L to R: Denis Alexander of Mercedes-Benz of San Diego, Shennen Marschner of Mercedes-Benz USA, and GCLA President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group with the new 2019 15-passenger Sprinter
San Diego — As of July 1, all members of the Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) will now benefit from the Mercedes-Benz Members Discount Program, regardless of fleet size.
For the cost of membership—$75 for in-state operators; $225 for affiliate members based outside California—there are thousands of dollars in savings on the table for the dealer’s executive vans throughout the remainder of 2019 and the entirety of 2020.
The discount breakdown for model-year 2019 vehicles is:
Metris Cargo Van: $2,8000
Metris Passenger Van: $4,200
Sprinter Cargo Van: $5,000
Sprinter Crew Van: $5,000
Sprinter Passenger Van: $5,500
Sprinter Cab Chassis: $3,000
For model-year 2020 vehicles, the discounts are:
Metris Cargo Van: $2,7000
Metris Passenger Van: $3,700
Sprinter Cargo Van (Gas): $1,750
Sprinter Cargo Van (Diesel): $4,000
Sprinter Passenger Van: $4,100
Sprinter Cab Chassis: $3,000
The news broke during the association’s San Diego meeting last month—and came as a pleasant surprise to everyone, according to Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide, who serves as both a GCLA Director and chairman of its Legislative Committee.
GCLA Director and Chairman of Legislative Committee Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide
“When we had our San Diego meeting in June, Mercedes-Benz of San Diego stepped up to be the official meeting sponsor—and then, unbeknownst to us, Denis Alexander from Mercedes of San Diego had reached out to Shennen Marschner at Mercedes’ corporate office to somehow put this deal together in the eleventh hour right before the meeting, where they announced it,” Stewart explained. “It’s really a huge perk that’s normally only available to operators with 25 vehicles or more—and let’s face it, most of our members are smaller companies.”
Stewart added that the discount is only available to members within the United States, though it is not limited to a one-time purchase.
“It’s not a one-and-done deal: However many of these vehicles you purchase, you get the discount on all of them for the remainder of this year and into 2020,” Stewart said. Additionally, the rebate is applicable at any Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Commercial Van dealer in the U.S., so long as the purchaser is a GCLA member in good standing.
While Stewart said that the discount program is great for members, he went on to extoll the benefits it offers the association overall. “It’s a huge marketing tool for the GCLA: We help operators and vendors strengthen their relationships, we keep local members in the know and provide information to our affiliate members who need to know what goes on in LA, San Diego, San Francisco, and all the airports through our distribution lists—plus, for the price of membership, you can enjoy a discount with tremendous amount of savings, so why not join the GCLA?”
To the point of relationships, Stewart said that’s what this discount is ultimately all about.
“Mercedes-Benz of San Diego is a vendor member: You can go to any Mercedes dealer, but these guys are supporting the livery industry by listening to us and helping us out,” he explained. “We should support a dealership that supports us with something really big and a major benefit. When people who ask why they should renew their membership—well, a huge break from a member supplier is just another incredible benefit.”
The next GCLA meeting will be September 17 in Los Angeles.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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