Capital Equipment News November 2015

NEW VOLVO TRUCKS AND RENAULT TRUCKS dealership in Bloemfontein officially opened

V olvo Group Southern Africa has official- ly opened the company’s new flagship dealership for Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks in Bloemfontein. Christian Coolsaet, Managing Director of Vol- vo Trucks and Renault Trucks South Africa said that the new facility was the first of its kind in the region to be specifically planned and developed to reflect the company’s multi- brand portfolio. “All the brands within the Volvo Group are equally important to us. We believe that the respective brands have unique products of- ferings with specific characteristics and ca- pabilities that address and appeal to a defi- nite set of customers,” said Coolsaet. “The facility reflects this business approach and at the same time incorporates the Group’s core values of quality, safety and environmental care in a very effective way.” The new facility, which was developed at an investment of R45 million, was specifically developed to provide state-of-the-art sup- port for Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks fleet owners who operate across the region. The dealership is strategically situated next to the N8 route that connects Upington, Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Maseru in Lesotho, and is also close to other major transport corridors including the N1 between Cape Town and Gauteng and Limpopo.

tential in the region and are proud to have made this investment in order to more effec- tively support our customers operating in the area, said Torbjörn Christensson, President of Volvo Group Southern Africa. “We believe that if you want to grow your market share, your aftermarket service has to be outstanding. We are therefore fortunate to have such a strong team of experts at the new dealership in Bloemfontein,” Christensson added. The Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks deal- er in Bloemfontein originally started out as Swedish Truck Distributors in 1995 with a staff complement of five. Since becoming a wholly-owned Volvo Trucks dealership in 2000, the facility has grown its business to selling up to 50 units a month with 37 well- trained technical, sales, aftermarket and sup- port staff to provide Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks customers with world-class quality products and services. The past 20 months or so have certainly been eventful for Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks, as the company successfully launched new product line-ups for both brands during this period. Both brands experienced their best sales performance ever during 2014, and the company is excited about the future of Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks in the region. With the Volvo Group being on the cutting edge of innovation in the commercial vehicle indus- try, it is leading the way in supporting fleet owners in a modern and practical way. Innova-

tions include telematics gateways, interactive driver mobile applications and advanced fleet management systems. “As one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, we focus a lot of at- tention on aspects such as advanced training, the innovative use of technology, communica- tion, financial and business guidance, as well the implementation of international best prac- tices, in order to enhance our dealers’ service to our customers,” explained Christensson. He said that owing to the current economic climate, fleet operators are now even more focused on keeping their fleets’ operating costs down. “Fleet owners therefore need trucks and services that are optimised for their own business models and their own specific ap- plications. They also have big expectations in terms of proximity to the dealer network, both with regards to service and availability of parts, but also for meaningful and durable relationships with truck experts,” said Cool- saet. “That is why we believe that the new facility in Bloemfontein, will go a long way to addressing these market requirements in an efficient, productive and timely way.” The Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks Bloem- fontein dealership offers a complete spec- trum of truck sales, service, maintenance, finance and parts support. In addition, the dealership offers brake roller testing, 24-hour

“We are seeing a lot of economic growth po-

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