With a history dating back to 1906, family-owned Namibian automotive company, Metje+Ziegler Group, officially opened a new MAN sales and servicing dealership in Windhoek last year to meet growing demand in the region for both MAN and Volkswagen trucks and buses.

The organisation has an extensive dealer network in Namibia that includes multi-branded commercial vehicle and passenger car facilities, with the new dealership, Autohaus Windhoek Truck & Bus, catering to MAN and Volkswagen heavy commercial vehicle operators.

Metje+Ziegler Group has an extensive dealer network in Namibia that includes multi-branded commercial vehicle and passenger car facilities.

Originally a dedicated Volkswagen truck and bus sales and service dealership, Metje+Ziegler Group’s Autohaus division acquired the MAN franchise in 2010 when the two German brands merged following Volkswagen AG’s acquiring a majority stake of MAN AG that same year.

According to Robert Clough, Head of MAN Sub-Equatorial Africa, Autohaus Truck & Bus has improved MAN’s market share in Namibia by 150% since acquiring the franchise five years ago, giving the MAN brand a total national market share of 20%.

At the official opening of the dealership (which boasts a 600m² workshop situated on two hectares of property), Metje+Ziegler Group Managing Director, Verena Grüttemeyer, said: “This is not only our new truck and bus facility but also a central point for all new vehicles being delivered to the Metje+Ziegler Group for pre-delivery inspection and dispatch to our respective dealerships.

We have been operating this facility for the last six weeks and it has made a huge difference to our business. Despite teething pains, Autohaus Windhoek Truck & Bus will now be able to raise service levels, with a new parts facility holding a boosted inventory to the value of NAD5 million (R5 million).

A new inspection pit is ready and will improve vehicle servicing turnaround times for our truck and bus customers. The workshop can accommodate eight vehicles at a time and with our team of nine highly-trained technicians, we will be able to keep customer vehicle downtime a minimum.

Congratulating Grüttemeyer and her colleagues, Clough stated: “This new facility truly reflects MAN’s new slogan, ‘MAN kann’ and represents a huge step forward in increasing MAN’s market share and presence in Namibia.”

Grüttemeyer concluded the ceremony by stating: “When you buy a truck or bus from Autohaus Truck & Bus, you become part of the Metje+Ziegler Group family. This new facility has the space, the tools, the parts and the r ight people to efficiently accord with MAN’s UpTime Principle, and our customers can rest assured that they will be well looked after both here and at all Metje+Ziegler Group dealerships around Namibia.”