Sagito Motor (M) Sdn Bhd (hereinafter referred to as Sagito Motor) opened the doors to its new FUSO 3S Centre in a grand opening ceremony on 26th February 2020. The state-of-the-art facility sits along Jalan Kempas Lama, Johor Bahru and will be dedicated to the sales, services, and spare parts divisions for FUSO commercial vehicles.

Officiating the event was Mr R Kumaran, Director of Sagito Motor, who, in his speech, stated that the upgrade of the dealer’s previous 1S centre in Tampoi to a 3S brand-dedicated facility had been “a real learning experience.” Construction of the 3S centre was kicked off in January 2019 with a ground-breaking ceremony. While Kumaran had been considering the business prospect since 2015, it was not until during a trip to a Fuso 3S Centre in Kochi, India in 2017, along with the encouragement and reassurance from the Daimler team, that helped spark a vision in Kumaran to come to the decision to expand.

The decision to open the 3S centre along Jalan Kempas Lama was an easy one. Unlike the city centre, where everything is in close proximity to each other, Jalan Kempas Lama is spacious with open roads, ideal for commercial vehicles to come in and out of. Moreover, the nearest major highway, travelled by trucks of all shapes and sizes, is only 2 kilometres away. “This place is an upcoming place, especially in three to four years,” Kumaran told Asian Trucker, “so what we are focused on is the customers who are on the road for the long haul. Perhaps they can drop by here, get some rest while we service their vehicles, and continue on with their journey.” With a railway track also currently under construction, Jalan Kempas Lama has much potential to be a hub. “This place is the future.”

Sagito Motor’s new 3S facility was designed based on the recommended international standards set by Mitsubishi FUSO Truck and Bus Corporation. As one enters the showroom, one can instantly see how well lit and spacious the showroom is. The showroom itself can display up to four units of trucks, while the workshop in the back has four work lanes which are capable of servicing up to eight trucks, from light- to heavy-duty. The rear side of the centre is also equipped with a spare parts counter, a compressor and battery storage room, a warranty room, a lubricant store, a unit repair store, and a room for air-conditioning repair and storage for wheels and tyres. Within the building is a comfortable environment for customers of both sales and aftersales services, and the provided amenities include a driver rest area, a customer lounge, a pantry supplied with light snacks, and not forgetting a prayer room.

Sagito Motor has been an established FUSO trucks dealer for more than 18 years in the commercial vehicle industry. As someone who has been in sales since 1990, Kumaran noted to Asian Trucker about how he has learned to fully understand customers’ needs: “After all these years, it was clear to me that customers want a one-stop center. So that is why we came to this decision to put everything under one roof.” Kumaran also stressed on how this is just the beginning of the learning stage and how there is still to be a long journey ahead. “Once we have gone stage by stage, we will have gone further because the potential is there. We trust FUSO.”