Capital Equipment News February 2016

DAIMLER OPENS NEW CV REGIONAL CENTRE in Southern Africa

KOBUS van ZYL, Executive Director: Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa

M ercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA), along with its brand di- visions Daimler Trucks & Buses and Mercedes-Benz Vans, is strengthen- ing its continued drive for excellence and customer dedication with today’s opening of the Regional Centre Southern Afri- ca (RCSA). RCSA will be responsible for Daimler’s full commercial vehicles port- folio in the region, from the full offering of Mercedes-Benz Vans, heavy-duty Mer- cedes-Benz trucks and buses as well as the uniquely suited products (trucks and buses) from FUSO. The Regional Centre Southern Africa will be in charge of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho and Swaziland. “Opening our new Regional Centre South- ern Africa, we are able to respond even faster to our commercial vehicle custom- ers and their requirements. This will help us to further tap the growth potential of this emerging region,” said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Man- agement of Daimler AG responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses. Based in Pretoria, South Africa, the Region- al Centre Southern Africa will be a catalyst in ensuring highly efficient business pro- cesses and an even higher level of cus- tomer satisfaction. MBSA and its parent company Daimler AG are confident that the

Regional Centre Southern Africa is poised to provide excellence and ultimately a com- petitive advantage to its growing number of southern African-based customers through superior products and custom value chain offerings. Kobus van Zyl, Executive Director: Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa: “Having a stronger presence in the southern African markets means that we are able to react faster and be in touch more frequently with our commercial vehicles customers and the various General Distributors in the respec- tive countries. The Regional Centre South- ern Africa provides further opportunities for all our commercial vehicle endeavours, in- cluding sales, after-sales, marketing, client services and parts.” Southern Africa is a promising growth re- gion for all of Daimler’s commercial ve- hicles. In line with the global outlook, the region is facing a tough economic cycle but is still expected to grow at a rate of 3.75 % in 2016. Improved external prospects and domestic policy improvements will support gradually stronger growth rates from 2017, with the regional average back up to more than 4.5% annually during 2018-2020. Moreover, southern Africa possesses large reserves of untapped natural commodities such as copper, oil and gas. In 2015, Daim- ler sold approximately 5,500 trucks and buses in the region.

Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses.

The Regional Centre Southern Africa is the third of six Regional Centres being opened for Daimler’s commercial vehicles business around the world. Two days ago, the Regional Centre for East, Central, and West Africa started its operations based in Nairobi, Kenya. The first Regional Centre was opened in October 2015 in Dubai as Daimler Commercial Vehicles Middle East North Africa (DCV MENA). Similar bases will follow for South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America within the next few months. In the past, Daimler had managed these regions primarily from its group headquar- ters in Stuttgart. Further decentralisation will keep the business even more in tune with the market. The many years of product and service-related expertise pay off in this respect just as much as the broad portfolio of products offered by the group’s various commercial vehicles brands. ❂

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