Ciceley Commercials has celebrated winning three of the six accolades up for grabs at the Mercedes-Benz Van Stars event, including Retailer of the Year.

Ciceley’s success in winning the Retailer of the Year crown reflects “a magnificent performance throughout 2018” by the 200-plus colleagues who work at its headquarters and dealership in Blackburn, and other sales and service facilities in Bolton, Carlisle and Dumfries, it said.

Staged at the Celtic Manor Resort, in Newport, South Wales, the Mercedes-Benz Van Stars event was hosted by sports and music radio and television presenter Colin Murray.

Ciceley Commercials’ dealer principal Mike Lewis said: “Given the tough competition from other members of this network, to be recognised for any award is special but to win three is utterly amazing.

“Every member of the company team has played a part in our success, and I’m extremely proud that we’ve been recognised by Mercedes-Benz Vans as the best in the business.

“There were challenges during 2018, of course, but we came through them with flying colours. It was a year in which we over-achieved on sales of both new and used vans, and activated more connected vehicles than any other Mercedes-Benz Vans Retailer.

“On aftersales, meanwhile, we posted record workshop labour and parts sales, and exceeded all our service contract targets.”

Mercedes-Benz Vans managing director Steve Bridge said: “In this evolving world it is important that our retailers not only sell and mend well, but also that we react quickly to customer requests, and embrace all available technology to enable them to be more efficient and to beat their competition.

“Our Retailer of the Year award has traditionally focused on just two areas of our businesses, sales and customer services.

"Now, though, we include other factors such as the management of customer relationships and enquiry response times, together with activations of our Mercedes PRO connect vehicle management technology, and the way it is being applied for the benefit of customers.

“Ciceley Commercials has excelled in all of these areas and is a worthy winner of the Mercedes-Benz Vans Retailer of the Year award.”

Earlier in the evening, Blackburn-based Van sales executive Helen Barker and senior marketing executive Lucy Richardson were presented with the Advance Award for innovation, while service administrator Michael Sercombe and technical specialist Steve Faulkner collected the DPD Retailer of the Year prize in recognition of the outstanding service provided to the parcels delivery leader’s local branch by the team at Ciceley, Carlisle.

Also honoured on the night were:

• Rygor Commercials – Mercedes-Benz Finance Retailer of the Year
• Karl Hadley, Euro Commercials – Keeping Businesses Moving Award
• Tracey Stewart, Rossetts Commercials – Managing Director’s Award for Customer Dedication.