Commercial vehicle dealership chain TruckEast has reported increased annual profits, despite a slight dip in revenue amid a broadly flat UK market.

TruckEast, a Scania specialist which operates from 15 sites across East Anglia and the East Midlands, has posted sales of £100.192m for the year to December 31, 2017, against £103.865m in 2016, but pre-tax profit grew by 3.9%, to £3.383m from £3.258m.

In its report accompanying the accounts, just filed at Companies House, TruckEast says: “Profitability has been maintained by focusing on margins through efficiency and productivity, improvement of customer satisfaction and control of the company’s overheads.”

New vehicle deliveries dipped from 694 in 2016 to 687 last year, a performance which TruckEast said reflected the overall UK market. Its market share remained constant and its forward order book was also similar to that at the end of 2016, it added.

TruckEast, which is based in Stowmarket and is a member of the EADT/EDP Top 100 listing of the largest companies in Suffolk and Norfolk, also sells used vehicles, carries out truck repairs and servicing and supplies Scania parts.

Its operations in the East of England also include sites in Norwich, Felixstowe, Witham, Thetford, Ely and Kings Lynn.