Overview

• On June 30, Mercedes-Benz signed contracts to divest its first German dealership in Neu-Ulm, marking the formal start of its network overhaul.
• The Neu-Ulm branch will transfer to a newly formed entity led by Kreuter Medele Schäfer and Abel + Ruf under the Sterne Gruppe on December 1.
• At a works meeting, the roughly 200 Neu-Ulm employees were briefed on the December takeover under terms negotiated with IG Metall, including an average €85,000 transition payment.
• Mercedes-Benz requires prospective buyers to demonstrate trade expertise, entrepreneurial competence, financial strength, investment capacity and support for employee representation, explicitly excluding pure financial investors.
• The company is in constructive talks to sell additional dealerships as part of its shift to a partner-based distribution model designed to future-proof its sales network.