Construction World August 2015

EQUIPMENT

FIRST INDEPENDENT USED FRANCHISE With its parent company, MAN AG, in 2013 assigning priority status to its TopUsed vehicle divisions in Europe and South Africa, MAN Truck & Bus South Africa has issued its first independent TopUsed franchise to Port Elizabeth Truck & Bus, a subsidiary of AAD Group, bringing MAN‘s national TopUsed footprint to six dealerships.

Port Elizabeth Truck & Bus (formerly AAD Truck & Bus) has been an inde- pendent MAN new vehicle sales and service dealership since 2008 and is located in Algoa Park, just off the N2. Geoff du Plessis, managing director of MAN Truck & Bus South Africa, who headed up MAN TopUsed world-wide from 2010 to March 2013, states: “MAN has always recognised the impor- tance of a proprietary used-vehicle division as a value-driver in the sale of its new trucks and buses. Having an MAN TopUsed dealership in Port Elizabeth linked to one of our most successful private-capital dealer partners will significantly enhance our market offering in the Eastern Cape region.“ According to Port Elizabeth Truck & Bus dealer principal, Sash Mitchell,“Since the re-turn of Geoff du Plessis to South Africa in 2013, nego- tiations commenced to grow the Port Elizabeth Truck & Bus franchise into a comprehensive MAN dealership, offering not only new vehicle sales and after-sales service, but also to include the international brand of MAN TopUsed.” >

As an extension of the MAN brand, MAN TopUsed has well-defined quality management guidelines to ensure customers purchase with confidence, says Emir Solapgir, head of MAN TopUsed SA.“There is 100 percent transparency on the status of every TopUsed truck or bus, with every vehicle on offer having undergone thorough checks to ascertain overall condition and to ensure the mileage is genuine.“ To further differentiate itself from competitor used truck and bus dealers, MAN TopUsed sales personnel are skilled to offer fleet consultanting services to customers, including optimum vehicle selection and the sourcing of trailers, especially to start-up operations, which form the bulk of TopUsed’s market base. Financing facilities via MAN Financial Services is another key market differentiator for TopUsed dealers, adds Solapgir. “Customers have easy accessability to the MAN TopUsed website and are able to view our range of quality certified vehicles. Each MAN TopUsed Centre has access to the full range of the used vehicles in the Central Stock of MAN

From left: Malgoshia Shub – brand image specialist, MAN Truck & Bus; Gert Fourie – asset manager, planning & steering, MAN TopUsed; Sash Mitchell – dealer principal of Port Elizabeth Truck & Bus Centre; Deon Otto – national key accounts manager of MAN Truck & Bus SA and Emir Solapgir – head of MAN TopUsed SA. TopUsed SA and customers can purchase any unsold vehicle. Our vehicles are readily trans- ported countrywide to customers fromanyMAN TopUsed Centre,“ says Solapgir. Integral to improving the performance of MAN TopUsed dealerships is the positioning of the brand in the used commercial vehicle market, which is dominated by private (non- OEM) dealerships. The solid track record Port Elizabeth Truck & Bus has established over the years and its high-visibility location along- side the N2 will serve well in establishing the TopUsed brand in the region, says Solapgir.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2015