Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSCAN) has opened a significantly expanded Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) in Mississauga.

First opened in early 2011, MMSCAN’s original PDC warehouse featured 97,000 square feet of space, allowing it to support what was, at the time, a network of around 80 dealers across Canada. But with the number of dealers now expanded to 96, and a total of 21 years worth of vehicle introductions and updates in Canada, the original PDC space was overflowing, requiring inefficient off-site storage use.

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, MMSCAN President and CEO Kenji Harada officially cut the ribbon on the adjacent 67,000-square-foot warehouse unit in Mississauga, which is now connected to the original space through large openings in the walls.

Harada was MMSCAN’s Manager of Parts and Accessories in the late 2000s when the company planned for and opened the original PDC. He went on to other executive roles globally with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation before returning to Canada as President and CEO in 2021. It was a full-circle moment when he opened the second unit on Tuesday.

“This expansion of our parts centre is a reflection of Mitsubishi Motors’ growth in Canada,” Harada said. “We owe a debt of gratitude for the hard work and dedication of our entire MMSCAN team, from all of the workers in our parts warehouse to everyone working in our 96 dealerships across Canada.”

Dealers support programs

In addition to allowing all of the off-site storage to be brought to the expanded space, it will also allow MMSCAN to reintroduce several dealer support programs that had been put on hold because of a lack of space within the original PDC. For example, the Dealer Obsolescence Program will resume in November, which allows dealers to send back unsold parts for a credit. This also supports the company’s environmental sustainability goals, as it means fewer parts going to landfills in local communities.

“We’ve had the PDC for 12 years, and in that time, we’ve seen the number of parts we ship from this building each day double,” said Brian McGrath, Director, Aftersales for MMSCAN. “Moving forward, if we’re going to continue at that cadence of business by adding more dealers and increasing the volume of vehicles in operation, we need more space. This is about improving our supply chain, which is a key part of our business.”