Mercedes-Benz has opened a £1m light commercial vehicle servicing centre in Taunton, Somerset.
The facility, on the edge of Taunton’s Crown Industrial Estate, which took eight months to build, is close to the Toneway dealership in the town, where vans were previously maintained and repaired alongside cars.
It features an MoT lane, as well as six bays with ramps, and a Service 24h Sprinter van provides emergency roadside assistance. The facility is open from 8am until 6pm weekdays, and until 1pm on Saturday.
Taunton general manager Martin Green said the rapid expansion of the home delivery sector has led to an explosion in demand for van-related warranty work, servicing and MoT tests.
He said: “A high proportion of retailers and parcel delivery specialists run Mercedes-Benz vans. As a result, whereas not so long ago we were selling between £1,500 and £2,000-worth of commercial vehicle labour hours a month, today the figure is approaching £10,000.
“That’s a five-fold increase that has necessitated some significant investments to ensure we continue to meet, and exceed, our customers’ expectations.”
