Mercedes-Benz Canada Opens New Logistics Centre and Training Facility as CEO Departs

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The opening of a new logistics center and training facility for Mercedes-Benz Canada drew some of the German automaker’s top brass, but they weren’t there to just cut the ribbon on a new warehouse. No, the event also doubled as the send-off for M-B Canada CEO Marcus Breitschwerdt.

The man in charge of Benz’s Canadian operations is journeying to the UK where he will head up the German automaker’s division there. Breitschwerdt has successfully piloted the brand in Canada where he established it as the premiere luxury marque in the country, wrestling the lead away from BMW.

As for the new logistics center, it’s a much needed new facility for the brand after the split with Chrysler. The warehouse stores 45,000 parts at any given time and has long hours (6 a.m. to 11 p.m.) to better serve dealers in the world’s second-largest country by land mass.

Included among the M-B brass were Joachim Schmidt and Roman Fischer. Schmidt, VP of Sales and Marketing, revealed that the parts and service department represent one-third of all of Mercedes-Benz profits, while Fischer, VP of Global Service & Parts Operations Support Service, put a more specific number on the tally, stated in 2010 Mercedes sold 7.3 Billion Euros in parts.

Set to fill Breitschwerdt’s shoes and take control of a shiny new logistics center is Tim Reuss, a career Mercedes man with 24 years at the company, with is most recent appointment being with Mercedes-Benz in Italy where he headed up the retail division.