The Bremen plant manufactured some 324,000 vehicles in 2015, making it the largest Mercedes-Benz production facility worldwide. It operates at full capacity, which is largely due to the top-selling C-Class and GLC-Class. With a workforce of more than 12,500 people, the Mercedes-Benz plant is Bremen's biggest employer.
The cars roll off the assembly line in a three-shift system. Almost every vehicle is pre-ordered and built to individual requirements, rather than being made for inventory. There are no real holding areas to speak of on the site. You can imagine the logistics expertise required to bring the finished vehicles straight from the factory to the customer. The company uses a dedicated rail connection and a seamlessly managed fleet of car transporters to meet this challenge.
A considerable number of vehicles are exported. The site's proximity to the car shipping terminal in Bremerhaven is a huge advantage.
Factory of the year
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen was named 'factory of the year' in 2015 by the German trade magazine Produktion and the management consultancy AT Kearney. This accolade highlights the fact that the Bremen plant is leading the field when it comes to large-scale production. The team in Bremen are extremely flexible, hugely experienced in production start-ups and fully in control of the wide range of products at the site. Eight models were manufactured in Bremen in 2015, with up to three variants on one production line. New products are seamlessly integrated into the three-shift system without causing any interruption. By using innovative shift patterns, the plant can respond flexibly to demand in the market and run an efficient operation.
Bremen factory is manufacturing ten models in 2016
1978 was the year that Mercedes-Benz vehicles were first made in Bremen. At that time, only one type of vehicle was manufactured in the city. It was the 123 series 'T Model', Mercedes-Benz's first estate to be given the 'T Model' designation. This 'T Model' is considered by many to be the forefather of the 'lifestyle estate', which represented a conscious departure from the image of the tradesman's car.
Eight models are currently built in Bremen: the C-Class saloon, estate and coupé, the E-Class convertible and coupé, the SUV GLC and the SL und SLC roadsters. With the addition of the C-Class convertible and GLC coupé, ten models will be made in Bremen from summer 2016 – more than ever before.
Mercedes-Benz 123 series estate © Daimler AG
© Daimler AG