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Army veteran is new sales manager at Truckman

A former platoon commander in The Black Watch, Royal Regiment of Scotland, Ian Sinclair, has been appointed as original equipment manufacturer and European sales manager at Truckman in Dudley.

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Ian Sinclair

His appointment comes as part of an export expansion drive by Truckman, which makes and suppliesf 4x4 vehicle accessories, with a particular focus on the Northern European market.

The company, which manufacturers hardtops for pick-up trucks and distributes a range of associated vehicle accessories, has formerly concentrated on the UK market.

The company is aiming to more than double its export activity by targeting countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden.

Truckman has appointed Ian to build relationships with distribution partners in these markets and the key OEMs based on the continent.

A range of Truckman’s accessories are approved by Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and part of Ian’s role will be to grow and nurture these OEM partnerships.

The 40-year-old won an Army sSholarship whilst attending the University of Sheffield. Liverpool-born Mr Sinclar served in the army for six years and was based both in Germany and Catterick, North Yorkshire, where he was responsible for the training of troops.

After leaving the Army he took up a job in recruitment, before moving into military sales – where he was responsible for negotiating multi-million-pound deals with the MOD and major contractors.

“I am delighted to be appointed to such a great role with Truckman, whose reputation is second to none in the accessory market. I want to build on the success achieved over the past 12 months, since Truckman started to focus more on international sales.

“The remit is to focus specifically on the European market. While the UK remains Europe’s largest pick-up truck market, the combined activity in Germany, France, Spain and Sweden equate to a similar size, which offers a significant opportunity for Truckman. British manufacturing is well-regarded in Europe and there is a real opportunity to grow the company’s presence in the market," said Mr Sinclair.

Mike Wheeler, chairman of Truckman, said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Ian to Truckman, who will be a strong ambassador for Truckman in Europe. With Ian’s fantastic skill and knowledge base, we are hoping to further build on the recent export success.

“Brexit provides an opportunity for British manufacturers to show their desire to trade with Europe and demonstrate the quality products and services we have to offer the market.”