Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire van retailer Northside has won the Mercedes-Benz van retailer of the year award.

The dealership won six of the 12 main prizes at the manufacturer's annual awards ceremony, held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. The awards covered sales, fleet sales, BDM (business development, covering operators with between 25 and 250 vehicles), used van performance and aftersales. 

Northside sold just over 5,000 new and used Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Vito and Citan models from its network of seven branches in 2015. The company’s retail and business development sales tallies were both up by a stunning 50%, while it also supplied vans to 26% more customers than in the previous year.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the progress made by our Van business, and every member of the team can be proud of their contribution,” said Tim Ward, managing director.

“The awards we’ve won cover both sales and after sales, so demonstrate our strength in depth across the board.”

He continued: “Though some of the figures may suggest otherwise, we’ve not waved a magic wand. Instead, our success is down to hard work and dedication, and having the right people in the right jobs – we’ve identified and communicated the strategy, then empowered them to deliver the results.”

Mercedes-Benz Vans managing director Steve Bridge said: “Northside’s extended opening hours, workshop availability, vehicle selection, specialist expertise and outstanding facilities all made a difference when it came to supporting Mercedes-Benz Van customers in 2015.

“These elements required ongoing investment in every sense of the word – in finances, in time, in colleague training, and in effort. The awards so deservedly won by Northside reflect the exceptional teamwork and dedication across all areas of the business, from Sales and Customer Services, to Finance and Insurance, Fleet and Business Development, and everything in between.”