver better customer support packages than was possible previously. We are very serious about the Irish operating industry, and now, together, we have the chance to show them just what can do for them.

"Our MAN 'Trucknology' concept is extremely advanced, and will benefit any serious operator who wants to get involved with us - from fleets to owner operators. Our MAN trucks, especially now with the new D20 engine, are second to none, especially as it delivers 5% lower fuel consumption in everyday action"

Customer Satisfaction is the stated driving force for Des and Michael from now on. "It may seem odd to say it," said Michael Hynes, General Manager, MAN Importers Ireland Limited, "but, increasingly, trucks are almost the last part of the equation these days. We need to be able to offer a truly 'cradle to grave' support programme for operators. Now, with the direct support of the manufacturer's own operation across the water, we will have vastly increased access to some of the best support in the industry. In addition to new vehicles, we will also be looking at the MAN Diesel programme of used vehicles, with all that this particular initiative can offer Irish operators who may not want to buy new."

David Burke, MAN ERF UK Marketing Director, will head the marketing support of the Irish market. He told us, "We know that Ireland is a very specific market with its own specialist demands. For instance, we will be focusing on trucks such as our new on/off road TGA 8x4 construction products, rather than the highway models that appeal more to the UK market. Elsewhere, of course, our tractor products cover a very wide variety of applications, and we will offer the entire range.

"I have to say, I think the quality of MAN trucks could probably be described as one of the best-kept secrets in Irish road transport. So now we need to make sure every operator who may have an interest in premium trucks, has a full understanding of what is on offer in terms of our hardware, as well as the tremendous Customer Satisfaction programmes we have in place to support it," added David.

Alongside the new and used vehicles and their support packages, the regional approach is likely to bring a major focus on telematics, one of MAN ERF's major success stories in the UK. The company's new Director of Vehicle Management Systems, Michael Leeming, said, "I am keen to visit Michael Hynes and his team, to talk to them and their operators about the benefits of our telematics systems. Current UK usage, even for the most basic elements such as track and trace, driver performance, fuel monitoring and vehicle diagnostics, is generating a wealth of real-time usable management information for operators. As a result, many are finding new ways of streamlining their operations to make them far more cost-efficient."