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Daimler AG

Daimler Continues to Support Recovery Efforts in Japan

March 17, 2014
•  Mercedes-Benz vehicles auctioned for additional monetary donation for the region affected by the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake
•  MFTBC President & CEO Dr. Albert Kirchmann: “It is our responsibility to maintain our strong solidarity with the people and the region affected.”
Kawasaki/Roppongi, Japan - Daimler continues to support the recovery and reconstruction efforts taking place in ‘Tohoku,’ – the northeastern part of Japan affected by the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami. A part of Mercedes-Benz vehicles which were donated by Daimler in 2011 to support the recovery efforts were auctioned off for an additional monetary donation for the affected region.
Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG: “This natural disaster has meanwhile disappeared from the headlines, but by no means from the lives of the people in Japan. There is still a great deal of reconstruction work to be done.”
Dr. Albert Kirchmann, Chief Representative of the Daimler Group in Japan* and President & CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC): “We are determined to support the overall recovery efforts and together overcome this historical crisis in Japan. With deep respect and appreciation to the Japanese people who have supported us over the years, we believe it is our responsibility to maintain our strong solidarity with the people and the region affected.”
* Mercedes-Benz Japan Co., Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Finance Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Daimler Financial Services Japan Co., Ltd., Daimler Insurance Services Japan Co., Ltd.
Daimler’s support for Japan’s recovery and reconstruction efforts
Daimler’s continuing support for the recovery and reconstruction of Japan since 2011 include the following:
2011: 200 million yen donated as “Daimler-Nippon Foundation Innovative Leaders Fund”
Daimler AG has provided 200 million yen as immediate aid for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The donation was intended to support the disaster relief and aid actions in the northeast of the country. In 2012, the monetary aid was used to establish “Daimler-Nippon Foundation Innovative Leaders Fund” in April 2012 to foster leaders who will drive change and reformation of the region hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and bring back the strong spirit of “Tohoku,” the northeastern part of Japan.
Overall, the “Daimler-Nippon Foundation Innovative Leaders Fund” aims to create more than 100 business leaders in the disaster-hit areas through its scholarship program and provide support subsidies for 15-20 new remarkable businesses entrepreneurs. The fund will be granted during the period of three years from April 2012 to March 2015, with an estimated amount of about 200 million yen in total.
2011: Donation of 50 units of trucks and off-road vehicles for rescue operations and reconstruction efforts in Tohoku
In addition to the 200 million yen donation, Daimler has sent over 50 vehicles – 30 FUSO Canter light-duty trucks and 20 Mercedes-Benz Zetros, Unimog, and G-Class – worth about400 million yen to Nippon Foundation, a Japanese aid organization with headquarters in Tokyo, to support the rebuilding process. The vehicles were used primarily to support assistance and clean-up operations in the northeastern part of the country that was devastated by the tsunami.
2011: Daimler employees fundraising of more than 50 million yen donated to the Red Cross
Shortly after the earthquake and the tsunami hit Japan, the Daimler management and the General Works Council of Daimler together have organized a fundraising campaign in response to the willingness of employees from all over the world to donate money for their Japanese colleagues and the Japanese people in general. More than 10,000 Daimler employees in Germany participated in the more than 50 million yen donation. The collected money was donated to the German Red Cross, which was then forwarded to the Japanese Red Cross.
2012: Daimler in Japan employees fundraising of 5 million yen
Daimler in Japan has also fundraised about 5 million yen from its employees which was then used for reconstructing a child orphanage, located in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, seriously damaged by the earthquake. The project also provided additional aid in buying books, bookshelves, desk, pencils, and other educational items for the orphanage.
2013: Free lease of 2 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles to support overall efforts of ‘Smart Community’ concept
As part of the earthquake disaster reconstruction aid, Mercedes-Benz Japan Co., Ltd. had leased 2 units of smart fortwo electric drives for free to Higashi Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture and Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture in 2013 for one year. The vehicles had been utilized to promote their ‘Smart Community’ concept.
2013: Three special-purpose Mercedes-Benz vehicles donated to the Motorcar Museum of Japan located in Ishikawa Prefecture
Concluding its 2-year recovery support in Japan, total of 3 Mercedes-Benz vehicles – 1 unit each of Zetros, Unimog, and G-Class – were donated to the Motorcar Museum of Japan located in Ishikawa Prefecture in order to preserve the vehicles support activities in the disaster area as well as to support raising the awareness of the unimaginable event in the Japanese history.
2014: Donation of 2.8 million yen funded through auction of vehicles used for recovery efforts
An additional fundraising to support the continuing recovery efforts in Tohoku was done through an auction of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles held in Germany. 4 G-Classes and 2 Unimogs were auctioned off for a total of about 2.8 million yen.
Daimler in Japan
Daimler has a broad presence in Japan, employing more than 12,600 people and operation facilities across Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Under the brands of Mercedes-Benz, smart, Mitsubishi Fuso, Mercedes-Benz Finance and Daimler Financial Service, Daimler brings the latest in automotive innovation and a continued commitment of excellence to our customers, employees and communities.

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About Daimler
Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility services. The company’s founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: The Group’s focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that attract and fascinate its customers. For many years now, Daimler has been investing continually in the development of alternative drive systems with the goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. Thus, in addition to vehicles with hybrid drive, Daimler now has the broadest range of locally emission-free electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world’s most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, Fuso, BharatBenz, Setra and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2013, the Group sold 2.35 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 274,616 people; revenue totaled €118.0 billion and EBIT amounted to €10.8 billion.
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