East Anglia-based Mercedes-Benz dealer Orwell Trucks Ltd saw trucks and vans sales soar last year as normality returned to the truck market.

In the year ended June 2016, the firm’s turnover grew by 16% on the previous year to £74.5m, while gross profit rose by more than 4% from £9.4m to nearly £9.9m.

Orwell Truck & Van, an EADT/EDP Top 100 member which specialises in the sale and maintenance of Mercedes-Benz and Fuso Commercial Vehicles, has a team of more than 200 employees across the group, with branches in Ipswich, Colchester, Norwich and Newmarket.

Orders for trucks and registrations improved, with 322 vehicles registered - up 18% on the previous year, increasing its local market share above the amount seen by Mercedes-Benz nationally.

Another “strong” year for van sales resulted in 1,252 sold in the year, compared to 1,081 in 2015 - an increase of 16%, it said.

A new van showroom at Newmarket is expected to increase retail and van sales further in future years.

Service sales grew by 7%, and the relocation of the Newmarket depot to a larger site in early 2016 helped drive growth in the second half of the year.

However, sales of spare parts flattened, with growth of just 2.6%.