DaimlerChrysler Celebrates Oldest DaimlerChrysler Plant's 100th Anniversary

Berlin / Stuttgart, Germany, October 02, 2002

DaimlerChrysler is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Berlin-Marienfelde plant today. Established as the "Daimler-Motorengesellschaft" on October 2, 1902, the engine plant in southern Berlin is the oldest DaimlerChrysler production facility in the world.

An impressive milestone in the history of German industry

In the presence of German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and several hundred invited guests from the fields of business, politics and society, DaimlerChrysler CEO Jürgen E. Schrempp described the 100th anniversary of the Berlin plant as an "impressive milestone in the history of German industry," and emphasized the company's commitment to the German capital. "The plant in Berlin-Marienfelde is an indispensable part of DaimlerChrysler," said Schrempp in highlighting the engine plant's importance as a system supplier for the company.

Second DaimlerChrysler passenger-car engine plant in Germany

Along with the Untertürkheim plant, the Berlin plant is one of two DaimlerChrysler passenger-car engine plants in Germany. The facility's workforce of approximately 3,200 makes it the third-largest industrial employer in the German capital. A total of some 180 trainees also receive a solid education in nine different technical and commercial professions here. "The Berlin plant has one of the highest proportions of trainees in the automotive industry," Schrempp said while emphasizing the importance of training for the country's economic future and praising the extraordinarily high qualification and motivation of the workers, whose flexibility and wealth of ideas have contributed substantially to the plant's success.

The V8 diesel engines and V12 bi-turbo engines for Mercedes-Benz S-, CL-, M- and G-Class vehicles are produced in Marienfelde, as are the engines for smart brand vehicles and the Type 12 engine for the Maybach high-end sedan - the most powerful and highest-torque engine series in the world. What's more, the plant has become a global supplier for the automotive industry. A particularly wide range of new production engines are manufactured on a highly flexible assembly line in small numbers.

Re-conditioned engine production and the focus on components and parts are other important elements of the plant's product spectrum. The entire process chain is covered - from product development, design and assessment all the way to prototype construction, testing and series production. Every Mercedes-Benz and smart brand vehicle is fitted with components from the Berlin plant, whose portfolio will be extended to include a number of new products over the coming years.

Numerous activities are taking place to mark the Berlin plant's birthday. For example, open-house days are scheduled for October 5 and 6, when interested visitors are invited to take a look behind the scenes in Marienfelde.

Every DaimlerChrysler business unit is represented in the region

With a total of more than 9,300 employees in Berlin and Brandenburg, DaimlerChrysler is represented in the region by every one of its business units. "We consider ourselves to be an active part of the community in Berlin and Brandenburg," said Schrempp. The headquarters of the DaimlerChrysler Services subsidiary and DaimlerChrysler's German Sales Organization (DCVD) are both located at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, while the Ludwigsfelde commercial vehicle plant is a long-standing, state-of-the-art manufacturing location. MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg, a subsidiary of MTU Aero Engines, offers worldwide services related to aircraft engines. DaimlerChrysler Research is also represented at various locations in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. Moreover, the Group's representative office in Haus Huth at Postdamer Platz, which was opened in October 1999, is a place where figures and representatives from all walks of public life, from both Germany and abroad, can engage in fruitful dialog with one another.