DaimlerChrysler Services and City of Hollywood, Fla. Join Forces to Develop City Park and Playground in One Day

* 200 DC Services executives represent one of the largest volunteer efforts in City of Hollywood's history * CEO Klaus Entenmann: "We live our core values." * Park development is a symbol of employee outreach to entire state

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., and FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Jan. 20 -- Top executives from DaimlerChrysler Services in North America and the City of Hollywood, Fla. combined forces today to turn a vacant piece of land into a beautiful brand new city park and playground for residents in this Southeast Florida city.

Approximately 200 DaimlerChrysler Services executives from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela arrived at the 37-acre site at 35th and Sheridan this morning and actively developed the park, and assembled and installed the playground equipment in one day.

With project management and engineering provided by the City of Hollywood, DaimlerChrysler Services executives rapidly divided into seven teams with specific tasks including:

  *  Assembly and installation of "playscape" and support system
  *  Assembly and installation of car and fire truck jungle gym
  *  Landscaping the play area
  *  Landscaping the park environment by removing weeds, planting trees,
     laying sod, planting drought-resistant plants
  *  Painting murals on a fence with a design provided by a Hollywood Hills
     High School art instructor
  *  Inputting global positioning data for park tree locations.

Klaus Entenmann, President and CEO of DaimlerChrysler Services North America, the financial services unit of DaimlerChrysler, said, "This task was an opportunity for the top executives of the company to demonstrate social responsibility, one of the company's core values.

"We want the core values of this company to be so much more than just words on paper. We want to live our core values," he added.

Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti will lead a park dedication ceremony at the site at 1 p.m. today. The Mayor, along with former Hollywood City Commissioner and current State Rep. Eleanor Sobel, are architects of the City of Hollywood's Volunteer Program.

"DaimlerChrysler Services' actions today will have a lasting positive impact on the residents and children of this community," Mayor Giulianti said. "DaimlerChrysler Services is setting high standards for social responsibility in Southeast Florida."

Entenmann said the park is meant to be a symbol of employee outreach toward citizens of the entire state of Florida in the aftermath of the violent hurricanes in 2004. DaimlerChrysler Services employs more than 200 people in Florida, one of its largest markets, and serves about 200 auto dealerships and their customers. Many DaimlerChrysler Services employees participated in recovery efforts in Florida communities following the hurricanes.

About DaimlerChrysler Services in North America

DaimlerChrysler Services North America LLC provides brand-specific financing for automotive dealers' inventories and their retail consumers and does business as Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Credit. As DaimlerChrysler Services Truck Finance it also finances commercial vehicles for affiliate products such as Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star. The company serves as the headquarters for the operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America and Puerto Rico and has over 5,800 employees who manage a portfolio of more than $85 billion with nearly five million contracts. DaimlerChrysler Services in North America is a member of the DaimlerChrysler Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 39 countries with an employee base exceeding 10,800 and a global portfolio of $123 billion. DaimlerChrysler Services is one of the leading financial services companies worldwide.