An end to the intrigue?
SCANIA’S PURCHASE OF LONGTIME FREIGHTLINER and Mercedes-Benz dealer Trucks & Trailer’s heavy commercial business may have finally ended not just one….but two major developments/disruptions that have rocked and intrigued the New Zealand new truck industry over the past two and a half years.
On the one hand, there’s been the evolution of Scania establishing itself in NZ, starting on January 1, 2019 – taking over from 28-year representative CablePrice the responsibility for importing, distributing and selling Scania trucks and buses, and for parts and business services.
A deal was struck though for CablePrice to be Scania’s key provider of aftersales service and in-service support to customers, through its existing network.
At the same time as Scania began building its own NZ presence, there have been fascinating manoeuvrings involving Daimler Trucks’ representation in NZ, triggered by the announcement in late 2017 that it would replace its own NZ operation with a local distributor.
At the time it seemed reasonably clearcut that either North Island Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz dealer Trucks & Trailers or longtime FUSO dealer and recently-appointed distributor, Keith Andrews Trucks (KAT), would get the role.
But for more than two years there was no appointment.
Then, late last year, in a surprise announcement, Trucks & Trailers said it had bought South Island Daimler Trucks dealer Prestige Commercial Vehicles – fulfilling “an important objective” in its plans to be “a leading heavy and light commercial vehicle supplier across NZ.”
One interesting/unusual spinoff of the deal was that Prestige sold FUSOs along with Mercs and Freightliners….and thus it was in a way, working for its rival, the KAT Group.
Soon after, it was announced that KAT had been appointed an authorised Freightliner dealer for the North Island – in addition to its Mercedes-Benz dealer status in Northland and the Waikato, and its FUSO representation in Northland, Auckland and the Waikato.
Thus KAT and Trucks & Trailers were now head to head competitors in selling Freightliners and Mercs in the North Island.
In February came two more bombshells – the announcement from Daimler Trucks Australia that Prestige Commercial Vehicles’ 11-year Daimler Trucks’ representation in the South Island would end on April 1…. with former Scania distributor CablePrice appointed the new dealer.
Fuso NZ (part of the KAT group) also announced that its South Island FUSO representation was shifting from Prestige….to CablePrice.
It left many in the industry wondering what would become of Trucks & Trailers – seemingly out of favour with Daimler Trucks and with a South Island operation in place without a major truck make to its name.
Now we know: First came the announcement from Scania NZ, on August 11, that it will end its relationship with CablePrice as an approved service dealer…..in August 2022.
A two-year notice period is part of the termination agreement, so it will be “business as usual with CablePrice dealerships for the immediate future,” said Scania NZ MD Mattias Lundholm.
He added, a little mysteriously, that “we will be making a further announcement very soon to provide more information and timelines around Scania’s future presence in NZ.”
Scania NZ, he said, is “about to enter a very exciting period. It is time for us to take things to the next level. Scania is a premium brand with a focus on customer service and delivery to match. We are moving forward with great anticipation and confidence.”
A day later, there were rumours of the Trucks & Trailers buyout. Two days later, the deal was confirmed.
So….after two and a half years of intrigue, let’s sum up: The longtime Scania rep (CablePrice) has become a leading player in Daimler Trucks’ representation in NZ…..Scania has taken over its own show….and the dealer (Trucks & Trailers) that was once NZ’s leading Freightliner and MercedesBenz seller, has gone to Scania....while a dealer that used to be a FUSO specialist (KAT) has expanded its sales region – and is selling the full Daimler Trucks range.
T&D