(left to right): Marc Champagne, Operations Manager, Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud; Carolynn Leclair, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud; Tim A. Reuss, President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Canada; François Leclair, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud; Hans-Jörg Mehl, Vice-President and CFO, Mercedes-Benz Canada; Steve Gosselin Vice-President, Finance and Claude Leclair, President Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud
(Photo credit: CNW/Mercedes Benz Canada)
Mercedes-Benz Canada President and CEO Tim A. Reuss, along with company executives, recently joined Claude Leclair, President and Carolynn Leclair, Vice-President and François Leclair, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud, for the groundbreaking ceremony of their newest facility.
The Leclair family will erect a brand new dealership, from the ground up, on the same property (4844 Taschereau Boulevard in Greenfield Park, Que.) that has been home to Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud for more than 50 years.
The new South Shore facility will significantly expand both the sales and aftersales capabilities of Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud. Scheduled to be fully operational in December 2014, the 120,000 square feet dealership will feature ample space over two floors, incorporating an extensive new and pre-owned vehicle showroom totaling 35,000 square feet, not including a dedicated Sprinter Centre that will be annexed to the facility. In addition, 45,000 square feet have been earmarked for the service area that will include 40 state-of-the-art service bays, with 12 dedicated to detailing and four designed to accommodate Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans.
Consistent with the design of other dealerships in Mercedes-Benz Canada’s nationwide retail network, the layout of the new facility will follow the Mercedes-Benz proprietary Auto Haus design concept, which promotes the widespread use of glass to maintain transparency and create a bright, open concept feeling. The dealership will also integrate the new Mercedes-Benz retail corporate identity where black coupled with accents of silver will replace the blue colours traditionally seen in Mercedes-Benz dealerships. The forward-thinking dealership design also takes into account the area’s climatic elements, incorporating many concepts that will ensure a most comfortable customer experience namely by storing the quasi totality of vehicle inventory inside the building.
Conscious of the importance of incorporating sustainable development practices into its operations, Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud has ensured that the overall design of the building will integrate numerous measures that will maximize energy efficiencies while reducing its overall environmental footprint.
“This event represents an exciting milestone in the history of one of the oldest Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Canada,” said Tim A. Reuss, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada. “After 50 years of operations, this sizable investment promises to be game changing as it demonstrates the Leclair family’s motivation to best serve the needs of our many existing and potential customers in this well-established market. I applaud the hard work and dedication that this group has demonstrated since joining our Mercedes-Benz Canada dealer network.”
François Leclair, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud added, “We are celebrating the beginning of a new chapter for Mercedes-Benz Rive-Sud. Over the course of our first year tenure, our team’s unwavering commitment and enthusiasm has enabled us to provide a first class experience for all our customers. We now look forward to continue delivering on this promise by providing an experience that is commensurate with the Mercedes-Benz brand in a modern, comfortable and highly functional facility.”
