On 5 December 2019, the group from Alsace-Lorraine organized the inaugural evening of its new Mercedes site in Metz (57). A true flagship of the plate directed by Paul Kroely, it becomes the reference of the MAR 2020 program of Mercedes-Benz, in France.
Unpublished, pharaonic, sumptuous … the qualifiers are not lacking to describe the brand new site offered by the Kroely Group to Mercedes-Benz France. On December 5, 2019, Paul Kroely and his team organized the inauguration of a brand new flagship, in Metz (57), in the presence of representatives of the brand, the Town Hall and customers of the concession. A point of sale that is distinguished by a unique feature in France, that of relying on the same ground, a building dedicated to the VP and another dedicated to the LCVs and VIs, when the others usually house all activities under one roof.
The Kroely group has in fact moved its location after acquiring land in the heart of the commercial area, located north of Metz. In this place of concentration of the main automobile distributors of the city, it now has a total area of 60 000 m², against 40 000 m² for the former location to the south. For an investment that exceeded the threshold of 10 million euros, he proceeded to the work that led to the two separate buildings. The VP has been set up in 4,500 m², including 718 m² of exhibition space, 1,049 m² of mechanical workshop, 1,103 m² of bodywork service, 110 m² of washing area and 94 m² of tire hotel. . The LCVs / VIs benefit from 3,200 m², including 363 m² of hall.
Second Van ProCenter
Powered by green energy, each of the premises meets above all MAR 2020 standards, the latest architectural standard introduced by Mercedes. For the second time, therefore, a VUL / VI hexagonal point of sale adopts this standard. The first already belonging to the Alsatian group. ” We guessed that the brand would eventually impose it and that it would be more expensive to finance the transformation ,” says Paul Kroely, the president, ” so we made the decision to introduce it early.“Business customers will therefore enjoy the same logic of consumer journey that those visiting the dealership VP.As an example, where in the VP, the presentation of products and services is provided by a Star Expert, it will be by a Van Expert, as of the beginning of January 2020.
More than a reinforcement of the teams, this recruitment testifies to the progress of the group Kroely in the field. As Eric Chanzy points out , the manager of the VUL / VI plate in Lorraine for the distributor, the Nancy site was the first in France to have completed the four stages of the Van ProCenter certification, in Nancy (54), and the labeling has been granted also to Metz. In France, 60% of the network will have obtained certification by the end of 2019, representing 75% of volumes sold. ” This actually increases the costs of LCV / VI distribution and we know that the profitability will have to wait until the second year, admits Eric Chanzy, but the
85 million euros of turnover
More than LCV and VI, the pressure will be on the shoulders of all commercial resources to amortize this major investment. The group plans to register 600 new cars, 283 LCVs and 120 commercial vehicles. To this will be added lots of second-hand products, including 500 private cars, 110 LCVs and 80 VIs. With the contribution of various services, the Mercedes site should make a balance sheet reporting a turnover of 85 million euros. For the record, the group of 17 outlets in Alsace and Lorraine should total just under 4,000 Mercedes and 200 new smart, 3,000 VO to private and 3,000 to merchant, 1,300 new and used LCV 500, and than 400 VI new and 100 used. Volumes that make Paul Kroely the third Mercedes distributor in France.
The Metz field will see another project set up in 2021. To optimize its flows, Paul Kroely made the decision to build an OV reconditioning plant. Owned entirely by the group, it will work in part thanks to an agreement found with another distribution group that will entrust its vehicles to it. The president did not want to reveal the name of this partner. All we know is that it will bring a volume of about 2,000 OV to be processed, in addition to the 3,000 units of the Kroely Group, for a total of nearly 5,000 vehicles, for an annual capacity of 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles. ” We do not believe in the profitability of the project, but in its operational necessity ,” slides the president.