Rockmount Vehicle Maintenance partners with Sapphire Vehicle Services

Extending its reach across the Irish Sea, Sapphire Vehicle Services has partnered with Rockmount Vehicle Maintenance to provide backup for customers operating in Northern Ireland.

Based in Newtownabbey, just off the M2 near Belfast, Rockmount’s site joins a network of 19 workshops across the UK that cater to nearly 30,000 vehicles. Rockmount and Sapphire Vehicles are subsidiaries of Ballyvesey Holdings. 

Sapphire managing director, Perry Reeves, said: “These two businesses have an obvious synergy. Under the new partnership, Rockmount Vehicle Maintenance will continue to operate under its own name, but will benefit from closer ties to Sapphire’s network and the strategic leadership of our senior management team.

“For our customers in Northern Ireland it will be largely business as usual – with the added benefit of the extra long-term security that comes from being part of a bigger organisation, and guaranteed cover from our Sapphire network if their operations take them onto the Mainland. Sapphire customers, meanwhile, will be able to take advantage of Rockmount’s services if their trucks visit Northern Ireland.”

Rockmount’s site has a 23 bay workshop with six inspection pits. In 2022 it was recognised as an official Mercedes-Benz Trucks authorised repairer and is an approved agent for Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses and coaches and MTU off-highway industrial engines. The workshop operates two eight-tonne cranes, column lifts, rolling-road brake tester and houses a third-party tyre contractor on site. 

Reeves continued: “Rockmount is already a successful operation, under the leadership of general manager Colin Espie, aftersales manager Darren Russell and parts manager Neill Hunter. By aligning with Sapphire, though, Rockmount will be able to take advantage of aspects like our accreditation as a BPW axles agent, our expertise in electric vehicles and our range of successful training programmes for both new and experienced technicians. We see great potential for both businesses – and, more importantly, our customers – to benefit from this alliance.”

A team of 35 at Rockmount offer additional services such as trailer diagnostics and repair,  tachograph calibration, tail lift LOLER and weight testing, MOT appointments and tank washing. The depot stocks over 3,000 lines of genuine Mercedes-Benz parts along with items for other brands. In addition to completing works on site, Rockmount had a breakdown team to provide roadside assistance across Northern Ireland.