New plant to help meet US demand for Sprinter

The Sprinter’s No. 2 global sales market last year was North America, where the light commercial vehicle is sold under the Dodge and Freightliner brands.

Factory in South Carolina will supply large vans to Dodge and Freightliner

Bradford Wernle | Automotive News / April 30, 2007 - 1:00 am / SANTA MONICA, California, USA -- DaimlerChrysler hopes the opening of a new US factory for its Sprinter light commercial vehicle will help keep dealers happy.

The Mercedes-Benz-based Dodge Sprinter has been redesigned for the 2007 model year. On March 27, DaimlerChrysler officially opened the plant to produce the Sprinter and its sibling, the Freightliner Sprinter, in Charleston, South Carolina.

“They’re in good demand,” said Carl Galeana, owner of US dealership Van Dyke Dodge in Warren, Michigan. “But they’re having a hard time filling the orders. The Sprinter is a great vehicle, but the distribution is screwed up.”

Galeana, one of about 400 Dodge Business Link dealers qualified to sell the Sprinter, said he has been unable to get any Sprinters for several months. Charleston production has been ramping up since August.

Steven Landry, Chrysler vice president of sales and field operations, said the Sprinter is in high demand around the globe. He said that US dealers have to compete with dealers in other countries to get them.

“It’s simple supply and demand,” he said at a press event here. “Because it’s brand new, we’re getting our fair share. But dealers and customers would like to have a few more.”

With 25,000 Sprinters sold in 2006 in North America, it has become the light commercial vehicle’s second-largest global market after Germany.

DaimlerChrysler launched the Sprinter in North America in 2001.

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Top 5 in 2006 The Sprinter’s leading sales markets 1. Germany: 65,200 2. North America: 25,000 3. UK: 22,600 4.France: 21,900 5. Spain: 16,500 Source: Company

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Everywhere else in the world the Sprinter is marketed under the Mercedes brand. Mercedes makes the light commercial vehicle at plants in Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfeld, Germany. Those plants also make a version of the model for Volkswagen, which VW markets as the Crafter.

DaimlerChrysler built the Charleston factory because its assembly plant in Gaffney, South Carolina, was limited to about 22,000 units a year. The new plant will be able to assemble 32,000 vehicles annually from kits. The Charleston plant employs about 180 and can be expanded, said Randy Jones, commercial vehicle communications manager for Dodge. The Gaffney plant has closed.

The Business Link franchise is coveted by some Dodge dealers who don’t qualify for it. They believe the big van is an important showroom draw.

To qualify, dealers must have special tools and lifts to service Sprinters, extra-large service area doors to accommodate the big vans and extra service hours for businesses that use the vans around the clock.