As a sign of new beginnings, the first Mercedes-Benz will be celebrated plant in Russia. But despite the festive mood at the opening ceremony, the celebration can be about the many problems.
Large parts of the building 40 kilometres North-West of the capital are still unused, the machines are new. Items such as fenders and engines stack up in the adjacent warehouses, not Packed in thick plastic. The new factory is framed seems to be made of birch forests and pine trees, the sun.
More than 1000 skilled workers, to build this new Mercedes factory in Moscow, the new E-class. Currently, there are just 500. How many cars are run per year is not fixed yet – depends on demand. Potentially it can be up to 25,000.
Vladimir Putin (Second from left), Peter Altmaier (Second from right) and (far right) Dieter Zetsche at the opening ceremony.
The President is pleased
Russian President Vladimir Putin personally came to the opening of the plant. However, he makes the other guests only once waiting a whopping two hours long. But then he appears, however, and assured the audience that the great popularity of the cars with the star delight in his Kingdom.
Then he praised Daimler for the commitment and the investment. After all, the Swabians have put 250 million euros in the plant. Putin had the opportunity to not waste, to promote the Russian market. Last year, Russia exported 15 percent more cars than in the previous year. In other words, The President further investments in the Russian industry wants from Germany and the West.
The Minister sees a lighthouse
Federal Minister Peter Altmaier praised the production site Russia: “20 years Ago, we’ve mainly talked about the raw materials of this country. Now we speak of the raw materials and the industry,” said Altmaer at the opening. He praised the skill of the Russian skilled workers and called the Daimler plant in a lighthouse project in German-Russian relations.
“Of course, we need to solve our political problems,” said the Minister, cited the conflict in Ukraine, not in name. On the sidelines of the event, the Minister has found, as we Heard, time to talk to Putin about these political differences. A successful Russia, he assured the President and about 200 guests from politics and economy, be in the interest of Germany..
Mercedes‘ Russian past
Finally, group chief Executive Dieter Zetsche reminded that the first Benz was already delivered in 1894, in the then tsarist Russia. For the past six years, Daimler is the most successful Premium manufacturer in Russia. Sales have doubled in the last 10 years.
250 million euros on the “green Meadow”: The Mercedes-Benz plant in Yesipovo in the vicinity of Moscow.
Russia is for the Stuttgart-based is actually a important market. Almost 38,000 vehicles sold in 2018, three per cent more than the year before. For 2019, the Swabians expect a slight Plus for the entire market.
On leaving Russia
The previously formulated goal of making Russia the largest market in Europe, is in the distance. Especially, there are always negative headlines – of non-utilized production facilities. And the difficulties are due to Sanctions against Russia not to underestimate. But Daimler does not contest, apparently.
“We want to produce where our customers are,” he said at the ceremony. He envisaged that in the future, also SUVs from Daimler in Russia could be produced. Zetsche thanked President Putin and his government for the assistance, bureaucratic hurdles quickly. The plant has been pulled in one and a half years. “We can leave here in Russia to our partners,” he said.