MD Steve Bridge is to leave eStar Truck & Van at the end of December, just seven months after Daimler Truck UK acquired the Mercedes-Benz retailer as part of its expansion into the UK market.
Bridge, who has been in the role since February 2021, will leave the business on 31 December 2026 following what eStar described as a mutually agreed transition. A successor has yet to be announced.
He will remain active in the commercial vehicle industry from January 2027, taking up an independent advisory role providing strategic and leadership support to businesses and senior executives.
His departure comes after Daimler Truck Own Retail Europe acquired eStar in May this year, marking the manufacturer’s first move into company-owned retail operations in the UK.
Daimler acquired the business’s six locations across Greater Manchester, Liverpool and North Wales, including Knowsley Truck, Knowsley Van, Stoke-on-Trent, Deeside, Trafford Park and Skelmersdale. More than 300 employees transferred to Daimler as part of the transaction.
Bridge joined eStar in February 2021, shortly after the business took over the former market area partner following a period of significant business challenges, the company said.
According to eStar, he and his team subsequently established a profitable Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Vans retail operation with a strong customer and industry reputation.
Commenting on his departure, Bridge said: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together at eStar.
“With the business now well positioned for its next chapter, this is the right time for me to begin a new one of my own and use my experience in an advisory capacity across the industry.”
Daimler’s acquisition of eStar was part of its strategy to expand its company-owned retail and service network across Europe, with an ambition to increase the number of locations by more than 60% by 2030.
The UK acquisition gave Daimler an immediate presence in one of Europe’s largest truck and van markets, particularly in a region with significant logistics and industrial activity.
The six sites provide sales of new and used Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans, as well as FUSO trucks, alongside servicing and parts support for Mercedes-Benz and FUSO trucks, Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses, and Mercedes-Benz vans.
At the time of the acquisition, eStar chairman Sid Sadique OBE said the sale secured a stable future for the company’s more than 300 employees.
Daimler said the acquisition would strengthen its aftersales capabilities and customer support in the UK, with the workshops also equipped to support growing demand for electric trucks and vans.
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