Spartan Motor Factors has announced it has added the first Sprinter models to its fleet of more than 40 Mercedes-Benz Citan and Vito vans.
Established in 2012, by former RAF officer Jason Farrugia and his co-Directors, former school friend Lee Gratton, and Daniel Webb, both of whom already had experience of working within the automotive parts sector, the firm operates from a network of 12 branches.
These span throughout South Wales and the South West, with the latest branch opening in Bristol in July and more plans to launch a further three before the end of this year.
Its Mercedes-Benz vans have all arrived via the Cardiff branch of Dealer Euro Commercials, with the majority being small Citans. Between three and eight Long-bodied 109 CDIs are based at each of Spartan Motor Factors’ branches, and are used to deliver a comprehensive range of products including friction, filtration and other parts, lubricants, paints, welding gas, and tools, to trade and private customers within 45 minutes of the order being received.
The Vito Sport 116 CDI and 119 CDI crew vans are assigned to branch managers and have reportedly proved highly effective in helping the company to attract the best candidates.
The Sprinters, meanwhile, are both 3.5-tonne H2 L2 314 CDI variants with high roofs and long bodies. They are based at the distribution hub in Newport, which the company also opened this year, from where they are used to replenish its network of branches.
Spartan Motor Factors was said to be previously running a ‘mixed bag’ of vans as Jason and Lee acquired a pair of pre-owned Vito crew vans from Euro Commercials in 2015, for personal as well as business use. That transaction marked the beginning of a relationship, which has reportedly gone from strength-to-strength.
Jason replaced his Vito with a new version in 2017, and the following year Spartan Motor Factors commissioned 23 Citans and a further seven Vito crew vans.
Now firmly wedded to Mercedes-Benz, it has taken delivery of another 10 Citans and a couple more Vito models this year, as well as the two Sprinters, and will add more as it extends its reach by opening further branches.
Jason explained: “We’d tried vans by a couple of other manufacturers previously and suffered reliability issues with both of them. By contrast, we’ve never had a problem with a Mercedes-Benz. They’re fit for purpose, cost-effective to operate, and lead the field in terms of safety. Our drivers confirm they’re also a lot nicer to drive than the vehicles they were in previously.
“Business success for Spartan is all about providing customers with a fast, reliable ‘one-stop-shop’ service. If a customer has a car stripped and up on a ramp, and he needs a part to get the job finished, he wants it as soon as possible. We have to live up to our delivery promise, and in order to do that we need vans which won’t let us down.”
