Isuzu grows South African footprint with new Durban service center
A brand-new Isuzu truck service and parts center has opened its doors in Durban South.
The centre will support three distinct commercial vehicle brands - Key Durban Truck Service Centre: the servicing and supply of parts for Isuzu trucks, Key Vehicle Management (KVM) which includes Key Hire, Key Smart Buy (Hire vehicle disposal outlet).
Isuzu Motors South Africa's consolidation of its truck and light commercial business earlier this year, accelerated the Key Group's decision to establish a new service presence in the Durban market.
Paul Emanuel, Key Group Chairman said, "A new commercial vehicle service centre is not a choice made in isolation - it is a carefully pondered decision derived from strategic thinking over ten years. Instead of doubling up in the West at Pinetown, it made more strategic sense to bring support services to the market growth points - namely Durban South and Prospecton, from the Umgeni industrial area to Amanzimtoti."
The new Isuzu commercial centre is just off both the M4 and N2 highways, adjacent to the massive Clairwood Logistics Park which, at 358 000m2, is Fortress REIT Ltd.'s biggest national investment in industrial logistics property.
The Durban-Pinetown industrial region, stretching to the boundaries of eThekwini municipality, represents the second largest truck market after Gauteng in Southern Africa. Added to this there are over 50 000 Isuzu trucks on South Africa's roads nationwide - with many travelling in and out of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) where Durban is the end of the logistical corridor.
From an aftermarket perspective the real market interest lies in the one to ten-year market of which there are just over 5 000 Isuzu trucks to be serviced in KZN.
The Key Durban Truck Centre has a workshop with six bays and a monthly 1 500 labour-hour capacity. Each bay is 17m in length to cater for two trucks in the same bay, depending on truck configuration, a fully stocked Isuzu truck parts department, and A-grade space for KVM and Key Hire - now one of the largest KZN Isuzu fleet owners with 400 units under contract management and hire.
This facility will cater for the service and repairs not only of the Isuzu franchise brands but all brands under our KVM umbrella. This offers any fleet owner that operates multiple vehicle brands in their fleet a one-stop service provider.
The new site has the latest equipment installed from an environmental aspect. This ranges from a covered ultra-modern wash-bay, grease traps and water storage with recycling to highly energy-efficient LED lights fitted at the facility.
Full workshop cleaning equipment has been installed and will be utilized daily to keep not only the workshop but the entire facility clean.
Key Durban Truck Centre makes this Key Group facility a very attractive place to work.
The working areas are all under cover while LED energy saving lights have been installed across the entire facility, from workshops to offices and external lighting.
A driver rest room has been catered for, including a shower, rest facilities and a comfortable waiting area with refreshments. A full suite of facilities caters for the well-being of all Key employees ranging from a kitchenette, canteen, storage facilities, showers, laundry facilities for technicians' overalls and parking.
Emanuel concludes: "This new workshop has been built around Isuzu Motors South Africa's global standards and systems, but more importantly, local requirements have also been accounted for. It's not only the building and property, but our investment includes special tools, lubrication systems, storage and software systems exceeding R2-million. We are keenly aware of reducing vehicle downtime and parts supply is a focus area."
