18 Negocios

Photos courtesy of grupo daimler

daimLer innovation and diveRsity

With more than two decades of presence in Mexico, Daimler has earned a leading position in the domestic automotive market, thanks to its constant innovation and the diversity of its products and services.

ecently, Mexico Citys government unveiled plans to transfer all public transport within the metropolis over to alternative drive systems, such as gas, biogas or electrically powered systems within the next few years. As part of that strategy, the city has decided to use trucks running on natural gas or biomethane for its waste-disposal services. Mexico Citys government is planning to use the Econic model from German automaker Daimler to move refuse out of its urban zone. With a 12-ton cargo capacity, the Econic delivers 50% less noise than a conventional truck and when used with natural gas is 40% cheaper than a diesel unit and up to 90% cheaper with biogas. In addition, it emits 20% less carbon dioxide. The eco-friendly truck, marketed under the Mercedes-Benz seal, is the result of Daimlers commitment to quality and innovation, a commitment that has taken the company to a leading position in the Mexican automotive sector. Daimler is the worlds fifth largest automotive company, with more than 380,000 em-

ployees worldwide. Daimler markets some of the best known and respected brands and is the largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world. Grupo Daimler is Daimler AGs subsidiary in Mexico. Daimler has been present in Mexico for more than 20 years and today it employs more than 5,000 people across the country. The company manages three business units: Daimler Vehculos Comerciales Mxico, Daimler Financial Services and Mercedes-Benz Mxico. Daimler Vehculos Comerciales, has an outstanding position in terms of sales in Mexico and has always innovated in the market for passenger and cargo vehicles. This business unit has three manufacturing facilities in the country. One, located in Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de Mxico, produces Freightlinerbranded heavy and medium-duty trucks for domestic Mexico sales, as well as for export to Latin America, the US and Canada. A second plant, located in Saltillo, Coahuila, manufactures Freightliners Cascadia heavy-duty Class 8 truck. This facility can produce up to 30,000 Cascadia trucks annually for sale in the US, Canadian, and Mexican

markets. In the first quarter of 2011, Daimlers plants in Estado de Mxico and Coahuila produced 17,866 units. In Garca, Nuevo Len, a third Daimler facility assembles buses and Mercedes-Benz chassis. In the first quarter of 2011, Daimlers plant in Nuevo Len produced 947 buses. The plant, which began operating in 1994, has approximately 350 employees. In recent years, Daimler has gradually shifted part of its production from the US to Mexico and now accounts for over 50% of the commercial vehicle market, according to data from the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers (ANPACT, for its acronym in Spanish). The company holds 26.9% of the NAFTA market for Class 5-8 commercial vehicles (7.3 tonnes and more ). The Daimler Garca plant has gotten better and better over the last 15 years. Its history actually began in 1993, when Daimler-Benz launched a partnership with the Brazilian bus-body manufacturer CAIO and began assembling urban buses. The frontengine bus chassis were built by Mercedes at its So Bernardo do Campo plant, the bus

mexicOS ParTner enersave mexicOS ParTner daimler

bodies by CAIO. Soon after the partnership was launched, the Monterrey plant went into operation and began assembling buses with rear-mounted engines. In 1998, the plant officially took over the bus chassis operations previously carried out by the Santiago Tianguistenco plant, producing its first chassis in 1999. Truck assembly operations were subsequently launched as well, and in 2000 the facility established a joint venture with Marcopolo. Daimler invested around 80 million usd in its Nuevo Len plant between 1993 and 2009. Investment in 2007 and 2008 totaled approximately 1.6 million usd. The Nuevo Len facility participates in a development network with Mercedes-Benz sister plants in Brazil and Germany. Among other things, high-altitude tests for various types of commercial vehicles are carried out in Mexico. In the first quarter of 2011, Daimler manufacturing facilities in Mexico had an output of 18,813 units, which represent a 49.7% share of the Mexican market for heavy vehicles in that period. Aside from its assembling plants, Daimler Vehculos Comerciales also has an interna-

tional distribution center of autoparts in San Luis Potos, where the company manages a catalogue of more than 95,000 parts.

in recent years, daimler has gradUally shifted part of its prodUction from the Us to mexico and now accoUnts for over 50% of the commercial vehicle market, according to data from the national association of BUs, trUck and tractor prodUcers (anpact, for its acronym in spanish).

Mercedes-Benz Mexico is responsible for importing and marketing a wide range of cars of the brands Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, AMG and Smart. The brand of the star remains the most aspirational premium car segment and the number one in customer satisfaction. In May 2011, Mercedes-Benz celebrated a milestone in Mexico. At the end of that month, Mercedes-Benz Mexico reported an increase of 74.5% in sales over the same period in 2010, achieving sales of 930 units, Mercedes-Benz 531, 101 298 Smart and Mercedes-Benz vans.
www.daimler.com.mx