Eastbourne-based Gate Court Food Service has freshened up its fleet by taking delivery of a new fridge-bodied Mercedes Atego from local dealer Rossetts Commercials.
The family-run firm operates a fleet of a dozen trucks and two vans, in which Mercedes-Benz is the predominant marque. The truck line-up includes 7.5- and 15-tonners but the majority – including the latest arrival, which replaces an older Mercedes that has been stood down – have 12-tonne gross weights.
Gate Court Food Service supplies milk, butter and cheese, as well as a host of ambient and frozen food products, to shops, restaurants, schools and hospitals throughout the south-east. Despite the economic downturn the firm is thriving, with sales up some 10 per cent year on year.
Most of its trucks have dual-compartment insulated bodies for delivering both chilled and frozen products. Its new Atego 1218, though, has been assigned to a local round in the Eastbourne area, for which it was specified with a single-compartment chiller; the body is by Solomon Commercials, of Rossendale, Lancashire.
Managing Director Ray License and his wife Jayne, the Accounts Manager, bought the former Gate Court Dairy with fellow director Dennis Lester 10 years ago. Today, Mr and Mrs License run the business with the support of their son Steven, who is Sales Manager.
“We take each deal as it comes but we certainly prefer Mercedes trucks,” confirms Ray License. “They have proved over the last five years to be extremely well built and reliable, while our drivers also find them comfortable and easy to drive.”
Another important factor for Gate Court Food Services is the after sales back-up provided by the workshop team at the Eastbourne branch of Rossetts Commercials, recent winner for the second year running of the ‘blue riband’ Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year trophy.
“We get our vehicles inspected and serviced under repair and maintenance contracts, which means the process is easily managed and gives us the benefit of fixed costs,” continues Mr License.
“Rossetts will do the work through the night so that our trucks are always available for work when we need them – that’s a big asset and an offer that other manufacturers’ agents in this area can’t match.
“Rossetts’ sales executive John Sunderland also provides a first-class service. In fact, I really can’t fault the dealer.”
Low-emission Actros cleans up at Eurotek
West Sussex-based Eurotek Office Furniture is convinced the clean, ‘green’ credentials of its new generation Mercedes Actros tractor units will boost its chances of landing more valuable contracts from public sector customers.
The firm, which operates from an 80,000sq ft manufacturing facility and head office in Bognor Regis, has already won several prestigious orders from local and central government, and other publicly-funded bodies, over recent years.
"We’re a very environmentally conscious company anyway," explains Operations Manager Steve Montague. "But with carbon emissions invariably at the top of the agenda for those spending public money these days, the fact that we now have some of the cleanest trucks on the road is going to be an important, additional selling point for our business."
The International Truck of the Year for 2009, new Actros is easily distinguished from its predecessor by its reworked front grille and sculpted external sun visor, as well as its classier and more modern cab interior.
Eurotek’s three new units arrived via Rossetts Commercials, the reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year, and are the subject of a five-year contract hire deal with in-house commercial vehicle finance division, Mercedes-Benz CharterWay.
All are 4x2 Actros 1841 models with range-topping MegaSpace cabs and 410hp BlueTec® Euro 5 engines which qualify for Reduced Pollution Certificates that bring valuable savings in Vehicle Excise Duty, annually for the life of each vehicle. These engines are mated to the latest Mercedes PowerShift 2 automated transmissions – new Actros is also the first truck to come equipped as standard with an automated gearbox.
Eurotek manufactures and supplies high quality office furniture systems to public sector organisations including the Ministry of Defence and NHS, as well as a host of ‘blue chip’ private businesses.
It has been running Luton-bodied 7.5-tonne Mercedes Atego and 3.5-tonne Mercedes Sprinter vans for some time but it was not until last year that Eurotek took its first Mercedes tractor unit, an Actros from the previous model generation.
The latest Actros, which replace seven-year-old ERFs, have cherished registration plates and are pulling new SBG curtainside and box trailers. Confirms Mr Montague: "Our new Mercedes are already proving to be very fuel-efficient while our drivers, some of whom are away all week delivering nationwide, really love their new Mercedes.
"Rossetts maintain our entire fleet at their Worthing depot and provide a very good service. And although this is our first experience of contract hire as an acquisition method, we like the fact that we can budget with confidence every month, knowing exactly what we’re spending and that there aren’t going to be any nasty shocks around the corner."
Steel stockholder, processor and trader Fowle & Co has broken with a long tradition of running a single truck marque by investing in its first Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
So impressed is the Hastings-based company with its new 26-tonners, and particularly with the back-up from supplying dealer Rossetts Commercials, that it will also consider replacing the next batch of tractor units which come up for renewal with Mercedes.
The reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year, Rossetts has been trying for many years to break into the Fowle & Co fleet.
The two six-wheelers with which it finally did so are both Axor 2533L models with 28ft curtainside bodies by Roco Truck Bodies, of Bradford – these feature recessed wells that allow for the secure transport of steel coils (Roco has also supplied additional timbers for easy adaptation to a conventional flat floor) and sliding roofs which permit quick and easy access to the load.
Fowle & Co has links to all leading international mills. It stocks around 20,000 tonnes of coil and sheet stock and relies on a fleet of a dozen trucks, most of them tractor units, to deliver more than 70,000 tonnes of steel a year.
Director Nigel Fowle says: "We’d had some warranty and servicing issues with our previous vehicle supplier, so we decided to go out to the market and see what else might be available.
"These are still very early days, of course, but our new Mercedes are performing well, the drivers appear to like them, and they certainly look very smart."
Mr Fowle is also impressed with the service from Rossetts’ Eastbourne dealership, where the Axor are being serviced under five-year Mercedes-Benz R&M contracts.
"Rossetts’ workshop is open 24 hours a day, which our previous supplier can’t match," says Mr Fowle. "The team at Eastbourne are also very helpful and professional, so much so that we’re now considering using them to maintain all of our Hastings-based vehicles."
Fowle & Co can trace its origins back to 1946. Following the death of co-founder Edward Fowle, his sons Alan and Nigel continued to expand the business, opening a purpose-built factory in Dudley, West Midlands, in 1989, and creating Steelco UK. The company is still entirely family-owned – Nigel’s twin sons Matthew and Elliott, and Alan’s son Sebastian, are from the third generation to work for Fowle & Co.
Winner…that’s Jim Cochran, of Rossetts Commercials
Rossetts’ Jim lands top truck award – again!
Aldershot-based truck sales specialist Jim Cochran has won a major national award – for the second time in three years!
Jim works for recently-crowned Mercedes-Benz Dealer of the Year Rossetts Commercials, but specialises in retailing the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter – Mercedes dealers are also responsible for the sales and after sales support of the popular Japanese light truck range in the UK .
And he has just beaten off the challenge of his counterparts from 21 other commercial vehicle dealerships nationwide to land the ‘Top Canter Specialist’ title for 2007, at the latest Mercedes-Benz Truck Masters motivation and reward programme awards.
Jim, who won the same title for 2005, was also one of just 16 sales executives to make the elite Truck Masters Diamond Club Prestige, each of whose members won a fantastic seven-night holiday in South Africa and Mauritius , a reward from the manufacturer for their outstanding performances last year.
He will be joined on the seven-night holiday by his wife Shona – the couple, who live in Old Hatchwarren, Basingstoke , have three daughters.
Jim has been Rossetts’ Canter sales specialist since 2001; in addition to Aldershot, the company has headquarters in Worthing and other dealerships in Crawley, Eastbourne and Guildford .
Jim enjoyed an exceptional year in 2007, retailing an impressive 84 Canters to operators throughout Surrey and Sussex . And he’s hit the ground running in 2008 too, having landed 25 orders by the end of February!
“The Low Emission Zone introduced recently in London is certainly contributing to my success,” explains Jim. “It’s convincing many operators who might not otherwise have done so, that now is a good time to invest in a new truck.
“And having reached that decision a significant number of them are choosing the Canter. They’re doing so because not only is it relatively inexpensive compared to some other marques, and compatible with the latest Euro 4 emission rules, but also at the important 7.5 tonnes gross weight it’s ideally suited to operation in the capital. This is because it’s relatively compact and therefore highly manoeuvrable, but at the same time it offers an exceptionally high payload.”
There was more good news for Rossetts Commercials when Sales Director Brian Phippen won a place in the Truck Masters Diamond Club and with it a short break in :StateNew York .
Meanwhile, at the Mercedes Van Sales Academy event Rossetts’ Crawley-based van sales executive Tony Harris won a Gold award, while Van Sales Manager Andrew Dadswell and sales executives Matt Potts and Simon Zoratti, who are based at Aldershot and Worthing respectively, achieved Bronze.
The UK ’s first airfield has underlined its reputation as a centre for technological innovation by introducing a pair of highly sophisticated Mercedes-Benz fuel tankers.
Based on Econic municipal chassis, they are now in service at TAG London :PlaceName Farnborough Airport , the scene, in 1908, of :country-regionBritain ’s first powered flight.
The trucks started life as 18-tonne Econic 1824LL rigids but were converted to 4x2 tractor unit configuration at the manufacturer’s specialist production facility in Molsheim. Here, as well as being fitted with Jost fifth wheels, they were extensively modified to meet strict ADR safety requirements governing the transport of hazardous goods.
On reaching the UK the chassis were sent to aviation fuelling specialist Flightline Support, of Witney, near Oxford, which installed the hydraulics required to pump fuel using the truck PTOs, the interlock systems that prevent the vehicles from being moved while refuelling is in progress, and the limiters that restrict the Econics’ speed to 20mph; Flightline also painted the trucks in TAG’s corporate Moondust Silver.
The Econic rides on full air suspension and is rapidly establishing itself as the vehicle of choice for airport operators. Its panoramic low-entry cab is air-conditioned and equipped with the latest Allison automatic gearbox, allowing the driver to focus fully on what is going on around them while manoeuvring on the potentially hazardous airfield apron.
The new trucks were supplied by Rossetts Commercials, the reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year, to ExxonMobil Aviation, which is based in Leatherhead, Surrey, and contracted to supply bulk jet fuel to Farnborough Airport . However, the trucks and their 36,000-litre Flightline Support tank trailers are operated on a day-to-day basis by its customer, TAG Aviation, which manages the airport.
Mike Kay, UK Automotive Manager for ExxonMobil Aviation, says: “TAG stipulated when we won this contract a couple of years ago that we should use Mercedes vehicles, so we initially drafted in a couple of second-hand Actros tractors while we developed the Econics in partnership with Mercedes-Benz.
“They are perfectly tailored to the role. TAG’s operatives are in and out of these trucks all day so the low-entry cab is a big plus. Visibility is excellent too, and the fact that he doesn’t have to worry about what gear he’s in means the driver can concentrate fully on steering.”
These sentiments are echoed by Roger Walker, Director, Airport Operations, at TAG London Farnborough Airport . “We are extremely pleased with our two new Econic units,” he says. “Excellent all-round visibility was a prime requirement when we started talking to Exxon about the new design, while the low-entry cabs are proving to be more user-friendly for our fuelling team, who can do over 100 refuels of aircraft per day.
“The appearance and design of the trucks also fits very well with the award-winning buildings here at :placeFarnborough Airport ,” he adds.
Farnborough has long been a centre of military and civil aviation research; since 1949 it has also been home to the bi-annual Farnborough International Airshow, which attracted nearly a quarter of a million visitors in 2006.
The winner will need to show high levels of customer satisfaction across all the departments of the dealership, including the workshop, as well as proving financial success. The judges will also want to see evidence of innovation and strong sales of both new and used vehicles. You must provide audited accounts for the past three years and customer testimonials to support your entry. The judges will also consider dealerships that have turned-around the business and greatly improved their service to customers and their profits.
Rossetts Commercials takes top Mercedes-Benz dealer prize
Surrey and Sussex Mercedes-Benz truck and van specialist Rossetts Commercials has carried off the manufacturer’s most coveted award for dealers.
Rossetts beat off the challenge of 21 other franchised agents nationwide to take the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year title for 2007.
Dealer Principal Robert Maxwell stepped up to collect the trophy from Wilfried Steffen, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK , Ian Jones, Managing Director for Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles in the UK, and guest-of-honour Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 and Chief Operating Officer, McLaren Group.
Among those leading the applause were Rossetts Sales Director Brian Phippen and Group Service Managers Perry Reeves and Steve Wright, who were also at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart for the awards evening.
A triumphant Robert Maxwell declared: “We all had our fingers crossed but I never imagined that in the face of such tough competition we would come away with the biggest prize of all.
“Our success owes everything to the hard work and enthusiasm of our 160 employees and each of them has played their part in bringing the trophy back to the south-east. It’s a fantastic achievement and underlines the unstinting commitment to customer service that runs through this company at every level.”
Competing dealers are judged over the year against a host of different criteria including vehicle, labour and parts sales performances and their all-important CSI (Customer Service Index) ratings, which measure customer feedback. The strongest all-rounder invariably takes the Dealer of the Year title.
Rossetts Commercials is co-owned by Mr Maxwell and Eddi Zoratti, who have invested more than £4 million in new and improved facilities in recent years.
The company has a headquarters on the Meadow Road Industrial Estate in Worthing, and other dealerships in Eastern Road , Aldershot, and Manor Royal, Crawley, on the Compton Industrial Estate in Eastbourne and the Cathedral Hill Industrial Estate in Guildford .
As well as providing a full complement of sales and after sales services for the award-winning Mercedes-Benz truck and van line-up, Rossetts is responsible for the popular Mitsubishi Fuso Canter light truck range and is an EvoBus UK bus and coach dealer.
Steel stockholder, processor and trader Fowle & Co has broken with a long tradition of running a single truck marque by investing in its first Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
So impressed is the Hastings-based company with its new 26-tonners, and particularly with the back-up from supplying dealer Rossetts Commercials, that it will also consider replacing the next batch of tractor units which come up for renewal with Mercedes.
The reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year, Rossetts has been trying for many years to break into the Fowle & Co fleet.
The two six-wheelers with which it finally did so are both Axor 2533L models with 28ft curtainside bodies by Roco Truck Bodies, of Bradford – these feature recessed wells that allow for the secure transport of steel coils (Roco has also supplied additional timbers for easy adaptation to a conventional flat floor) and sliding roofs which permit quick and easy access to the load.
Fowle & Co has links to all leading international mills. It stocks around 20,000 tonnes of coil and sheet stock and relies on a fleet of a dozen trucks, most of them tractor units, to deliver more than 70,000 tonnes of steel a year.
Director Nigel Fowle says: "We’d had some warranty and servicing issues with our previous vehicle supplier, so we decided to go out to the market and see what else might be available.
"These are still very early days, of course, but our new Mercedes are performing well, the drivers appear to like them, and they certainly look very smart."
Mr Fowle is also impressed with the service from Rossetts’ Eastbourne dealership, where the Axor are being serviced under five-year Mercedes-Benz R&M contracts.
"Rossetts’ workshop is open 24 hours a day, which our previous supplier can’t match," says Mr Fowle. "The team at Eastbourne are also very helpful and professional, so much so that we’re now considering using them to maintain all of our Hastings-based vehicles."
Fowle & Co can trace its origins back to 1946. Following the death of co-founder Edward Fowle, his sons Alan and Nigel continued to expand the business, opening a purpose-built factory in Dudley, West Midlands, in 1989, and creating Steelco UK. The company is still entirely family-owned – Nigel’s twin sons Matthew and Elliott, and Alan’s son Sebastian, are from the third generation to work for Fowle & Co.
Family-owned national and international removals specialist Martell’s has made a smart move of its own – by investing in its latest Mercedes-Benz pantechnicon.
The 26-tonne Axor 2533L has a clean, ‘green’ 330hp BlueTec® engine that meets tough Euro 5 emissions limits which do not come into force until October 2009; it replaces a vehicle that did not comply with the London Low Emission Zone.
Martell’s is based in East Grinstead, West Sussex . Its new truck, which rides on full air suspension, arrived via the Crawley branch of Rossetts Commercials, the reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year.
The vehicle’s five-container body with large sleeper pod was built by Essex Bodies, of Rayleigh, Essex , which also fitted a hefty, 3.0-tonne MBB tail-lift.
Martell’s has been providing removals and storage services for more than half a century but the firm can trace its origins back to 1917, when William George Martell opened a shop selling bedsteads and prams in London’s Elephant and Castle.
Today, in addition to Martell’s Removals, the group has a department store in Queen’s Walk, East Grinstead , and a successful online retail operation.
Martell’s is a long-term member of the British Association of Removers (BAR), the Latin American & Caribbean International Movers Association (LACMA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA).
The firm runs a fleet of eight trucks, among them a 7.5-tonne Mercedes Atego 818 which it bought from Rossetts last year to undertake removals to and from the Channel Islands :place.
“We are delighted with our latest Mercedes,” confirms Removals Manager Edward Kessell. “It is comfortable for our crews and certainly catches the eye on the road. The quality of Essex Bodies’ work is also excellent, while the big, 3.0-tonne tail-lift allows us to handle large, heavy items for commercial clients that some removal firms cannot accommodate.”
He adds: “We continue to be impressed with the sales and servicing teams at Rossetts Commercials, whose Crawley workshop is very conveniently located for us.”
F1 fan John takes Rossetts’ chequered flag! (Update)
Winner! that’s John Osman with his Mercedes Sprinter van
Bognor-based John Osman has landed himself a high performance day to remember by taking top spot in the annual Rossetts Fantasy Grand Prix 08' competition for service and parts customers.
Contestants had to predict the positions in which drivers in the 2008 Formula One World Championship would finish most often during the season.
Although the competition was breathing down his neck by the end, the kitchen and bathroom specialist clung on to the lead he took in round four with his selection: Raikkonen first, Hamilton second and Kubica fourth.
In the event, of course, Vodafone Mercedes McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won the F1 Driver’s Championship in the most thrilling finish to a season in years – but despite predicting that the young Briton would finish second, John’s points tally was still good enough to seal his own victory.
John’s prize is an exclusive tour of the high-tech McLaren production facility in Woking :place, followed by a thrilling session behind the wheel of an awesome Mercedes-AMG car on the handling circuits at the nearby Mercedes-Benz World brand experience centre.
The design and installation specialist, who drives a Mercedes Sprinter van, says: “I’m an avid F1 follower, although I must admit that the red cars of Ferrari are my favourites. So I’m certainly looking forward to putting my foot down in a Mercedes with 600hp on tap!”
Three-pointed star performance
John will be driving cars like the awesome SL 63 AMG at Mercedes-Benz World.
John Osman - Kitchen and Bathroom Specialist
Tel: 01243 860808
Address: 24 Elmwood Avenue, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO22 8DD
Sussex man’s fantasy wins him tickets to British Grand Prix
Rossetts Fantasy Grand Prix 2008
The British Grand Prix marked the half-way stage in the Formula 1 race calendar. Lucky Sussex man, Garry Warwick of Newhaven, was at a wet Silverstone to see Lewis Hamilton win, courtesy of Rossetts Commercials Mercedes-Benz.
The Rossetts Fantasy Grand Prix competition is in its second year. Garry Warwick, a driver for Rossetts’ customer, Brake Bros, gained the most points between months at the mid-season stage making him the lucky winner of two tickets to last weekend’s Grand Prix at Silverstone.
“The idea behind our Fantasy Grand Prix competition is that we keep in touch with our customers in a fun way and reassure them that we are always here, keeping their vehicles on the road,” says: Bob Murphy, Service Manager at Rossetts Commercials Mercedes-Benz. “As well as this fantastic mid-season prize we also have monthly prizes, plus the end-of-season winner gets a trip to Maclaren and a driving day experience. I am delighted that someone from a loyal customer won the tickets.”
Brakes is a leading supplier to the foodservice sector in the UK and has been a customer of Rossetts Commercials for over ten years. Garry says: “Our companies have a close relationship. Being a driver I am consistently benefiting from Rossetts’ quality of service, allowing me to do my job on a daily basis. Rossetts ensures our company is kept on the move, keeping my truck and Brakes on the road.”
For customers of Rossetts Commercials Mercedes-Benz it is still not too late to join the competition with spot prizes every month waiting to be won. Players need to be at least 21 years old and can enter online at www.rossetts.co.uk/entry.html. Good luck – there are still nine races to go before the end of the season.
West Sussex-based EuroXpress is running a pair of new Mercedes-Benz 18-tonners with innovative bodies that combine the loading flexibility of a curtainsider with the security of a box.
The highly-specified Axor 1824s have joined an all-Mercedes core fleet of 16 trucks and vans, which work from the operator’s headquarters on the Lineside Industrial Estate in Littlehampton.
Over the 12 years since it was founded by Managing Director Nick Tree, EuroXpress has carved a niche for itself by specialising in providing transport services to the events industry and in Continental removals – it also has a base in Alicante, Spain.
Its latest trucks are powered by BlueTec® Euro 5 engines and have high-roofed, air-conditioned sleeper cabs. They were supplied by Worthing dealer Rossetts Commercials, while their bodies are the work of Solent Bodybuilders, of Fareham .
At first glance, these eight-metre units are conventional boxes – until one realises that the nearsides have six hinged doors of equal width. These can be ‘peeled back’ from the centre of the body, allowing for complete opening of one side of the truck.
Mr Tree explains: “We support a lot of big name musical artists on their European tours and for security reasons they insist on a box body, which must also have a tail-lift.
“But for our removals business, which is undertaken for corporate as well as private individual clients, we carry big, seven cubic-metre containers and you can’t get these onto a box body. We also pick up backloads, for which companies want to be able to access the body from the side.
“So we were finding that every time we needed a box body we had a curtainsider, and vice versa. This body concept gives us the flexibility to serve both of our key markets.”
EuroXpress has one other vehicle with a similar body configuration, but has fine-tuned the design for its two new Axor, adding extra features such as built-in ramps.
The firm also handles special assignments, transporting temperature-controlled goods and abnormal and difficult loads, including boats, cars & fragile computer IT equipment.
Its Mercedes range in size from 3.5-tonne Sprinter vans to 44-tonne Actros premium tractor units – all have twin bunks, including the vans which are converted by Hatcher. It supplements its own fleet by providing regular work to a number of sub-contractors and hiring vehicles at particularly busy times.
“We buy Mercedes vehicles for their all-round quality and brand image,” says Mr Tree. “Other makes we’ve tried in the past have tended to fall apart, whereas our Mercedes have always been very reliable.
“And that’s crucial, because if a band is on tour out in eastern Europe for example, and we don’t turn up with their gear, then that concert isn’t going to happen.
“We also have the reassurance of Mercedes-Benz back-up on the Continent and a great relationship with Rossetts Commercials – sales executive Jon Sunderland provides a first-class service while the dealer also services our larger vehicles under R&M contracts.”
Congratulations to ticket holder 8316!!!. Your balloon travelled overnight and landed in Martigny-sur-L’Ante France, an estimated 352 miles away, WOW!!
Travelling 30miles further than its nearest competitor, it was discovered by Mademoiselle Lavard, who sent in the first section of the ticket to claim her prize.
Now it’s your turn
Just get in touch using the details below to choose your prize, either a Digital Camera and Printer or a Childs Mercedes-Benz Bike.
A big thank you
Rossetts Commercials would like to thank everybody who entered the balloon race in aid of Ben “the automotive charity, providing care and support to employees and their dependants in times of need”, and Kids Out “a charity that transforms the lives of disadvantaged children and young people.” Your participation is greatly appreciated by us, and we look forward to seeing you all in the near future.
The winner will need to show high levels of customer satisfaction across all the departments of the dealership, including the workshop, as well as proving financial success. The judges will also want to see evidence of innovation and strong sales of both new and used vehicles. You must provide audited accounts for the past three years and customer testimonials to support your entry. The judges will also consider dealerships that have turned-around the business and greatly improved their service to customers and their profits.
A Reigate security firm wanted a van with extra bite to transport its German shepherd guard dogs – and found the perfect vehicle in the storming new Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport-X.
The stunning, limited edition model boasts a turbo-charged 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox, and was supplied to Schutzhund Security by Crawley dealer Rossetts Commercials.
The gleaming black Vito Sport-X produces an eye-watering 204hp, sufficient to propel it from 0-60mph in just 8.3 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 122mph.
“Having that extra oomph means that if you get into a spot of trouble you can put your foot down and get out of it quickly,” says Schutzhund Securities’ co-Director Lee Gay.
“I also wanted a vehicle with a professional image which I could use when meeting clients, yet would still be fully functional as a working dog unit. The Vito Sport-X is a winner on both counts.”
The company, which is in the process of obtaining Approved Contractor status from the Security Industry Authority, supplies guards dogs to protect a wide variety of offices, warehouses and local authority premises. It was established as a limited company in June 2006 and has grown beyond expectations.
“We contract a lot of work out,” says Mr Gay, whose co-Director Christopher Gay just happens to share the same surname. “We only use German shepherds because they have been deployed successfully by the police, army and prison service over many years and do not have a very positive image, unlike some other breeds.”
Schutzhund Security’s new Vito Sport-X is a Dualiner model, with a second row of seats. The company spent nearly £6,000 on a conversion by Icecraft Refrigeration Services, of Blandford Forum, Dorset, which fitted two bespoke dog kennels that keep their canine occupants in climate-controlled luxury.
“We’ve really gone to town with this vehicle,” explains Mr Gay. “The interior is just incredible – there’s air-conditioning in the rear for the dogs and lighting in the individual kennels. They’ve even covered the kennels with black vinyl that matches the original trim. We’ve absolutely delighted with it.”
The Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport-X is a real head-turner, thanks in no small measure to Brabus. The renowned tuning and body styling specialist, whose products are usually to be found adorning high-end sports cars, has pitched in with 18-inch Monoblock-S alloy wheels and an aggressively deep front spoiler with integrated foglamps.
Adding to its eye-catching style, the model also features a chrome front grille and chrome steel side bars with integrated steps, colour-coded bumpers and side trims, roof rails and – in case you were still in any doubt! – ‘Sport-X’ badges on the driver and front passenger doors.
The twin themes of performance and exclusivity continue on the inside. There’s a soft-feel instrument panel with Silverstone trim, while the comfort seats, steering wheel and gearshift are all trimmed in leather. The driver also gets a multi-function steering wheel from which to control the COMAND radio, six-CD autochanger and satellite navigation system at the touch of a button.
Other features that enhance the vehicle’s driving appeal and comfort include cruise control with Speedtronic speed limiter, air-conditioning, light and rain sensors allowing for automatic operation of headlights and windscreen wipers, and electrically-operated front windows and door mirrors.
And, of course, being a Mercedes-Benz, the Vito Sport-X combines all of that power and performance with a comprehensive armoury of high-tech active and passive safety systems, including the latest Adaptive Electronic Stability Program®.
“All the extras you get with the Vito Sport-X it makes worth paying that little bit more,” adds Mr Gay. “It’s also great fun to drive – the V6 engine is just fantastic.”
Red-blooded male drivers had better keep their wits about them if they get too close to the McIndoe Surgical Centre’s new Mercedes van – because its eye-catching livery may well prove a distraction.
Both sides and the rear doors of the Sprinter 313CDI feature striking images of an attractive young model, whose obvious charms are now helping to promote the McIndoe Centre as a leader in the fast-growing field of cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
A totally self-contained, specialist private hospital, the McIndoe Surgical Centre stands in the grounds of the NHS Queen Victoria Hospital, in East Grinstead. It is named after the father of plastic surgery Sir Archibald McIndoe, who is renowned for his pioneering treatment on the same site of airmen burned and injured during the Second World War.
The McIndoe Surgical Centre offers a wide range of services, including cataract, ENT and oral maxillofacial surgery and dental implants. It has 65 shareholders, the majority of them consultants and medical staff working at the Queen Victoria Hospital and other NHS Trusts in the region. Prominent among their number is Peter Arnstein, one of the world’s top plastic surgeons, who has also starred, with colleague John Pereira, on Living TV’s popular series Extreme Makeover .
The McIndoe Surgical Centre is managed by the BMI Healthcare Group – and that’s where it’ new Mercedes, which was supplied by Crawley dealer Rossetts Commercials, comes in.
An integral part of the hospital is its Sterile Services Department, which specialises in cleaning instruments used in surgery. It is a facility that many other hospitals do not have, so the McIndoe Centre has begun marketing this service to other hospitals within the BMI Group.
First to take advantage was The Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor, which awarded the McIndoe team a contract to clean its own instruments and now receives regular visits – twice daily, with another on Saturdays – from the Mercedes Sprinter.
Katy Muir, Marketing Manager for the McIndoe Surgical Centre, explains: “The crucial job of sterilising surgical instruments is a science in its own right. For example, not only can our specialists tell you exactly when each piece of equipment was cleaned, they can also tell you what type of detergent, and precisely how much of it, was used.”
She continues: “We wanted a vehicle that would be comfortable, safe and reliable, as well as exuding an image of quality. The Sprinter ticked all of the boxes in terms of its specification and, of course, as everybody knows, vans don’t come any better than a Mercedes-Benz.”
Launched last year, the new-generation Mercedes Sprinter combines dynamic good looks, ‘bullet-proof’ build quality, comprehensive specification and ingenious technology. Highlights of the range include best-in-class side-loading door widths, outstanding ergonomics and comfort, a powerful and clean CDI diesel engine line-up and a comprehensive armoury of safety features, including an advanced new version of the remarkable ESP® anti-skid system called Adaptive ESP®.
SCR Euro 4 Axor BioDiesel Supplied by Rossetts Aldershot
SCR Euro 4 Axor barks up the BioDiesel tree
Environmentally-friendly heating pioneer The Energy Crops Company is underlining its 'green' credentials by running its new Mercedes six-wheeler on BioDiesel.
The Axor 2633 has a BlueTec® Euro 4 SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) engine which is being fuelled with a 50:50 blend of BioDiesel and standard mineral diesel. As a result, its emissions are exceptionally low.
Supplied by Aldershot dealer Rossetts Commercials, the new 26-tonner is The Energy Crops Company's first truck. It has a tank body, with high-pressure blowing system, by Feldbinder UK, of Spalding.
BioDiesel is the first clean fuel that fleet operators can use without necessarily having to purchase new vehicles or construct additional facilities. Significantly, it can only be used by trucks equipped with SCR technology; those that rely on the rival EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system are not compatible with BioDiesel.
Using BioDiesel fuel is almost CO 2 neutral. This is because the CO 2 released was already contained in the vegetable matter as it grew. BioDiesel produces zero sulphur and aromatic emissions, and lower particulate emissions. It is biodegradable and non-toxic, so better for humans, animals and plants.
The Energy Crops Company is based in Cobham, Surrey. It was founded in 2005 to provide sustainable wood-fired heating solutions to a wide range of commercial and industrial customers. The company specialises in the supply of wood pellet fuel and, through its network of partners, offers a complete service for converting to biomass heating.
Managing Director Graham Hilton explains: "Given rising fossil fuel prices and increasing concerns over climate change, sustainable and cost-effective fuels such as wood pellets are rapidly gaining popularity and government support."
Although immature in the UK , the wood pellet industry is well established on the Continent and particularly popular in Austria , Germany and Scandinavia . The dried pellets are produced from wood taken from sustainable forests and are a carbon neutral heat source, the CO 2 absorbed by trees during growth cancelling out that emitted when they are burnt.
The pellets require specially adapted biomass boilers but are highly efficient, producing twice as much energy as 'wet wood' 1kg of pellets provides as much heat as a 1 kilowatt electric fire running for five hours.
The new Axor has a maximum payload of 16 tonnes. Prior to its arrival, The Energy Crops Company's wood pellet distribution was handled in its entirety by third-party hauliers.
The truck has been assigned to a prestigious contract with Nottinghamshire County Council which, over the last three years, has converted coal-fired boilers in 15 of its schools to wood pellet units; following the award of a £500,000 Bioenergy Capital Grant, more schools are now due to follow.
In January The Energy Crops Company was awarded the contract to supply Nottinghamshire with wood pellets. Now the UK's largest distributor of this innovative fuel source, it currently imports the biomass material from Northern Ireland but is working with a number of sawmills to expand local production throughout the UK.
Mr Hilton says: "The Axor is working out of our store in Goole, East Yorkshire and has been very well received by our driver, while the support we've received from Rossetts Commercials has also been first-class.
"Moving forward, it is our objective to set up a reliable nationwide distribution network for our fuel. There is every chance that Mercedes-Benz and Rossetts will have a big part to play in what we confidently believe will be a very exciting future."
Eastbourne-based Gate Court Food Service has freshened up its fleet by taking delivery of a new fridge-bodied Mercedes Atego from local dealer Rossetts Commercials.
“We take each deal as it comes but we certainly prefer Mercedes trucks,” confirms Ray License. “They have proved over the last five years to be extremely well built and reliable, while our drivers also find them comfortable and easy to drive.”
West Sussex-based Eurotek Office Furniture is convinced the clean, ‘green’ credentials of its new generation Mercedes Actros tractor units will boost its chances of landing more valuable contracts from public sector customers.
Steel stockholder, processor and trader Fowle & Co has broken with a long tradition of running a single truck marque by investing in its first Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Winner…that’s Jim Cochran, of Rossetts Commercials
Econics cleared for take-off at Farnborough
Mike Kay, UK Automotive Manager for ExxonMobil Aviation, says: “TAG stipulated when we won this contract a couple of years ago that we should use Mercedes vehicles, so we initially drafted in a couple of second-hand Actros tractors while we developed the Econics in partnership with Mercedes-Benz.
We are delighted to have been nominated for Dealer of the Year in the coveted Motor Transport Awards 2009 
Surrey and Sussex Mercedes-Benz truck and van specialist Rossetts Commercials has carried off the manufacturer’s most coveted award for dealers.
Among those leading the applause were Rossetts Sales Director Brian Phippen and Group Service Managers Perry Reeves and Steve Wright, who were also at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart for the awards evening.
facilities in recent years.
Family-owned national and international removals specialist Martell’s has made a smart move of its own – by investing in its latest Mercedes-Benz pantechnicon.
Winner! that’s John Osman with his Mercedes Sprinter van
In the event, of course, Vodafone Mercedes McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won the F1 Driver’s Championship in the most thrilling finish to a season in years – but despite predicting that the young Briton would finish second, John’s points tally was still good enough to seal his own victory.
Rossetts Fantasy Grand Prix 2008
The highly-specified Axor 1824s have joined an all-Mercedes core fleet of 16 trucks and vans, which work from the operator’s headquarters on the Lineside Industrial Estate in Littlehampton.
The firm also handles special assignments, transporting temperature-controlled goods and abnormal and difficult loads, including boats, cars & fragile computer IT equipment.
We have a winner!
Red-blooded male drivers had better keep their wits about them if they get too close to the McIndoe Surgical Centre’s new Mercedes van – because its eye-catching livery may well prove a distraction.
SCR Euro 4 Axor barks up the BioDiesel tree
Mitsubishi Fuso Woodsman Tipmaster Conversion from Rossetts Commercials