2018 – Star Transmission & Star Assembly

It is the year in which the “Long Night of Industry” event welcomes a new record of visitors, as part of activities specially prepared for the amusement and surprise of those present: a mix of beautiful stories, robots, cars. It is the year that on Saturday, May 19, we were all singing, once again, well-established lyrics of the artists The Motans, Andra and Loredana on the occasion of “Family Day by STC”, at the “Park” stadium in Cugir.

Same direction, but with new leadership. As of September 1, 2018, Klaus Eichhorn, responsible until then for Quality Management in the SUV division in the Mercedes-Benz production unit in Tuscaloosa (USA), takes over as General Manager of the two subsidiaries. The relay is handed over by Falk Pruscha, who takes over as Manager of Engine Production in the Powertrain production network of the Mercedes-Benz Cars division in Stuttgart, Germany.

Falk Pruscha shares some of his thoughts and impressions about his experience in Romania: “I am fully grateful for the chance to have spent three years in Romania with my family. The decision to take advantage of this opportunity came easily, thanks to the positive feedback of Andreas Lettner and Bernd Krottmayer, former directors of the two subsidiaries. From day one, we were welcomed with open arms and hearts. We enjoyed the pure nature, the rich culture of the cities and the people we met, who were so warm and friendly! The experience as General Manager of Star Transmission and Star Assembly was and will remain a positive one. I enjoyed the team spirit at all levels as well as the fact that, no matter the challenge, it would be addressed openly with perspective thinking. Nothing is too difficult to learn or too complicated to solve; I would like that this kind of thinking be continued in the future as well. This is what sets us apart and gives essence to our work. This is the key role of the team’s power in Star Transmission and Star Assembly. It is also, the reason why we have, so far, the most complex powertrain products, the result of using the most sophisticated machines and equipment. Due to these qualities, Star Transmission and Star Assembly will always be a worthy landmark for possible future investments. I will definitely visit my colleagues to see them grow and developing. I wish the best to all the colleagues, to be able to continue this success story!”

November 22, 2018: In the presence of Mr. Hans Erich Tischler, Consul of Germany in Sibiu, Mr. Ion Dumitrel, President of Alba County Council, Mr. Dorin Nistor, Mayor of Sebes, Mr. Adrian Bogdan, Vice-mayor of Sebes, Mr. Klaus Eichhorn, CEO of Star Assembly and Mr. Andreas Joerg, Director of Mercedes-Benz Genuine Remanufactured Parts at Mercedes-Benz AG the new production facility for remanufacturing of transmissions and electrohydraulic control units has officially been inaugurated. With the new remanufacturing facility, Mercedes-Benz AG reinforces the already achieved position of strength in Romania. In line with growing car-sales, the after-sales business and hence the spare parts production increases. However, industrial production continuously consumes limited resources. ‘How to utilize energy in an efficient way’ and ‘how to reach the harmony between technology development and natural resources’ are important questions to Mercedes-Benz AG. Remanufactured Parts save valuable raw materials and energy in the production process – also a cost saving which is being passed on directly to Mercedes-Benz customers – without compromising the tried and tested Mercedes-Benz quality.

The new site in Sebes covers of 18.000 square meters, out of which 2/3 production area, alongside logistics, maintenance and other administrative functions of Mercedes-Benz Cars, and creates 100 new jobs.
In addition, this year, in a formal setting, the celebration of colleagues who have reached 15 years of activity in the company Star Transmission takes place. On this occasion, the management team thanks everyone for the efforts, dedication and team spirit shown during the 15 years of activity, as well as their impact on the development of the company and the talents that have benefited from this shared knowledge.

We are committed to being sustainable. Starting November 2018, the electricity supply of the Sebeş and Cugir production units is provided using local renewable energy sources. “From 2022, the production of our Mercedes-Benz plants in Germany will operate CO₂-neutral. Thereby, we completely forego coal-based electricity and obtain our electrical energy from only renewable sources. Today, new plants in Europe are already planned with a CO₂-neutral energy supply from the start. The decision also fits with our overall strategy. As part of the electric offensive, Mercedes-Benz Cars counts on local emission-free vehicles. With a CO₂-neutral energy supply of the plants, we are consistently pursuing this approach and are actively driving sustainability in production.” says Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.