Initially, the three-bay facility will service 50 home shopping vehicles operating in the surrounding area, but has the capacity to maintain at least 200 vans in the long term.
The Leeds-based retailer will take delivery of 550 new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI chassis cabs this year. Most will arrive via Yorkshire Dealer Northside Truck & Van, with the remainder to be supplied by Rygor, which represents the manufacturer across most of central and southern England.
The Heston workshop began operation on 1 June and is manned by three of Rygor’s Mercedes-Benz technicians. Additional factory-trained service staff will be drafted in as required, from the Dealer’s neighbouring branches.
Formally commissioning the new unit, Asda’s vice-president of logistics, Jon Parry, declared: “Strategically, this is a very important development for Asda. We’re tremendously excited about the prospects for improved efficiency, vehicle uptime and reduced operating costs as a result of this collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.”
Asda’s delivery fleet has grown by 25% over the last three years and now numbers in excess of 2,000 vehicles. The supermarket’s Sprinters are fitted with multi-compartment, insulated box bodies by Paneltex, and GAH refrigeration units.
Steve Bridge, managing director, Mercedes-Benz Vans, added: “We’re delighted that Asda continues to put its faith in our vehicles and our promise of the finest quality back-up. The UK is playing a leading role in the home shopping revolution, and we’re proud to be working hand-in-hand with one of the sector’s biggest names.”