Ever since SPNA has existed there have been questions about how well stocked they are, what they are doing to replenish the Saab parts supply and even others that just want to see inside. Recently Tim Rokka was at Saab Parts in Sweden and his visit prompted me to contact the guys at SPNA to see if I could get some photos of the warehouse and to answer some operational questions. This is what I got.
The warehousing, distribution and sales of Saab parts and accessories is handled through the Allentown, PA warehouse. Measuring 153,000 sq. /ft., with over 50,000 part numbers and 70,000 parts on-hand, the facility receives shipments on a weekly basis and ships daily nationwide across the service center network. The facility can ship over 3,000 order lines each day.
The warehouse facility is stocked with the parts service centers and owners need. And with recent agreements to use Saab Automobile’s press and body shop to manufacture replacement body panels and assembled parts, body shops will find an abundance of available stock for all current models, ensuring everything from routine maintenance to complete repair work is performed quickly and efficiently.
In a very short time, SPNA has made the parts business better for dealers and customers, in most cases better than before bankruptcy. Are there still some issues with certain parts availability? Yes, that being said they are doing absolutely everything in their powers to fix these problems. As far as SPNA goes, it is rather ensuring to me to have been granted access through photos and contact to see that they are fully operational and there for all of us. The guys at SPNA check SU every day and read your comments and even reply in the posts from time to time and operate as a hands on team that are always there when called upon. I want to thank Christopher Wiseman at SPNA who when I had emailed what I was looking for had emailed me back with photos and words within a couple of hours, that is just the way these folks are.
Jason,
How neat to learn after living in the Lehigh Valley/ABE area (Eastern Pennsylvania, USA for our friends in rest of the world) all my life, that Saab Parts NA is right in my backyard!! Small world isn’t it?? Thanks for the pics and info!
No problem and yes it is a small world. Glad you enjoyed it, looks like a great facility too.
Living where I do in New Jersey, the Allentown facility is an hour or so away (and just about all highway). I’ve been there as part of a NJ Saab Club outing, probably in the 90s.
just about all highway would make for a nice run
They better hide that Griffin!
hmm, wonder if they have to considering they never went bankrupt at Saab Parts…. never thought about that.
if you look at their most recent add with us to the right, they still use the old logo there too.
Shhh! 😉
Just because Saab (cars) went bankrupt does not mean that I have to take the griffin off my 2008 9-3. I would say Saab Parts still owns the Griffin, too. So, what happens if NEVS buys Saab Parts?
I would imagine at that point they would change it so that everything was the same. That would be what made sense if it were to happen.
Saabtec, as 2010 9-3 owner, you got me all excited there for a minute!
Oh well, thanks for the rest of the information!! 🙂
Wow, now *that’s* what I call a CANDY STORE ! 😀
Many of us NG 9-5 owners w/ HUD need an inventory of windshields. Apparently there are none available in the USA at all. If theyt crack or shatter, we’re screwed!
March on Stockholm for HUD windshields!!! We love our HUD, we don’t think having a blurry HUD is acceptable for the price we paid for ths car. Perhaps if you all had HUD, you may feel a bit differently regarding our situation. I know it’s hardly life or death, but we are on an enthusiast site, aren’t we? We want to fullt enjoy the vehicles we bought new, partially in an effort to keep Saab Automobile AB afloat. We don’t want to hear how they are separate companies. We are very aware.
I was told non HUD were available, I’ll ask again tomorrow but I understood them to be available. As far as small manufacturers and why take a chance on them, I can’t answer for you and I’d let the product answer it for you wether you do or don’t. Time will tell.
At this time, we still can’t even get non-HUD windshields with lane departure warning and rain sensors.
The base windshield has the rain sensor on the wrong side. It will not work for us. We will all have loose wires. Someone tried to order one, thinking they could do without the lane departure warning, only to find that the rain sensor was (for some stupid reason) on the opposite side. This is not a solution for us.
I just got another response to this and you could get a non HUD with lane departure which to me is strange only because in Canada if you had one you had both…….. My head is starting to hurt. lol. I will continue to do what I can which really amounts to just keep asking as to when a solution is in place.
Thanks Jason! They certainly didn’t make it easy, did they?
Why did we never get a response on the price Saint-Gobain was asking for the patented HUD windshields? Again, these were not only made available to Saab. Lexus, BMW, Buick, and Cadillac all have a HUD option on several models.
I don’t have this answer other than to say, I don’t know if this is who they are still communicating with now but either way, I don’t know that either would want the number out as it gives other companies an idea of a number to beat and also makes it difficult to get a fair number for price. Maybe I’m wrong but that is my opinion on it.
I just don’t get it. It seems like Saint Gobain has an axe to grind with Saab Parts and is making this very difficult, OR Saab Parts is just too cheap – which I find hard to believe since they are owned by the Swedish people at the moment. Either way, it sucks.
If it is not economical for the windshield maker to produce a full line of windshields why not make just the HUD version. Whatever they make will be priced based on relatively small volume, so will including the HUD feature in all windshields cost that much more than producing just the intermediate windshield? Or would using a HUD windshield in a non-HUD car be a problem.
As for SPNA, we are fortunate that they have done so well to reorganize themselves after the SAAB bankruptcy.
I agree, we are fortunate. There is no problem with using a HUD windshield in a non-HUD vehicle. I’m sure it is just too much money.
Thanks for this info. Do we have any idea how many LHD with HUD were produced? I would imagine quite a few were sold in Sweden,
Off – topic but there are no recent postings or articles about NEVS or electric vehicles.
EV’s are not doing too well according to Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/01/us-coda-chapter-idUSBRE94007L20130501
Reuters is talking about Coda and don’t mention that though Coda struggled to sell 100 cars, Tesla sold I believe somewhere around 4300 in the first 1/4 making them the leaders in the EV game. Where some are not doing well, others exceed for now anyways.
Jason, thank you for such a nice article on SPNA. We are looking forward to a strong presence from them at Carlisle in 16 days!