Agricultural sales specialist Jonathan Bell has been promoted to dealer principal at the Lloyds Ltd site at Eden Business Park, Penrith.
Jonathan, who joined the company in 2016, will be succeeded by new starter Ian Armstrong.
Born and bred in Appleby, Jonathan worked for a local agricultural contracting firm before approaching Lloyd Ltd for a permanent job in sales, but when the dealer principal role became available he jumped at the chance.
“It is truly the opportunity of a lifetime, but it is a massive challenge,” said Jonathan.
“I’m only 28 and have a lot to learn, but Lloyd Ltd typically looks to develop its own staff, so I know I am going to be well supported by my colleagues at the branch and across the business to help me to make Lloyd Ltd Penrith even more successful.
“The team here is the best in the group in my opinion.
“Everyone works together brilliantly and, although this year has been tough, we have had to adapt and we have done it well. We will continue to put supporting our customers at the heart of everything we do and hopefully the branch will continue to go from strength to strength.”
The team just completed its first year in its new premises in June and had planned an anniversary event, but the coronavirus pandemic brought that to a halt.
Although the doors remained closed to customers during lockdown, the Penrith team continued to support their customers.
Engineers went out to farms for no-contact servicing of essential machinery, the parts team was busy at the branch to provide what the engineers needed, and the sales team was working from home to ensure machinery could be replaced if needed.
As the post-lockdown rules continuously change, Lloyd Ltd is adapting accordingly, with social distancing measures in place, both in the branch and when on customer premises, to ensure their customers have what they need.
