A business woman who has built upon a family legacy lasting four generations has joined the board of the North East Entrepreneur's Forum.

Yvonne Bell, a director of Bell Truck and Van, joined the business nearly 35 years ago and worked her way up to be marketing director. She now heads the business with Carolyn Bayne, her sister.

She said: "I've been a member of the Forum for many years and always found it to be a refreshingly youthful organisation. I'm delighted to be joining the board, sharing what I've learned over the years and being an ambassador for the amazing entrepreneurs among the members."

The company began in 1919 when her great grandfather, Joseph, began retailing oil and petrol. His son, Joe, moved into haulage, carrying goods daily from Ashington to Newcastle quayside.

Yvonne's dad, Jim, joined the business in the 1950s and Bell Trucks was born when he became one of the first Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle franchisees in the country in the early 1970s.

Today the company has 200 employees and supplies around 900 vans and 300 trucks a year to a host of trades people, manufacturing businesses, haulage companies and hire fleets locally and nationally. It has operations in Billingham, Stockton, Spennymoor, Team Valley, Longbenton and Wetherby, which contribute to annual group turnover of around £54m.

She said: "It's an entrepreneurial company and we've always pushed forwards together as a family. But we also have the benefit of other directors who are very financially aware and have driven us through many challenging times.

"One piece of advice I have for others in business is to be prepared to accept that there may be people who are much better than you at certain things; let the people who are the experts within your business get on with what they are good at."