Harwoods 2.0 & The New Chapter for MAN Truck

Welcome to the latest edition of the Harwoods Truck newsletter. If there’s one theme running through this issue, it’s momentum. As Darren reflects in his column - Harwoods 2.0 - the past year demanded tough decisions but those decisions have reshaped the business and Truck now sits at the very heart of the Harwoods Group strategy. It feels like the start of a new chapter for us. That renewed energy is visible everywhere across our depots. In this edition you’ll read about the progress in Hampshire and Wiltshire, the promotions and new starters strengthening our teams, and the continued growth in parts and sales. The centre piece is the interview with our customer, Steve Gardiner, whose story reminds us why our work matters: reliability, relationships and the pride that comes from keeping businesses moving. We also shine a spotlight on our people including Dominic Biggs, our new Hampshire Parts Manager, and Matt Harrin’s promotion to Parts Manager in Swindon. And finally with MAN’s electric future accelerating, we share how both MAN and Harwoods are investing heavily to ensure we’re fully EV-ready, from training and tooling to infrastructure and dedicated workshop bays. The next chapter looks bright and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. Lindsay

Harwoods 2.0: Leaner and Stronger Than Before, Darren Wiles

Looking back, we can say with certainty that 2025 was one of the most challenging periods in Harwoods’ history. Tough decisions were made. Those decisions were deliberate and necessary to stabilise the business and today we are half the size we were this time last year. However, crucially, the group is now able to refocus on the areas where it truly excels. This is good for the group and great for Truck because we find ourselves front and centre of the group’s strategy. Today, Truck represents 50% of the entire Harwoods business and, with this, comes a level of attention and investment that we have not enjoyed before. With JLR divested and the financial pressure lifted, the shackles are off. The group is more confident, more focused and more energised than at any point in recent memory - and that confidence is translating into action for us. We’re already out shopping for new sites, exploring opportunities we couldn’t consider before. There is a real appetite for investing in Truck, driven by the simple truth that, while luxury car sales rise and fall with the economy, after sales in Truck has remained steady - even through COVID. During the pandemic we were all reminded of one thing: the country needs trucks to keep moving. This renewed focus on Truck means more marketing support, more visibility, more investment underlined by a real belief in what we are building here. We are entering a new chapter - what I would call “Harwoods 2.0” - and we are moving forward positively, with real clarity and the full backing of the Harwoods Group behind us. It feels like the start of something exciting and I’m looking forward to sharing more of that journey with you in the months ahead. Darren

Customer Spotlight: Steve Gardiner, Hills Quarry

At Harwoods, we pride ourselves not only on providing truly excellent, personal and professional aftersales service, but also on building lasting relationships with customers. One such relationship is with Steve Gardiner, a dedicated franchisee for Hills Quarry Products. His resilience and very careful management of the business has kept him going through the ups and downs of a life delivering concrete.

Steve’s journey into the world of concrete delivery wasn’t planned. Trained in mechanical engineering, he initially followed in his father’s footsteps and worked in a traditional engineering role, a job that paid well enough but offered little in the way of variety or independence. “It lost some appeal and I found myself watching the clock and wishing my life away,” Steve told us. “My mum told me “There's a place for everybody in this world and you will find it”.” For Steve, a day out with friends delivering concrete changed everything. “I couldn’t believe they got paid for it. It seemed like they were swanning around the countryside delivering concrete and that seemed like a good idea at the time.” That spark would ignite a career that has now spanned more than three decades. The early days were far from easy. Steve recalls the scepticism he faced from colleagues when he first started, “They called me ‘pretty boy’ and said I wouldn’t last more than a couple of weeks. But in truth, I took to it straight away. Every day and every delivery is different: one site might be muddy and chaotic, the next rural and calm. I love the variety.” Those initial challenges taught him resilience and resourcefulness - traits that continue to define his work today. Establishing himself as a Hill Quarry Products franchisee was certainly not an easy path to choose. In the early days, survival depended on Steve managing his money very carefully. “I wasn’t married at the time and had no children. So when things got tough, I could batten down the hatches and wait it out, I had to be very smart with my money. Even in the quiet months, you've still got the same overheads.”

“Today it is even harder,” Steve reflects, “The margins are tighter because the trucks are so expensive and the cost of diesel keeps rising. You have to manage your business carefully.” Reflecting on his career, Steve notes that his single years allowed him to dedicate himself fully to establishing his business but today he enjoys the rewards. He runs his own one-truck operation, delivering concrete to construction sites, industrial units or farms throughout the region. The reliability of his MAN lorry has been a game-changer. “I tried a number of different trucks before settling on MAN. With just the one vehicle, it’s my livelihood. I need a vehicle I can rely on and the MAN is outstanding - it is a pleasure to drive and my downtime has been next to nothing,” Steve explains.

“The team at Harwoods in Swindon, and Stuart Allen in particular, are really good to me; friendly and professional. Crucially, when I have needed them to, they have gone the extra mile to help me out. They are outstanding - it is a level of service I did not experience with the other makes I have run and they never make me feel that I am less important to them just because I’m a one-man operation.” All of that and Steve acknowledges the parts they have at their fingertips too: “They also carry a huge range of parts there so, if something goes wrong, they can get me back on the road fast.” Despite the pressures of running a solo business, Steve finds satisfaction in the independence it brings. A typical week sees him completing around 30 deliveries, each day presenting its own challenges with weather, traffic and the always-tight schedules. But life is just a little easier with his latest MAN as he now enjoys the award-winning MAN automatic gearbox, which has been a game changer for him. “The gearbox is a revelation, it makes the long days on the road more manageable and noticeably less physically taxing.”

Outside of work, Steve’s life is full of the same focus and dedication he brings to his business. He describes himself as a people person and has a lifelong passion for competitive fishing that has given him a sense of balance and perspective. He’s been fishing since he was just eight years old and the sport has taught him patience and attention to detail. He is modest but we managed to get him to admit he has won his fair share of competitions. We asked him what gave him that competitive advantage and he modestly told us, “I think it is just that I've been doing it a long time, so I have a bit of knowledge. However, I also invest in the best rods and reels - if I lose, I want it to be down to my skills and not my equipment.” Steve’s enthusiasm for fishing even informs his downtime: weekends are spent at commercial lakes, often traveling with a close-knit group of fellow anglers. Family came relatively late in life for Steve, He met and married his wife Donna at 48, becoming a step dad to her son Phillip. “We both grew up in the same town. Our lives crisscrossed and we know a lot of the same people but we did not actually meet for a long time.”

Today they enjoy family life together and there will be one more around the table this Christmas, with the recent arrival of their grand-daughter. Steve is also very close to his mum who is 90 but still goes to the gym three times a week - with those genes Steve can look forward to a long retirement! Steve Gardiner’s story is one of perseverance, discipline and passion - a reminder that careful planning can make even the most demanding work deeply rewarding. At Harwoods Swindon, we are proud to support Steve, keeping his wheels turning with our expert service that allows him to focus on what he does best: delivering excellence, both on the road and in life. Thank you Steve for stepping into the spotlight.

Meet the Team: Dominic Biggs, Hampshire Parts Manager

We are pleased to introduce Dominic Biggs, who recently joined us as Parts Manager. He has hit the ground running and already made an impact. We sat down with him to learn a little about his past experience and future plans for the department and what he gets up to when he’s not surrounded by parts.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what brought you to Harwoods? I began my parts journey as a parts picker in the warehouse at Hendy, then moved into a Parts Advisor role before taking on my first management position at Mercedes Truck & Van. Harwoods gives me the chance to develop my skills further, gain new experience and progress. The role at Harwoods feels like a very natural next step for me.

What experience do you bring from your past roles? Working as a picker at Hendy gave me hands-on experience in the warehouse and also taught me the basics of parts logistics. As a Parts Advisor at Hendy, I worked across eight brands - Ford, Iveco, Mazda, Kia, Honda, Renault, Nissan and Suzuki - which included trucks, vans and cars. Most recently, I was Parts Manager at Marshall Mercedes Truck & Van, which gave me strong commercial vehicle experience and the opportunity to develop my leadership skills as well.

What are you most excited about as you settle into your role? I’m excited about building the business, strengthening our reputation and creating a happy, motivated team. There’s a lot of potential here and I’m looking forward to being part of the team which unlocks that. Initially, I have been focussed on continuing the hard work the team has already put in. Now, I am turning my attention to streamlining processes, building stronger customer relationships and growing the trade business.

We understand that you’ve already been reshaping the stock profile - what will customers notice from this? Yes, I wanted to make sure our stock was fresh and properly aligned with demand, so we’ve cleared out some old stock to create space for the parts our customers and workshops genuinely rely on. We will be able to meet needs more quickly now, especially when it comes to fast-moving items, and this will help minimise downtime for both our workshops and our trade partners. In short, the aim is to stock the common parts, keep pricing competitive and stay ahead of demand so we can keep customers on the road.

What’s your approach to building strong customer relationships? I believe in always being open and honest. Alongside that, as a parts team, I want to be sure we are creative about how we work with our customers, using every tool available from MAN to make sure we find the best solution for every customer.

What do you think makes Harwoods unique? Harwoods is family-owned and the company values really shine through in the staff. You can feel it internally and customers can feel it too - that is hugely important to me.

Away from work we understand you’re a motorsport enthusiast and even marshal at races - how did that start? As long as I can remember, I’ve always been a huge motorsport fan. I spent a few years as a rally marshal and regularly attend British Touring Cars and truck racing weekends as a spectator. I also volunteer at Goodwood for the Members’ Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival.

Does your interest in motorsport influence how you think about parts, precision and reliability? Absolutely. I know that when a truck breaks down it can lead to missed deliveries, logistical headaches and real financial impact. Motorsport is no different - everything hinges on performance, and the results ultimately come down to consistency and reliability. In both worlds, having the right parts available at the right time makes a huge difference to reputation.

What do you enjoy doing most outside of work? I’ve been involved in Scouting since I was six, starting as a Beaver and working my way through Cubs and Scouts to Explorers - and now I’m an Explorer Leader. It is a really rewarding role, supporting young people aged 14-18 in Scouting with a mix of mentoring, organising, encouraging and sometimes just getting stuck into the mud alongside them. Outside of that, I love getting away in my campervan to shows and race weekends. And if the weather’s nice, I’ll always try to get out in my kayak. It’s clear from talking to Dominic that he brings not only experience but real passion for what he does. Whether he’s reshaping the stock profile, supporting the team or volunteering trackside at Goodwood, he brings the same enthusiasm and commitment. We’re thrilled to have him on board and can’t wait to see what he achieves next.

Harwoods Depot Round-up : A look across the activity from our Hampshire and Wiltshire branches in Q1

Harwoods Hampshire, Dave Rogers

Q1 performance has been steady and the focus now is on building momentum, strengthening the team and sharpening efficiency across departments.

• Welcome to Kacey Scott who joined in February as our new Service Advisor and has already made a strong impact.

• Farewell to Kevin Brown who has retired after an incredible 26 years as Service Admin. He’s now enjoying well-earned time with family in Thailand. No, we’re not jealous!

• Best wishes to Kate Topley who is heading off on maternity leave in early April.

• Finally, recruitment underway for several positions. We’re looking for two Service Admins plus additional Technicians for Hamble and Portsmouth.

Performance Focus

We’re working to boost efficiency by 10%, ensuring productive staff are supported and processes are aligned across departments. A review of how workflow is influenced by multiple teams is underway, with plans to improve communication and understanding across the board.

Customer Satisfaction

The customer experience remains a big priority for us. With MTBUK’s new Loop system highlighting areas for improvement, we’re investing in in-house training and taking an honest look at how we operate. A key focus for us will be to bring a more personal touch to all our interactions with customers - in short, that will mean fewer emails, more conversations. To support this and to ensure consistency across all our locations and the wider MAN network, all customer facing staff will be completing the MAN Service Core Process Training course.

Parts & Sales

We’ve seen a strong start to the year from a parts first time fix perspective and we are seeing a decline in our VOR parts, meaning our stock profile is fresh and current. A solid quarter with delivery of 16 vehicles to IPL Haulage, White & Co, KRP Haulage, KAP Haulage and J&J Commercials.

Wiltshire Branches, Malc Gladwin

There is plenty happening across Wiltshire and all of it is positive. In Swindon, it’s been a very busy start to the year and we now have almost a full team in place.

Team Updates: We are happy to announce that Matt Harrin has been promoted to Parts Manager at Swindon (see the full details in this newsletter) and that has given Ross Pattenden the opportunity to step up from Westbury Parts Advisor to Acting Parts Supervisor.

New starters: We are happy to welcome four new members to the team:

• Lauren Dungey - Aftersales Administrator, bringing strong retail, admin and logistics experience

• Ozzy Ilham - Parts team, 5 years in the car industry

• Liam Hobbs - Parts team, 5+ years in truck and trade

• Jay Mullen - Van Tech, joins with 15+ years’ commercial experience and teams up with Tom Trudgian who joined late last year. The pair have worked together before and are set to drive the van department forward.

Sales: Thanks to strong sales support from Jack Dowland at MAN, we’ve welcomed T W Skuse to the MAN family. They have entrusted us with their four new tractor units.

In Westbury, it’s been another extremely busy start to the year, with a full team in place and coping well with the high volumes of work. Work levels have grown significantly, driven by both new and existing customers. Much of the new business has come from G Plan who took eight new units and those are added to the trailer work we do for them already - big thanks to Jack Dowland’s efforts with this. Alongside this, many existing customers are increasing their unit and trailer volumes, reflecting confidence in the Westbury team’s quality and reliability. With Ross stepping up into the supervisor role (mentioned above), recruitment is underway for a new Parts Advisor to support the growing workload.

Congratulations to Matt Harrin, Our New Parts Manager at Swindon

We’re delighted to share that Matt Harrin has stepped into the role of Parts Manager at Harwoods Swindon. Matt describes the move as “an exciting new challenge” and anyone who knows him will agree he’s more than ready for it. In his new position, Matt will be responsible for managing the parts stores and driving parts growth in the Swindon area, a shift from his previous role that focused more heavily on day-to-day customer support based in Westbury. Now, he’s taking on the bigger role of shaping the parts department in Swindon - a parts department that has access to MAN UK’s entire stock holding - as well as building customer relationships to help the depot reach its full potential in respect of parts sales.

One of Swindon’s biggest strengths, Matt says, is its brand-new team. “It’s a group eager to succeed and we are all clear that the department should continue to evolve with customers’ needs at the centre of everything we do.” What excites him most about this next chapter? Simply put: the challenge. And if there’s one thing he wants customers to know about his leadership style, it’s this: “I would not expect anyone in my team to do a job that I couldn’t.” Of course, many customers in Westbury already know Matt well. He wants them to know he’s still here to help, especially while Ross is there holding the fort on his own.

A huge congratulations to Matt, we’re looking forward to seeing the Swindon parts department thrive under his guidance. Matt can be contacted on 01793 486462 or [email protected]

Harwoods Swindon Unmatched Parts Access

Choosing Harwoods Swindon gives you near-instant access to the full MAN UK parts inventory - a real advantage for operators who can’t afford delays. Did you know that Harwoods Swindon has the fastest access to MAN parts of any dealer in the UK? Most MAN workshops rely on overnight deliveries for parts that are not held in stock but Harwoods Swindon doesn’t have to wait. Our workshop sits right next door to the MAN Truck & Bus UK Parts Warehouse, a whopping 12k square metres of parts in 28k bin locations and this gives us immediate access to the largest MAN parts stockholding in the country.

This means we can obtain parts within an hour of ordering, with the knock-on effect being significantly less downtime for customer vehicles in our workshop. In addition, we can access parts and deliver those to our customers and to our branches in Westbury, Southampton, Hamble and Portsmouth faster than any other main dealer in the UK. We believe no other dealer can get MAN parts to you quicker. MAN Genuine parts are always the best choice. If you choose a MAN, you choose maximum safety and first-class quality, with compatibility guaranteed. Plus you get a two-year world-wide warranty as standard for all MAN Genuine parts fitted in our workshop - why settle for less?

MAN Emergency Mirror: Don’t Go VOR for a Broken Mirror

You probably don’t need us to tell you that mirror damage is one of the most common minor incidents affecting HGVs. Narrow roads, overhanging branches, tight manoeuvres and the occasional side swipe all take their toll. The damage itself is often small but the impact can be anything but, with significant amounts spent on repairs and, worse still, a broken mirror can mean the vehicle is off the road. For HGVs, driving with a broken or missing mirror is almost always unsafe and illegal. That’s why MAN now offers an Emergency Stick-On Mirror, a temporary fix designed to keep your wheels turning. We think it is the part every commercial vehicle should carry and that is why we are sharing these details with you now.

MAN’s Emergency Mirror is a quick, tool-free solution that restores visibility and allows drivers to continue their journey safely and legally while the correct replacement part is sourced and fitted. Part Number and Price: ZG.60123-01GB RRP: £177.76 + VAT What’s in the kit:

• 3 Emergency stick-on mirror

• 3 Full instructions

• 3 Hex key

• 3 Safety tether

• 3 Alcohol wipe for cleaning and prepping the surface

• Everything you need to stay safe, legal and on the road.

Harwoods and MAN are EV-Ready

MAN’s entry into the electric truck market caused a stir for all the right reasons when they unveiled a highly refined, cleverly engineered eTruck range built on a modular platform and backed by years of electric bus expertise. The new eTGX and eTGS offer flexible battery options, up to 500 km of real-world range, and a best-in-class driving experience that feels reassuringly familiar to operators familiar with MAN vehicles. To support operators moving to electric, MAN’s new Experience and Training Centre - opened in Q2 - puts EV development at the heart of its programmes. Technicians, apprentices and customers receive hands-on, high-voltage training to ensure they’re fully prepared for zero-emission transport.

Harwoods Is Ready for the Switch to Electric

At Harwoods, we’ve been investing for some time to ensure our depots are fully equipped for the EV transition. We are now ready to welcome customers in our region who are moving to electric, with upgrades including:

• x3 On-site charging stations

• x3 Specialist EV tooling

• x3 A quarantine bay for safe high-voltage handling (in and out of workshop)

• x3 A dedicated EV bay within the workshop

• x3 Ongoing high-voltage technician training

Together, Harwoods and MAN are ready and leading the charge into a cleaner, smarter future.