Customers of one of East Anglia’s oldest businesses are now receiving deliveries of the furniture it retails, from a pair of state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz trucks.
Smartly finished in distinctive purple, the 7.5-tonne Atego have box bodies bearing an image of the iconic Jarrolds department store on London Street, Norwich, one of the region’s most recognisable landmarks.
The Jarrold Group can trace its roots back to 1770. Now under the seventh generation of family ownership, it operates several other retail stores throughout Norfolk, and also has interests in property and training.
The Mercedes-Benz Atego range from 6.5 to 16 tonnes GVW is purpose-designed for light- and medium-duty distribution work, as well as construction applications. It combines outstanding driving dynamics with exceptional comfort and manoeuvrability.
Jarrold’s new trucks are the subject of a Mercedes-Benz Financial Services contract hire agreement, under which they are being inspected and maintained at the Norwich branch of supplying Dealer Orwell Truck & Van.
Both are Atego 816 models with ClassicSpace day cabs – one has an optional third seat, as Jarrold sends out a team of three for larger deliveries. Advanced, fuel-efficient 5.1-litre engines produce 115 kW (156 hp) and are paired with smooth, six-speed Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmissions that additionally contribute to economy.
Based at the Jarrold Group’s warehouse in Norwich, the Atego are now delivering furniture to customers as far afield as Cambridgeshire, Essex and Lincolnshire, as well as throughout East Anglia. They are also used to keep its stores well stocked.
One of the new trucks has replaced a 7.5-tonne Mercedes-Benz Vario which had been in service for more than 10 years. “That truck proved exceptionally reliable,” confirmed Jarrold’s Warehouse Manager Charlotte Field.
“In our experience Mercedes-Benz vehicles are built to a very high standard and are cost-effective to operate, while the three-pointed star badge can only complement our own, premium brand values.”
Jarrold is an enthusiastic supporter of other local businesses. The boxes on its latest trucks were built by Commercial Bodies, also of Norwich, and its relationship with Orwell Truck & Van was a key factor behind the decision to acquire the Atego.
“We have relied for many years on Orwell to service our vehicles,” continued Ms Field. “Not only is the Dealer highly professional when it comes to after sales support, but its Truck Sales Executive Lee Betts also went to great lengths to ensure that the new trucks are perfectly specified for our operation.”
Jarrold was founded in Woodbridge, Suffolk, by John Jarrold I. It moved to Norwich in 1823 and today employs more than 450 people.
