Opening its doors just months after Germany become one again, this van-making facility has turned 25
A Daimler manufacturing plant in Ludwigsfelde, Germany is celebrating its 25th anniversary after opening its doors in the wake of the country’s unification.
The facility, which has completed over 660,000 Mercedes-Benz vans, began producing vehicles in February, 1991; just four months after the country tore down the Berlin wall.
“The Mercedes-Benz plant in Ludwigsfelde plays a central role in our global production network today and is also a great example of a post-reunification success story,” Daimler’s head of Mercedes-Benz vans Volker Mornhinweg says.
“Last year, over 50,000 vehicles rolled off the production line here.
“This played a significant role in making 2015 a record year for us.”
Situated in the state of Brandenburg, the plant is the third biggest van production facility in Daimler’s global workforce; employing close to 2,000 staff and covering 182,000 square metres of land.
Daimler has made a big investment in the plant over the journey, totalling €750 million (A$1.2 billion), and plans to put another €150 million (A$231.7 million) into the facility by the end of the decade.
“Our ongoing development of innovative production systems has… played an important role,” plant manager and CEO at Mercedes-Benz Ludwigsfelde Sebastian Streuff says.
“We already stand for lean processes, efficient logistics and impeccable assembly.
“So we are in an ideal position to begin intensive preparations for the next-generation Sprinter as we head into the anniversary year.”
Daimler says the facility will be jointly producing the new generation of Sprinter van during 2016 with Düsseldorf.