Star Cooperation Group eyes deeper China market penetration.
Star Cooperation GmbH, a former wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Benz, is seeking to snatch a bigger share in the world’s largest auto market in the coming years.
“China still enjoys huge development potential compared to other mature auto markets, and we are pleased to see the auto market here is moving forward in a more orderly and rational way,” Dr. Alfred Neher, president of Star Cooperation, said in an interview with Xinhua during his visit to China.
As part of a governmental delegation, Dr. Neher expected the trip to help the company better learn about more potential Chinese clients. “One of the major objectives is to extend our client network here; we’ll continue to work hard on exploring opportunities to cooperate with enterprises in this fastest-growing auto market around the globe,” said Dr, Neher.
“Sales generated from the China market currently accounted for only 2.5 percent of our total sales revenue around the world, still a low level compared to Star’s other operations worldwide. But we’re confident that the China market will grow into a new growth point of our company in the wake of our clients,” said Dr. Neher.
Besides the joint ventures such as Shanghai Volkswagen and BMW Brilliance, Star Cooperation has developed new clients in China, including a Chinese supplier and Renault’s China operations in Beijing.
Speaking of its future, the company believes “the year 2012 will be characterized by further growth, especially in the areas of electric mobility, lightweight constructions and networked systems, while the development of the auto market in China is going to play a more important role during the development of our business area.”
“In the next two years, we’ll gradually expand our service scope to existing clients in China, for example, by bringing our specialties in testing and after-sale fields into full play,” said Dr. Neher. “Developing new clients will also constitute another important task for us, of course, and we’re willing to form a long-term partnership with the whole automotive industry in China.”
After being 100% independent by repurchasing the DaimlerChrysler shares in 2005, the auto engineering and consulting group opened its first China office in Shanghai in 2010. The Shanghai branch -- the Star Engineering & Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. -- has witnessed rapid expansion in the local market in the past two years, with a balanced mix of Chinese and German colleagues working together on projects in development, quality management and after sales. To cater to the increasing demand from the Beijing area, the company opened another office in the capital city of China in early November of 2012.
About Star Cooperation:
Founded in 1997, Star Cooperation GmbH was once a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Benz. The company became 100% independent by repurchasing the DaimlerChrysler shares in 2005. And later, in 2010, Star Cooperation opened its first office in China – the Star Engineering & Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Business scope of Star in China currently covers management of automobile R&D projects, supplier management and quality control, R&D in power assembly, electronic and electrical appliances, acoustics application, and after-sale services.
