Mercedes-Benz Vans has opened a new Mercedes-Benz van centre Medway in Gilligham, Kent following an exhaustive search for the right partner to represent its brand in the county.

The Mercedes-Benz Van Centre Medway has been launched by the privately-owned JCB Group, a multi-franchise automotive retailer, with dealerships throughout Kent and Sussex.

The company, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in December, already represents two car manufacturers whose ranges include vans, and another that offers a pickup.

This latest member of the franchised Mercedes-Benz Vans retailer network is trading initially from a showroom that is located on the main A2 London Road, Rainham.

Over time, however, its new owner plans to add other, strategically located facilities in Kent, from which it will also sell and support Mercedes light commercial vehicles.

Having served previously as a used car sales facility, the Gillingham showroom has benefited from a £100,000 investment which has brought it up to Mercedes-Benz Vans’ corporate standards.

The JCB Group employs some 500 people, a number of whom are now working for the Mercedes-Benz Van Centre Medway. However, the launch has also created further opportunities and the company is inviting applications from candidates for a variety of customer-facing, technical, and other roles.

JCB Group managing director Jonathan Bischoff declared: “Our new Mercedes-Benz Vans franchise represents a very exciting opportunity, and we are immensely proud to be adding such a prestigious brand to our portfolio.

“I was struck from our first discussions with the Mercedes-Benz Vans team, by the extent to which we share the same vision. JCB’s van sales operations are very car-orientated in terms of the attention we pay to customer care and satisfaction, and our primary focus on retail business and SMEs (small-to-medium-sized enterprises) with up to 25 vans.

“In both respects this puts us on exactly the same wavelength as our new partner, and we now look forward to delivering on the Mercedes-Benz Vans pledge to ‘Keep businesses moving’.”

Mercedes-Benz Vans head of network operations, Sarah Palfreyman, added: “We put a lot of time and effort into securing the best possible representation for our brand in Kent, and have every confidence that Jonathan Bischoff and his colleagues will now deliver the industry-leading quality of service that our customers are entitled to expect.

“Important though it is, the opening of the Mercedes-Benz Van Centre Medway represents just the first step in the long-term relationship that we are committed to building with the JCB Group.”  

Picture caption: JCB Group managing director Jonathan Bischoff is excited to be representing the three-pointed star.