An internationally renowned community and cultural arts company has deployed two Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans to help transport equipment and props throughout the UK as well as to the Continent.
South London-based Emergency Exit Arts (EEA) delivers theatrical events at its site on the Greenwich Peninsula as well as at community and cultural celebrations throughout the UK and Europe.
EEA acquired the vans from Mercedes-Benz dealer Sparshatts of Kent after receiving a grant from Arts Council England for capital equipment. The new vans are both 3.5-tonne Sprinter 313 CDIs – one is an Extra-long model, the other a Long-bodied crew van with second row of seats.
The organisation invested in the two new vans based on its experience with two previous Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, a chassis cab with Luton body and a Traveliner minibus, both of which had been on the road since 1998 and are still in use with their latest owners.
Production manager Ben Raine added: “We’re a non-profit making, charitable organisation so it’s not often that we’re able to make a major outlay like this. It was crucial, therefore, that we invested the money wisely, because these vehicles are going to have to last.
“Our previous experience confirmed that the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter’s reputation for reliability and durability is well founded. The carrying capacity suits us well, while its stability and maximum 7.0-tonne gross train weight mean it’s ideally suited to towing.”
Raine continued: “Given that we’re based in London and publicly funded, it was also important to demonstrate that we were buying environmentally friendly vans which meet the latest emissions standards.”
He added: “A professional image is important too, not least because we do a lot of firework shows. We’d stopped taking our previous vehicles to events because they looked so ‘battle-scarred’, and were using rented vans instead. Our new Sprinters, by contrast, look great in our livery and are helping us to create exactly the right impression.”
