Weimar, January 12, 1995
Daimler-Benz AG achieved its objective of doubling the volume of purchases made in the new federal states to DM 1 billion within 1994 - a year earlier than scheduled. This piece of excellent news was announced at a press conference in Weimar by Dr. Gerhard Liener, in charge of finance and materials on the Daimler-Benz board of management in Stuttgart. As the Group's authorized representative in the new federal states, he is also responsible for effecting its purchasing drive. Liener stressed that the purchasing drive, fully supported by Daimler-Benz from the start, would be continuing into 1995 and beyond, albeit with a slight change of emphasis.While in the initial phase two years ago the main objective was to reconcile supply and demand, in the second phase East German firms have been given the opportunity to analyze and remedy possible weaknesses. Through the "guardianship" scheme developed by Daimler-Benz, the firms have been offered the assistance of advisors who, thanks to their knowledge of purchasing in the corporate units of the Daimler-Benz Group, have been able to provide them with business contacts, which the firms would have found difficult to establish without their help, if at all. Liener said that today the East German firms have attained a technical and economic standard that allows them to submit competitive tenders and independently develop new markets from their present level. It was in this context that Liener expressed his gratitude and recognition to all involved in the impressive achievement of creating a DM 1 billion volume of purchases by 1994. These purchases on the part of the Daimler-Benz corporate units of Mercedes-Benz AG, AEG Daimler-Benz Industrie, Daimler-Benz Aerospace and Daimler-Benz InterServices had secured some 10,000 to 11,000 jobs in the new federal states.
Liener is in Weimar in connection with a project seminar concerning the purchasing drive. Some 40 people from the Daimler-Benz Group and invited companies are taking part in the seminar, which runs from 12 to 13 January. He also assured the journalists of his company's continuing commitment to the new federal states. In future the focus would be on further promoting business relations - a cause which events like the project seminar were intended to serve, as were the innovation market organized the previous year and the meeting of the firms under guardianship planned to take place in Magdeburg on 21-22 February 1995. These firms would then have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with what they each had to offer and thereby open up new markets through their connections with the Daimler-Benz Group. The "guardianship" facility - a service provided free of charge to East German firms by Daimler-Benz AG - will continue until the end of 1996, Liener announced.
87 West German firms are currently involved in the purchasing drive under way in the new federal states. It has existed for around two years, the first goal of doubling the then DM 10 billion volume of purchases by 1995 having been set in 1991. Thanks to the commitment of the companies taking part, this objective has been far exceeded, with a figure of DM 35 billion already achieved by 1993. Similarly, the Daimler-Benz Group had set itself the target of increasing the volume of purchases from DM 0.6 billion in 1992 to DM 1 billion by 1995. By 1993 the volume had already risen to DM 800m. Yet it was not the aim of Daimler-Benz to simply secure and increase employment in the East German states by relocating demand; it also sought to support the economic build-up of the new federal states through the transfer of marketable technologies. The previous activities had only been realized through great personal commitment, Liener said. The project team behind the purchasing drive at Daimler-Benz is now seeking to turn the initiative into a drive towards increased industrialization. Furthermore, both the "guardianship" scheme and the numerous presentations and events arranged are continuing to meet with much encouragement and approval. Liener summed up by saying "To this extent, we have succeeded in helping the East German companies to help themselves. Clearly they have responded in a most professional manner."
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