Ford Opens New Parts Depot to Enhance Customer Service

Ford New Zealand Opens New Parts Depot to Enhance Customer Service as Company Launches Record Number of Vehicles

AUCKLAND, 17 August 2015 – Ford New Zealand has opened a new National Parts Distribution Centre today in Auckland to accelerate plans to make it easier for customers to upgrade and service their vehicles at dealerships across the country.

The company officially cut the ribbon at the facility in the Highbrook Business Park in East Tamaki amidst a record year of new vehicle launches.

The new National Parts Distribution Centre is equipped with an all new storage system aligned to Ford’s Global Warehousing principles, providing enhanced warehouse optimisation to support wider stock holdings in New Zealand, and improved parts flow within the operation. Ford expects this operation to deliver significant gains to supply fill rates and faster replenishment for the Dealer network.

Corey Holter, Managing Director Ford New Zealand, said the new building is a significant long term investment to support Ford’s expanding vehicle range but also has the Ford customer in mind.

“The new National Parts Distribution Centre is a big step forward to better support our growth objectives, help us better service our dealers, and ultimately help improve the Ford customer experience at our service centres.” said Holter. “With better access, more storage capacity and upgraded equipment, the first major part of our local supply chain has been greatly improved and we will be able to get parts to our customers more efficiently and with less waiting.”

The Ford project team has also focused on improving safety for its employees within the operation and has completely replaced its entire materials handling equipment fleet, which comes fully equipped with a fleet management system called Infolink™.

Infolink™, is a wireless fleet management system developed and manufactured by the Crown Equipment Corporation, this enables Ford’s management to collate real time data capturing equipment impacts, productivity, utilisation, energy and servicing requirements, whilst also restricting access to compliant operators only.

As a brand-new, purpose-built building, Ford will be able to better stock and deliver the more than 750,000 Certified Ford parts that will go through the Ford National Parts Distribution Centre to dealerships each year. An improved entrance for trucks and an extended canopy will also provide better access and protection for deliveries in all weather.

Joining the Ford New Zealand team for the opening were visiting Ford executives Graeme Whickman (Ford Australia and New Zealand CEO) and John Cooper (Ford Vice President Customer Service Asia Pacific) as well as Member of Parliament for Botany, Jami-Lee Ross, and Chief Executive Officer of Goodman in New Zealand, John Dakin.

“We are investing heavily on stylish, innovative new vehicles that customer fall in love with and stay in love with through exceptional service,” says Graeme Whickman, President and CEO, Ford of Australia and New Zealand. “I know from my time in New Zealand that Kiwis are very discerning so we are excited to offer them a better experience when they bring vehicles to our dealerships.”

Whickman began his Ford career at Ford New Zealand in 1997 as a dealer operations manager and later moved to marketing director from 2002 to 2005. He grew up in the UK and New Zealand, and obtained a Bachelor of Business in Marketing from Auckland University of Technology in 1998.

Ford is the one to watch in 2015

Along with a brand new National Parts Distribution Centre opening, 2015 is a record year for Ford New Zealand and new vehicle introductions.

Holter says, “By the end of 2015, in addition to this fantastic new building, we will have introduced in almost every segment smart new vehicles; each with stunning new designs, exciting performance and smart new technologies.”

Ford New Zealand’s record number of new vehicles this year is part of the plan to refresh its entire line-up by 2017. In addition to the freshened Falcon and Territory launched at the beginning of 2015, new vehicles introduced or to be introduced this year include:

• 2015 Ford Mondeo: The all-new, stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo mid-size sedan arrived early in 2015.

• 2015 Ford Kuga: The newly launched Ford Kuga was freshened in early 2015 with new EcoBoost technology, including the 2L EcoBoost engine on high series which offers more power than Toyota’s RAV-4.

• 2015 Ford Focus: A freshened version of the popular car nameplate arrived in the middle of the year and included a refreshed performance model of the Focus ST.

• All-New Ford Everest: The Australian designed and engineered Everest is a technologically advanced, stunningly capable and refined seven-seat SUV that will be launched in 2015.

• 2015 Ford Ranger: A freshened version of the tough, capable and Australian-created Ranger will arrive in 2015 to build on its momentum after becoming the #1 ute in New Zealand

• All-new Mustang: The most advanced version yet of the iconic pony car, offering more advanced driver-assist technology than any other car in its class, a new turbocharged EcoBoost® 2.3-litre and an upgraded 5.0-litre V8 with more than 320 kW.

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