In October 2012, Dr. Alfred Neher, Chairman of the Star Group, came to China with a German government delegation and visited Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenyang and Beijing. In the meantime, Tire World Network interviewed Dr. Alfred Neher on Star Group's profile, its development status in China, plans for the future, and the development prospects of the Chinese auto industry . Set all services in one Tire World Network: First, please briefly introduce the Star Group's profile. Alfred Neher: Star Group was established in 1997 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Group. In 2005, it separated from Daimler Group and became an independent company. The company mainly provides consulting for the core business of German automobile manufacturers, including technical services. Because of its origins with Daimler, our main customer is Daimler-Benz. Of course, Star also provides all-round consulting for R&D, production, and quality management for other OEMs. For example, some OEMs need to complete special test measurements in the R&D process. If they do not have test stations, our company can design related test test stations according to their needs; for example, after a new vehicle enters the market, it needs to be Customers provide after-sales service, we will support its after-sales market. At present, our customers include vehicle companies in Germany, France and other countries, as well as parts and components companies in Germany and Japan. In terms of media, public relations, and publishing, Star Group also has related businesses. TireWorld.com: Is Star Consulting consulting production equipment or recommending equipment? AlfredNeher: Star has been involved in both of these aspects. On the one hand, the company can develop, design, and produce some standard test benches; on the other hand, the company can also provide customers with selection guidance, and can also provide upgrade services for the company's test benches. TireWorld.com: What are the unique advantages of Star compared to other similar companies? AlfredNeher: Shida Group's business philosophy is very special: all services in one. The strength of this service integration is our unique advantage. From the prototype manufacturing to the entire value chain for the development of special electronic appliances, Star's expert team has always maintained a high degree of flexibility, and timely completed the work tasks that the customer has demanded but cannot solve on its own. The added value of our own offers the possibility of highly personalized products and services: The company will tailor products and services tailored to customer needs. Star serves major German manufacturers and focuses on serving all Chinese production and suppliers. Focus on developing Chinese customers Tire World Net: Star Group officially entered China in 2010. What is the status of its development in China? What are the development plans in China in the next year or two? AlfredNeher: Star has entered the Chinese development so far, has established a team of 20 people, this team consists of consultants from China and Germany, is an international team, involves a large part of the automotive industry chain business. Star has completely covered the entire automobile industry chain in Germany, but the scope of business in Germany has not yet been completely moved to China. Currently, Star’s sales in China account for 2.5% of global sales, which is relatively low. In the next two years, Star will gradually increase the services provided by existing customers in China. For example, it will give full play to the company's expertise in the field of test benches and after-sales services. Of course, we will also develop a new customer base with a focus on Chinese companies. At the same time, the company will also look for more experts in automotive acoustics, design, electronics, and maintenance to join in, in order to grow our team. Tire World Net: Is the Star Group's business scope only in the automotive industry? The company's customers in China are mainly German companies? AlfredNeher: Star is expanding beyond the automotive industry, such as pharmaceuticals, media systems, electronics, etc. Depending on the company's business scope, we can also provide services to other customers, such as warehousing, IT and so on. Star's mission is not only to cooperate with German joint ventures, but also include other joint ventures and Chinese companies. At present, we are working with Renault, a French company in China, to provide support and training for its after-sales in China; we also provide consulting services for Chinese company BYD in research and development, especially in battery manufacturing, driving and maintenance. Security consultation. Tire World Net: Other foreign companies of the same type entered China even earlier than a few years ago. However, Star entered China in 2010. What is the reason for this? AlfredNeher: Star has been concerned about the development of the international automotive market. As early as 2006, we have been focusing on the Indian and Chinese markets. In view of the positive trend in 2009, the company decided to come to the Chinese market. Before the official establishment of the Shanghai branch, we made extensive preparations: conducted market research, searched many customers of Star in China, formulated strategies and appointed a leadership team. In our opinion, 2010 is the best time to enter the Chinese market. Tire World Net: When Star Corporation set up a subsidiary to set up a location, is the development of the local auto industry a major consideration? AlfredNeher: The development factor of the local auto industry is one of the main considerations. It also needs to be based on the development of our existing customers in other countries. Star will provide special services for Chinese companies according to China's national conditions. We plan to establish a local team in China to serve Chinese customers. The current Chinese team is half of the Chinese and German personnel. [next] After-sales service growth is far less than the production and sales of automobiles Tire World Net: You came to China two years ago. This time in China, how do you think the Chinese auto industry is different from two years ago? AlfredNeher: It's a big change. At present, Chinese OEMs and parts and components companies are more orderly and rational both in terms of macroeconomics and internal organization. The internal management of Chinese auto companies has also greatly improved. Tire World Net: What do you think about the development trend of the Chinese auto industry in the next 3-5 years? What are the pros and cons of Star? AlfredNeher: The world has expressed concern about the prospects of the automotive industry, and it is also true in China. However, China is still regarded as the fastest growing market for automobiles in the world. Compared with the developed and mature automobile market, China has great potential. Chinese users have increasingly higher quality and all-round requirements, which has led to continuous improvement in the quality of Chinese automotive mainframes and parts. China's auto production and sales increased rapidly, but after-sales service did not keep up. The growth rate of production and sales of China's auto industry far exceeds the speed of development of after-sales services. After-sales service has become a huge shortcoming in the Chinese auto industry, constraining the development of China's auto industry. In addition, the shortage of talents and inadequate infrastructure construction have also become bottlenecks in the development of the Chinese auto industry. In the above environment, the ever-increasing demand for automotive development expertise and services is exactly where our opportunities lie. Star's experience and capabilities can support the development of China's auto industry. Our expertise in producing durable, high-performance, high-quality cars from the German automotive industry has been recognized in the industry. ZHEJIANG FULE MINING MACHINERY CO., LTD , https://www.flmachines.com