The Mercedes-Benz plants in East London, South Africa, and Bremen, Germany, are building high-quality cars. That’s the result of a recently published study conducted by the U.S. based market research institute J.D. Power and Associates. On July 13, Rainer Schmueckle, chief operating officer of Mercedes-Benz Cars, received the J.D. Power Gold Plant Quality Award for Mercedes-Benz’ East London Plant and the J.D. Power Silver Plant Quality Award for the company’s Bremen Plant from Jacob George, vice president, Automotive Product Solutions, J.D. Power and Associates.
“This recognition is another proof for the high quality standards within our Mercedes-Benz Cars production network. We are very proud that our plants – following the J.D. Power Award for our Sindelfingen Plant in 2008 – are on the top of the list again this year,” said Schmueckle, the executive responsible for production, quality and purchasing. “Our success is a result of the company’s dedicated work force throughout our plants. The whole team is working hard every day to constantly secure and enhance the quality of Mercedes-Benz vehicles throughout the entire production process.”
The recent study by J.D. Power and Associates documents the satisfaction of Mercedes-Benz customers with the quality level of newly delivered vehicles in general, and with models manufactured in the East London and Bremen plants in particular. The East London Plant produces the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, in Bremen the C-, CLK-, GLK-, SLK- and SL-Class rolled-off the assembly line in 2008. U.S. customers of newly purchased vehicles were asked 90 days after delivery of their vehicles about the models’ workmanship. Important criteria within the study were – among others – exterior, interior, seats, engine, transmission and the operational controls.
The study’s category “Plants in Europe/Africa“ comprises 27 passenger car plants. With the Gold and Silver Awards, the study recognizes the performance of the production teams in East London and Bremen.
