Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Bremen, Germany, Oct 02, 2008

* Key factor for the decision: agreement between Bremen plant management, human resources department and workers' council to introduce pioneering flexibility measures

* Rainer Schmückle, Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The offer from Bremen was convincing, which is why the successor of the current SL model will also be manufactured at the Bremen plant."

* Bremen Plant Manager Peter Schabert: "Our management's decision is a clear indication of its confidence in the skills and accomplishments of the Bremen workforce and is of great importance for our plant's future."


The SL-Class has been manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen since 1989, and the premium roadster will continue to be produced there in the future following a management decision to manufacture the successor of the current Mercedes-Benz SL in Bremen as well. The decision was greatly influenced by the fact that the plant's management, the human resources department and the workers' council reached an agreement to introduce a package of flexibility-enhancing measures.

"Our management's decision is a clear indication of its confidence in the skills and accomplishments of the Bremen workforce and is of great importance for our plant's future," says Plant Manager Peter Schabert. "The decision was possible because we in Bremen created the right conditions in cooperation with the workers' council, which I would like to thank for its constructive cooperation."

The agreement's main feature is the introduction of an additional working-time account for the employees. The work-free days between Christmas and New Year are accumulated in this account over a period of two years. The time in this account can be flexibly used in the form of single or multiple production shifts. Over the two-year period, each employee can work up to ten additional shifts in this way. In addition to introducing this account, the participants agreed to increase the number of special shifts for production launches from four to five per year for each employee. Thanks to the new agreement, the Bremen plant can now respond more flexibly to market demands and customer requirements.

Rainer Schmückle, Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The offer from Bremen was convincing, which is why the successor of the current SL model will also be manufactured at the Bremen plant. I'm confident that the Bremen team will do everything it can to remain competitive and continue the plant's success story."
The new flexibility-enhancing measures have made the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen even more competitive and help to secure its future. The decision also ensures that the plant will continue to serve as the center of expertise for convertibles from Mercedes-Benz. In addition to the Mercedes-Benz SL, the Bremen plant manufactures the SLK-Class (since 1996), the CLK-Class (coupe since 1997, convertible since 2004) and other vehicles. The successor series of the current CLK-Class and SLK will be manufactured in Bremen as well.

Production of the Mercedes-Benz SL in Bremen has a tradition dating back almost 20 years to 1989. The vehicle is renowned for its many pioneering innovations. One particularly notable detail was the fully automated electro-hydraulic folding top; another was the life-saving automatic roll bar, which celebrated its automotive premiere in this car. These and other features required the plant to meet very high standards of production quality. The engineers in Bremen met these requirements by developing all-new production systems for the body shop and vehicle assembly. In cooperation with the production team, the engineers therefore laid the groundwork for the vehicle's success story in Bremen. The plant produced the successor model beginning in 2001. Last year, this vehicle received a Gold Medal for vehicle quality from the U.S. market research institute J.D. Power. In march 2008, Mercedes-Benz began to write a new chapter in the success story of the sports car, which commenced with the legendary gullwing 300 SL in 1954. At the Geneva Motor Show Mercedes-Benz presented the new generation SL.

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