-- All-terrain vehicles also provided
-- Daimler employees in China donate 16,000 euro
-- 200,000 euro provided for Myanmar
STUTTGART, Germany /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Daimler AG is supporting the earthquake victims in China together with its local companies Daimler North East Asia (DNEA) and Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive Ltd. (BBDC). The money is being provided to locally active aid organizations such as China Charity Foundation and the Chinese Red Cross. In addition, DNEA has provided the Chinese authorities with trucks for use in disaster areas.
"The situation in Sichuan is heartbreaking," stated Ulrich Walker, Chairman and CEO of Daimler North East Asia. "We have only recognized the extent of destruction since emergency personnel arrived in the worst-hit areas recently. The disaster is far greater than was originally assumed. We have therefore decided to significantly increase our support." DNEA already donated 40,000 euro one day after the earthquake.
Daimler is cooperating closely with the responsible authorities and aid organizations on the spot in order to organize aid projects as effectively as possible. The focus is on supporting the search and rescue efforts, the care of homeless people and the long-term reconstruction of schools, hospitals and old-people's homes. Daimler's employees in China have already demonstrated their willingness to help spontaneously by donating a total of 16,000 euro.
Daimler has also provided 200,000 euro for the crisis area in Myanmar. This money will be used on the condition that aid organizations are enabled to work professionally where help is needed. It is also necessary to ensure that the support can actually be of benefit to the victims. Daimler is continually in contact with the various aid organizations concerning this issue.
Further information from Daimler is available on the internet at: www.media.daimler.com
About Daimler
Daimler AG, Stuttgart, with its businesses Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Daimler Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses, is a globally leading producer of premium passenger cars and the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in the world. The Daimler Financial Services division has a broad offering of financial services, including vehicle financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.
Daimler sells its products in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, continued to make automotive history following their invention of the automobile in 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler and its employees willingly accept an obligation to act responsibly towards society and the environment and to shape the future of safe and sustainable mobility with groundbreaking technologies and high-quality products. The current brand portfolio includes the world's most valuable automobile brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as smart, AMG, Maybach, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2007, the Group sold 2.1 million vehicles and employed a workforce of over 270,000 people; revenue totaled 99.4 billion euro and EBIT amounted to 8.7 billion euro. Daimler is an automotive Group with a commitment to excellence, and aims to achieve sustainable growth and industry-leading profitability.
