Western Commercial, the Mercedes-Benz truck and van dealer for Scotland's Central Belt, has been awarded a major extension to its area of operation.
The manufacturer's decision to entrust its Dundee franchise to Western Commercial rewards the dealer for its impressive performance in the sales and particularly after sales arenas since 2008, when the current management team took the helm.
Part of the Eastern-Western Motor Group, which also represents a number of premium car brands, Western Commercial sells and supports the award-winning range of Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans, and Fuso Canter light trucks, from state-of the-art dealerships in Bellshill, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Although not previously the official Mercedes-Benz franchisee for Dundee, Western Commercial already had a presence in the city, as it has been running a vehicle maintenance unit on Riverside Drive for Brakes Group, a leading supplier to the catering industry and a high-profile operator of Mercedes-Benz trucks.
The Western team - including all 19 members of the former John R Weir workforce who have been taken on under Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) rules - will continue to operate from this site until a new, permanent dealership home has been acquired and made ready for occupation.
Western Commercial is determined to ensure that from day one, locally-based truck and van operators receive the same, industry-leading levels of service as customers of its established dealerships.
High-quality mobile offices, complete with Mercedes-Benz corporate signage and flags, will be installed, and opening hours for the fully-equipped five-bay workshop greatly extended, with a move from single-shift to two-shift operation, while the dealer is also providing round-the-clock Mercedes-Benz Service24h emergency roadside back-up from Dundee.
Western Commercial is also poised to open a welcoming new sales centre with van showroom and servicing facilities, including an MoT bay, on Edinburgh Road, Perth. This will serve as a base not only for the van sales executives covering its new area of responsibility, but also for Norrie Rae, a hugely experienced Mercedes-Benz truck sales professional who lives in Dundee and is well known to operators in the area - Norrie is Western's Used Truck Sales Manager but also handles sales of new trucks.
Western Commercial Market Area Director Andrew Smith declared: "The manufacturer's decision to award us its Dundee franchise represents a tremendously exciting opportunity for our business.
"We now cover a huge swathe of Scotland, including its biggest and most densely populated cities, and have a truck sales franchise that extends from Ayr on the west coast to Dundee in the east. It's a great responsibility, but one with which we're proud to have been entrusted."
Andrew said Western Commercial's prime focus initially would be on maintaining and improving after sales support levels for those customers in the Dundee region who already run Mercedes-Benz and Fuso vehicles.
"Further down the line, though, we also see great potential for sales growth, particularly with the arrival early in the New Year of the Citan, the first Mercedes-Benz city van."
Western Commercial has been relentlessly climbing the Mercedes-Benz Customer Service Index (CSI) league table, which ranks dealer performance against a range of measurable criteria.
"The company team has made great progress," added Andrew, "but no-one's resting on their laurels. We have several exciting new projects in the pipeline and are committed to repaying the faith that Mercedes-Benz has demonstrated by ensuring that all of our customers receive the very highest levels of service."