A marque of excellence
Mercedes tick of approval
THE only authorised Mercedes Benz body repair shop this side of the Westgate Bridge has opened in Geelong.
Meeting the luxury marque’s exacting standards is a badge of honour for M1 Autobody owner Peter Ruggeri, who has owned and operated Euro Panels in South Geelong for 36 years.
“It’s the top of the tree; it was very, very hard to get,” Mr Ruggeri said of the Mercedes Benz accreditation.
He said the car company went to great lengths to protect its brand and had processes for everything.
The new business comes after Mr Ruggeri and wife Dianne passed Euro Panels to children Carly and Jake more than a year ago and Mr Ruggeri shelved an early retirement plan.
“I just enjoy what I do,” Mr Ruggeri said. “I love cars and I love building things.”
The new South Geelong paint and panel shop, on the opposite corner to Euro Panels in Hede St, is open but still waiting on official signage and some elements of the fitout.
All of this work had to be completed to meet strict specifications laid down by the manufacturer.
Mrs Ruggeri said business was slowly building since clearing a lengthy accreditation process in August, which included signoff from Mercedes Germany HQ.
“Since being on the Mercedes Benz website only a couple of weeks ago, we have noticed more cars coming in already,” she said.
Mrs Ruggeri said Euro Panels had probably worked on 100 Mercedes Benz a year.
“I am sure those numbers will grow,” she said.
“We are just taking it as it comes. We will ramp it up as it needs to ramp up.”
She said the investment to establish the business would come close to $2 million with Mercedes Benz’s requirements for spray ovens and extraction bays costing about $300,000, and a special jib a further $200,000.
Everything from welders to the tiles in the workshop are done to meet the German car manufacturer’s requirements.
There are only six accredited Mercedes Benz body repair shops in Victoria with the closest in Port Melbourne and Sunshine and the others in Blackburn, Moorabbin and Hallam.
“It’s good for this region that there is now someone accredited that they know they get OEM parts, which is genuine parts from the manufacturer,” Mrs Ruggeri said.