If cars can give their owners a certain social standing, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has the class and model to suit any American status seeker. The three-pointed star luxury brand is available in the US through MBUSA, a subsidiary of Daimler AG. The company imports, distributes, and markets Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and smart vehicles through some 370 dealerships. It operates its own dealership too -- Mercedes-Benz Manhattan -- as well as three parts distribution centers, four vehicle preparation facilities, and four learning and performance centers. The company sold a record 366,600-plus vehicles in the US in 2014. MBUSA is among FORTUNE's "Best Companies to Work For."
Geographic Reach
As its name suggests, MBUSA focuses on making and marketing vehicles nationwide and in Puerto Rico.
Operations
Manufacturing operations for the Mercedes-Benz brand is the US is handled by Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., which operates a 3.7 million sq.-ft. assembly plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
MBUSA sells cars throughout the US in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Sales and Marketing
The company has about 370 associated dealerships.
Financial Performance
While parent company Daimler doesn't release specifics for the Mercedes-Benz brand in the US, the number of vehicles it has sold in the US is growing after years of declines.
MBUSA’s revenues in 2014 = increased by 5% to €28.6 million, due to organic growth (a 6.7% increase in units sold, primarily of Mercedes-Benz cars and Daimler trucks).
Strategy
The US is Daimler's third-most important market, following Germany and Western Europe. The company plies an array of models, from the mini smart for two small cars to premium models and sedans for the affluent (by Maybach); however, its top sellers are the Mercedes-Benz C- and E-Class sedans.
In 2014 MBUSA premiered its Mercedes-Maybach S 600 in Los Angeles.
In 2013 the company expanded its lineup with the all-new 2014 CLA-Class.
The company took a lead in the US automotive industry by putting an emission-free, lithium-ion battery powered sedan on the road. The all-electric B-Class went on sale in 2013.
Company Background
Mercedes-Benz vehicles began being imported into the US in 1952.
MBUSA was founded in 1965.