This story first appeared in the April issue of AutoTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE
Iveco has officially opened its state-of-the-art $16 million New Zealand headquarters featuring an expanded parts warehouse and the only flush-mounted heavy truck and trailer lift in the country.
The new multi-million dollar South Auckland facility opened on Wednesday, April 3.
Asia Pacific executives from parent company CNH Industrial were at the ceremony including general manager Stefano Pampalone, industrial managing director Michele Lombardi, brand leader Bruce Healy, chief financial officer Michael Jonson and head of parts Daniele Maggiolini.
The new Wiri site incorporates the company’s New Zealand head office along with a dealership offering sales, service and parts for the full Iveco range of vans, trucks and minibuses.
Covering 11,444 square metres, the facility also includes 1400 square metres of warehouse for Iveco parts coverage.
The warehouse is around three times the size of the previous facility and holds up to 13,000 parts.
There are around 35 staff at the facility and it will have up to 50 people working there once it’s running at full capacity.
There are about 50 new vehicles on site across the whole product range from vans, trucks and minibuses.
The modern workshop includes 15 vehicle bays and the latest diagnostic equipment designed to benefit customers by reducing servicing times.
A flush-mounted heavy truck and trailer lift, capable of lifting a B-train, is the only one of its kind in the country.
Jason Keddie has been appointed the dealer principal for Iveco’s newly launched New Zealand operation.
Keddie recently relocated to New Zealand from Australia with his family and took over the role from interim dealer principal Daryl Thornton on October 1, 2018.
Keddie is responsible for retail, dealership and wholesale operations.Prior to taking the position, he was Iveco product support manager for Australia and New Zealand for more than six years.
He has also held senior consulting positions in the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors as well as OEM regional management and retail operations roles.
Keddie says senior management made the decision to invest in New Zealand a number of years ago and he’s happy to finally see the “world-class facility” complete.
“Our site provides a complete end-to-end solution for our customers.
“We believe we have the best in class vehicles to beat the competition, but also having a best in class dealership is also critical.
“When you break the trucking industry down to its core, it has and continues to be based around a manufacturer, a dealer and a customer.
“Providing consistent and superior service levels across parts, sales and service is exactly what we are continuing and striving to achieve at Iveco.
“To do that requires not only an investment in the facility but also in people,” Keddie says.
The new investment not only gives back to the community in terms of more jobs, this also comes back to the customer in terms of great service, he says.
Iveco NZ was established in 1992 with the purchase of International Trucks NZ and was part of the Fiat Group based in Turin, Italy.
The company name was changed to Iveco Trucks New Zealand in 2000.
Iveco Trucks Australia and New Zealand employs more than 600 people.
Iveco Trucks NZ sources vehicles from the Iveco manufacturing plant in Dandenong, Australia which, since 1952 has produced more than 230,000 truck and bus chassis.
This factory manufactures Acco, Powerstar, Stralis AS-L and AD/AT models and bus chassis.
In addition, Iveco NZ imports its Daily light commercial range, Eurocargo and Stralis ATi models from Iveco plants throughout the world.
Iveco NZ became part of CNH Industrial Ltd in September 2013 following the integration of Fiat Industrial and CNH Global.
CNH is one of the world’s largest supplier of agricultural and construction equipment with revenues exceeding 25 billion euro.
CNH brands include Case IH, Case CE, New Holland Construction, New Holland Agriculture, Steyr, Irisbus, Heuliez Bus, Astra Spa, Magirus and Iveco.
