Mercedes-Benz dealer Western Commercial says operators can now get their vehicles maintained and repaired even more rapidly following the opening of a dedicated Van Preparation Centre.

The £750,000 development, a stone’s throw from the company’s headquarters at Broxburn, Edinburgh, has six bays, all with ramps, and full valeting facilities. It is staffed by a team of four technicians, headed by centre manager Gavin Clisby.

They are now handling all preparation work – including pre-delivery inspections, application of liveries, and fitment of any accessories or extras – on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Vito and Citan vans, prior to presentation to customers.

Crucially, the centre has also relieved pressure on the main, 24-hour workshop at Broxburn, which is in great demand from truck and van operators.

Aftersales director Derek Cotton said: “Through specialisation comes efficiency and the fact that the team now responsible for preparing vehicles are focused on this task alone means they can do so more quickly and to a higher standard than ever before.

“Even more importantly, though, taking this work out of our main workshop has freed up significant capacity, which has allowed us to reduce lead times and speed up the rate at which we are able to maintain and repair vehicles before setting them back on the road. It has also freed up space in the yard, which means there’s more room for parking.”

Clisby added: “We’ve been kept extremely busy since day one, which shows that this development was definitely needed. We are delighted to be playing our part in further improving Western Commercial’s customer service.”