Shepparton dealer award winner

Paccar Parts Australia has announced Graham Thomson Motors Kenworth DAF Shepparton as the 2020 Paccar Parts Dealer of the Year.

Paccar says the award recognises dealers over a range of areas, including sales growth, parts availability, participation in retail marketing activities, training and the support the dealer provides customers.

Paccar Parts Australia senior regional sales manager David Stow presented the dealer of the year award to GTM Shepparton, handing over the prized award to the dealer principal Gerard Michel and the parts manager Corey Turvey.

Paccar Parts Australia GM Damian Smethurst congratulates the dealership.

“GTM Shepparton continues to offer its customers an outstanding aftermarket parts service,” he says.

“The dealership showroom and warehouse is always well stocked with a huge range of Kenworth and DAF genuine parts as well as the full range of TRP products.

“Customers throughout the region are also well supported via their outside sales reps and dedicated delivery services.

“Paccar Parts and GTM worked extremely closely during a challenging 2020 with a very clear mission of maximising customer uptime. Congratulations to the whole GTM team.”

GTM dealer principal Gerard Michel says it is an honour to win and be recognised as the best spare parts department “in the best dealer network in Australia”.

“Our parts team always strives to improve our customer service experience and, in a year that was so disruptive, I am proud to say that, with the assistance of Paccar parts, we were able to maintain our supply and keep our customers moving.

“Winning this award twice in the last four years also recognises the consistency of our achievements and I want to thank each and every one member of our spare parts team for going the extra mile and for their commitment to the dealership and our customers,” he says.

From left: Corey Turvey, Gerard Michel from GTM and Paccar Parts' David Stow

Eastern Creek to become eighth companyowned sales and service centre

Scania Australia is adding a second company-owned sales and service location in Sydney.

The Swedish firm owns and operates its own sales and service locations in capital cities around the country and has just turned the first sod on its latest development in Wonderland Drive, Eastern Creek.

Set to be operational later this year, Scania says the facility is to cope with the increasing demand for products and services in NSW over the past five-to-eight years, and to be able to accommodate the future growth.

“The growing appeal of our New Truck Generation, the significant expansion of our contracted repair and maintenance agreements, and ever-increasing customer loyalty requires us to develop additional capacity to service a much larger number of Scania vehicles than ever before,” Scania regional executive manager for New South Wales and Victoria Sean Corby says.

“Already at Prestons we are running an evening shift five days per week in order to deliver on our uptime promise to customers.”

Scania Australia managing director Mikael Jansson turned the first sod on the site in December, with the building expected to be handed over during the third quarter of the 2021 financial year.

“The new facility is further proof of our long-term commitment to the Australian market,” Jansson says.

“The new location will also create local jobs and will even more firmly establish Scania as a significant heavy vehicle supplier in Sydney’s growing outer region.”

The workshop will contain eight work bays, three inspection pits, a customised washbay, and a full complement of vehicle-testing equipment, including shakers and rollers for assessing suspension, braking and steering components.

As with all Scania workshops, trailers and trailer equipment can be serviced on site alongside prime movers and rigids, including specialist vehicles such as jetvac trucks and fire appliances, as well as the full range of Scania buses and coaches, the company notes.

The new location will also offer a lounge area and dedicated resting areas for drivers while they are having their vehicle serviced.

“The location is well-positioned to support many of our customers in the local area who previously would ferry their vehicles to Prestons for servicing,” Corby says.

“But more importantly, it will give us a base to continue to prospect for more customers in the busy surrounding suburbs, from Paramatta to Penrith.

“Our proximity to major roads and the crossroads of the M4 and M7 motorways will also provide a further advantage for interstate customers visiting this part of Sydney.

“It is our intention to operate the workshop Monday to Friday from 7am to midnight and Saturday until midday.”

Scania Australia operates eight companyowned sales and service branches, with three in Melbourne, two in Brisbane, and one each in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.

A further network of more than 50 independent authorised dealers complete an extensive national service network servicing the needs of Scania customers around Australia.

Mikael Jansson and Sean Corby