Newly founded MTU Japan Starts Business

• mtu's strong presence to increase sales in the Japanese market
• Sales network with twenty dealers

Tokyo - The newly established MTU Japan Co. Limited took up its operative business on July 1, 2001 in Tokyo. The company was already founded six months before as a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler Japan Holding to strengthen the off-highway activities of the Germany-based concern in Japan. The off-highway business which is concentrated in the business unit DaimlerChrysler Powersystems mainly comprises the activities of MTU Friedrichshafen, a worldwide leading supplier of drive and propulsion systems.

The new company will assume all the assignments related to off-highway diesel drive and propulsion systems, for which DaimlerChrysler Japan as mtu's general importer as well as an MTU/DDC distributor have previously been responsible.

This includes sales, marketing, product support, technical information and spare-parts service for diesel engines and propulsion systems supplied by mtu, DDC and Mercedes-Benz. For Dr. Rolf A. Hanssen, president of the board of management of MTU Friedrichshafen and CEO of the DaimlerChrysler Off-Highway Unit, the foundation of MTU Japan is an important step in his company's globalization strategy: "Today, approx. 20% of our worldwide sales are generated in Asia. We intend to further consolidate and expand this position with the newly established company."

Sales network with twenty dealers

With its capital stock of 10 million Yen, the new firm's present annual sales are about 1.7 billion Yen (approx. 16 million Euro). Including the distributor business, sales amount to 2.7 billion Yen (about 26 million Euro). In addition to its Tokyo headquarters, MTU Japan has another branch office in Osaka and a sales network with twenty dealers distributed all over the country. Dr. Ruprecht Lattermann, who has held various positions for mtu in Asia since 1995, was appointed managing director of the new firm.

MTU Japan will supply the nation shipyards, coast guard and railway manufacturers with engines in the power range of 20 to 9000 kW (30 to 13000HP). Furthermore, MTU Japan will deliver industrial engines and gensets for various applications.