Mercedes-Benz dealer Midlands Truck & Van has boosted its service coverage in South Staffordshire and North Warwickshire by opening a new depot in Tamworth.

The fully equipped workshop is now making life a lot easier – and cheaper, in terms of fuel costs – for customers who previously relied on the Dealer’s Birmingham service team to maintain and repair their vehicles. It is also helping sales staff to convince locally-based operators of other makes of vehicle, to switch to the three-pointed star.

In addition to award-winning Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles, Midlands Truck & Van is responsible – like other members of the German manufacturer’s Dealer network – for sales and support of the popular FUSO Canter light truck range.

Its new, four-bay workshop is on Viking Park, Claymore, in the Tame Valley. Crucially, it remains open until 10pm on weekdays, and on Saturday mornings, so customers can get their vehicles serviced outside normal hours, which means they’re always available for work during the day.

The facility was previously a Vehicle Maintenance Unit managed by another Mercedes-Benz Dealer, Intercounty Truck & Van – like Midlands Truck & Van, a part of the Ballyvesey Holdings group – and used to maintain online grocer Ocado’s Tamworth-based Mercedes-Benz fleet of 220 vans and 25 tractor units.

Midlands Truck & Van is still inspecting and servicing these vehicles but, having upgraded the workshop and secured Authorised Repairer status from the manufacturer, can also take on third-party work. 

Experienced Service Manager Lee Hendricks transferred to Midlands Truck & Van, along with warranty and R&M administrator Kim Busby, partsman Sean Milliner, and the depot’s six technicians. “This facility plugs a gap in coverage for Midlands Truck & Van,” said Lee. “There are big opportunities to grow the Mercedes-Benz business here in Tamworth.”

Meanwhile, construction work is now underway on Midlands Truck & Van’s new, £3.5-million dealership in Wolverhampton. This state-of-the-art facility is being developed on a four-acre site at an ideal location, alongside the main A454 at Bentley. It will incorporate office space, a comprehensively stocked parts department and a fully-equipped, 24-hour workshop with Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) for truck MoT tests.

Dealer principal Jon Divers said: “We hope that our Wolverhampton team can transfer from their current base in Willenhall, in time to be open for business at their new home by the end of the first quarter of 2015.  The focus will then switch fully to the next phase of our major investment programme, a second purpose-built dealership, within a short drive of Birmingham city centre.”