AHG Daimler dealership opens

Automotive Holdings Group has officially opened the largest Daimler Trucks dealership in Australia on Boundary Road, Truganina

Working at AHG’s new Daimler Trucks Laverton dealership are James Dilan (used trucks manager), Don Hovenden (dealer principal), Josh Ford (service manager) and Tim Ede (new trucks manager)

Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) has completed the move of its Daimler Trucks Laverton dealership to impressive new premises on Boundary Road in Truganina, west of Melbourne.

AHG, Australia’s largest automotive retailer, agreed to acquire the former Mercedes‐Benz Commercial Vehicles dealership from Mercedes‐Benz Australia/Pacific in July 2015.

The Group also operates Daimler Trucks dealerships in Perth, Bunbury, Brisbane, Newcastle and on the Gold Coast.

The existing Marwen Drive Mercedes‐Benz dealership was rebranded Daimler Trucks Laverton and the AHG immediately began planning for an expanded dealership on the high‐visibility 68,000-square-metre green-field site in partnership with property partner Charter Hall and builder Vaughan Constructions.

The new dealership was originally expected to open late last year but faced some delays in construction over the winter months. It will offer the full range of Mercedes‐Benz trucks and buses, Freightliner prime movers, the Fuso range and Mercedes‐Benz Vans.

It is the largest Daimler Trucks dealership in Australia and the largest dealership in the AHG portfolio, with an 11,000sqm facility located on 68,000sqm of land.

The new facility is largely modelled on AHG’s Daimler Trucks Perth dealership, which opened in 2015 on 47,000sqm of land.

AHG general manager (Trucks) Simon Ramsay was the dealer principal at Daimler Trucks Perth when it relocated from a previous location to the new state‐of‐the‐art dealership.

“As a Group, we’ve had some experience with this level of commitment to the Daimler Trucks franchise and I think the outcomes from our Perth facility gave Daimler Trucks the confidence to trust us with the Laverton project,” he says.

“These are very significant investments, reaching well beyond $30 million each.”

The expansive workshop area and 5-tonne gantry crane

The new Laverton (Truganina) location features a massive showroom accommodating both trucks and vans, with a state-of-the-art sales lounge and a separate service reception with its own lounge and waiting area, a 48‐bay workshop with two road-train pits, shaker and roller testing, six wash bays and eleven “build‐up” pre‐delivery stations.

The external hardstand area alone includes display bays for 135 trucks. There is also a separate hardstand currently being used as overflow parking for AHG’s Refrigerated Logistics business.

Dealer principal Don Hovenden describes the new dealership as an amazing facility.

“It’s truly an honour for our team to be offered an opportunity such as this,” he says.

“We are certainly looking forward to proving our commitment to excellence in customer service from this outstanding new dealership, not only in truck and bus sales but also in maintenance, repairs and parts sales.”

Side-by-side road-train pits will allow prime mover and trailer service on B-double combinations

Hovenden says service and repair customers will benefit from the efficiencies offered by the design and layout of the workshop areas, with the in‐ground pits giving technicians complete access to the underside of any sized vehicle, up to B‐double combinations, and a sophisticated overhead crane system that can be placed at any co‐ordinate over the 48 truck bays for engine removal and replacement.

“We will offer service across two shifts from 7am to midnight and a full 24/7 breakdown service within a 300km radius,” he adds.

The dealership team was also heavily involved in the design and layout of the extensive parts department, with logic‐controlled stock and pick technology ensuring further efficiency across service requirements and direct customer sales.

“This system delivers something in the order of a 90 per cent reduction in the process of ordering, sourcing, dispatching and supply,” Hovenden says.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO Daniel Whitehead welcomes the addition of the new dealership.

“We are extremely excited about the opening of the largest and most advanced dealership in the Daimler Truck and Bus network,” he says.

“The AHG Daimler Trucks Perth facility has proven to be an outstanding success and we have every confidence the team will deliver again with its new Laverton dealership.

“We are delighted that AHG has made a significant investment in the Daimler Truck and Bus business as part of a long and fruitful partnership. We know that our Mercedes‐Benz, Freightliner and Fuso customers will certainly appreciate this wonderful new facility.”