In an event well-attended by staff and invited guests, Mercedes-Benz Canada today opened its new distribution centre and training facility in Mississauga.
Outgoing president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada Marcus Breitschwerdt cut the ceremonial ribbon, along with Dr. Joachim Schmidt, executive vice-president sales and marketing, Daimler AG, and Roman Fischer, vice-president global service and parts operations support service, Daimler AG.
The new combined facility, called the Logistics Centre and Training Academy, includes a 184,000sqf parts distribution centre and training facility in one 204,000sqf building off Airport Road in Mississauga. The new DC will support the coast-to-coast Canadian retail network and house approximately 90 percent of the company’s overall parts supply.
An inventory of over 45,000 parts is in stock and ready to ship from the warehouse. The facility’s layout was designed to allow optimal flow through the building, and large overhead doors provide separate, dedicated gateways for parts to enter or exit the facility. With the assistance of Kuehne and Nagel, the company’s partner for warehouse operations, the LCTA will ship nearly 2,200 items each day to 60 different Mercedes-Benz dealerships and body shops nationwide. The new Logistics Centre will offer extended hours that increase the cutoff times to 5:00pm for shipments to central and eastern Canada, and 6:00pm for deliveries to western Canada.
“Centralizing Mercedes-Benz Canada’s parts and accessories operations will allow numerous efficiencies for our company and dealer network,” said Breitschwerdt. “This forward-thinking additional investment also ensures that we are well-positioned to address the increased volumes expected from continued growth.”
The Mercedes-Benz Logistics Centre and Training Academy also integrates a new training centre for sales, product and aftersales technical education. Last year, the company trained over 2,450 employees. The new Training Academy space almost doubles the previous facility’s size, increasing capacity and allowing the opportunity to create a dedicated classroom for Mercedes-Benz Sprinter technical training. Easy highway access and ample parking are extremely convenient for the visiting students from the immediate area, while the Academy’s close proximity to the airport will also be handy for the students who travel from out of town.
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