Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Renews Commitment to Fort Worth with New Facility at AllianceTexas

FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC today announced it has completed negotiations to lease a new, build-to-suit, 200,000 square-foot facility at AllianceTexas in Fort Worth, Texas. The new building will serve as Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' national business operations center, with a scheduled opening in early 2019. Approximately 900 direct and indirect jobs will be retained in Fort Worth as a result of the company's decision to relocate to a new site near its current operations center.

"Our success has been rooted in our employees, nine out of ten of whom say that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is a Great Place to Work^®. The only way to sustain our current success is through continuous improvement," said Peter Zieringer, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. "This project and a new, state-of-the-art operations center, will enable us to reshape the way we work, so that our environment matches the activities we do every day."

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is a leading captive, automotive financial services provider and a company of Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its core business is to provide financial services and products for Daimler's customers and dealers, while supporting the sales of Daimler vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz cars, SUVs and vans, as well as smart vehicles. Its Daimler Truck Financial division finances and insures Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicles that include: Freightliner Trucks; Western Star Trucks; Thomas Built Buses; Sprinter; and FUSO brands.

The company has maintained a presence in Texas since 1991, and in 2007, it centralized operations from several locations throughout the U.S. to its current location at AllianceTexas in Fort Worth.

Ranked the 16th largest and one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S., Fort Worth is home to more than 800,000 residents.* AllianceTexas, developed by Hillwood, is an 18,000-acre, master-planned, mixed-use community located in north Fort Worth. The development is home to more than 470 companies, more than 47,500 employees and integrated home options for any budget and lifestyle. Since inception, it is estimated that AllianceTexas has generated more than $64 billion in economic impact for the entire North Texas region. *Source: fortworthtexas.gov

"I'm delighted that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has redoubled its commitment to the city of Fort Worth," said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. "Having them here underscores the dynamic competitive environment in our growing community in North Fort Worth, and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is truly the shining star in our business mosaic."

"Identifying the ideal, local solution was a priority, reflecting our commitment to the talented team in our operations center," added Zieringer "The location for our new business operations center, less than one mile north of our current office, offers amenities, such as a scenic lake and walking trail, not feasible in our current location. We believe these environmental improvements, coupled with technologically advanced facilities, will help us maintain a strong and inspired employee community."

"Hillwood and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services have been partners for more than a decade, and we're proud that the company will continue to call AllianceTexas home," said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood. "This new building will be tailored to meet the growing needs of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services employees, as well as help the company recruit top talent, by maintaining access to the convenience, connectivity and variety of amenities that AllianceTexas has to offer."

A group of top firms have been contracted to support the greenfield project, including:

• BOKA Powell, a Dallas-based design firm, will serve as design architect and architect of record for the shell building and site development, including master planning, programming, core and shell design, documentation and construction administration;
• JLL Fort Worth Project and Development Services of Dallas, TX will oversee the project for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, including facilitation of the shell building, site development and interiors planning, and FF&E;
• SmithGroupJJR Dallas and Detroit Workplace Studios will provide programming, workplace strategy, interior architecture and design services and serve as architect of record for the interior.
• The lease agreement process was supported by Cushman & Wakefield.

Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2018 and be completed in early 2019.

About Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC
Mercedes?Benz Financial Services USA LLC, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with Business Center Operations in Fort Worth, Texas, provides brand?specific financial products and services for Mercedes?Benz and smart automotive dealers and their retail customers. In the U.S. trucking industry, it conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and provides flexible financial products and services for Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Bus and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc.

Mercedes?Benz Financial Services USA LLC serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 2,242 employees throughout the Americas. It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, which does business in 40 countries and has an employee base of approximately 12,062 people worldwide. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide and was ranked fifth out of 25 on the list of the World's Best Multinational Workplaces by the Great Place To Work Institute in 2016. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC was also named one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials in 2015 and 2016, and one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women in 2016 by Great Place to Work and Fortune.com. For more information, please visit www.mbfs.com/corp or facebook.com/mymbfs. For more information about Daimler Truck Financial, log onto www.daimler-truckfinancial.com.

About AllianceTexas
AllianceTexas (www.alliancetexas.com) is an 18,000-acre, master-planned community anchored by the world's first industrial airport. It includes the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, Circle T Ranch and Alliance Town Center projects. AllianceTexas is now home to over 470 companies, which have built more than 40 million square feet and created over 47,500 jobs. The community also includes over 2.6 million square feet of retail, restaurant, medical and entertainment components integrated with a variety of single-family and luxury apartment home options. Since its inception, it is estimated that AllianceTexas has generated more than $64 billion in economic impact for the North Texas region.

About Hillwood
Hillwood, a Perot company, is a premier industrial, commercial and residential real estate developer and manager with projects throughout North America and Europe. With a diverse portfolio of properties which have become home to many of the world's leading companies, Hillwood is committed to bringing long-term value to our customers and partners and the communities in which we serve. Hillwood also served as the lead developer of marquee projects nationwide, from the Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.C. to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the American Airlines Center in Dallas. For additional information, please visit www.hillwood.com.

About BOKA Powell
BOKA Powell is a full-service architecture, interiors, planning, and design firm with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin, Texas. The firm focuses on corporate and commercial office and workplace strategy, in addition to hospitality, higher education, urban living and luxury senior living projects. BOKA Powell has completed more than 100 million square feet of office projects, including three previous projects for Daimler and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, as well as major corporate campus projects for the Perot Family and Hillwood, Southwest Airlines, CoreLogic, Fannie Mae, NEC America, and Accor Hospitality.

About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion square feet, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $145 billion. At the end of the third quarter of 2017, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of over 80,000. As of September 30, 2017, LaSalle Investment Management has $59.0 billion of real estate under asset management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

About SmithGroupJJR
SmithGroupJJR (www.smithgroupjjr.com) is one of the nation's largest integrated design firms with 1100 employees and 11 locations in the U.S. and China. SmithGroupJJR is organized into eight practice areas: Workplace, Higher Education, Health, Science & Technology, Cultural, Waterfront, Urban Design and Landscape/Site. As one of the nation's top ranked sustainable design firms, SmithGroupJJR has 167 LEED certified projects and 420 LEED accredited professionals.

About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real estate services firm that helps clients transform the way people work, shop, and live. Our 45,000 employees in more than 70 countries help occupiers and investors optimize the value of their real estate by combining our global perspective and deep local knowledge with an impressive platform of real estate solutions. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest commercial real estate services firms with revenue of $6 billion across core services of agency leasing, asset services, capital markets, facility services (C&W Services), global occupier services, investment & asset management (DTZ Investors), project & development services, tenant representation, and valuation & advisory. 2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of the Cushman & Wakefield brand. 100 years of taking our clients' ideas and putting them into action. To learn more, visit www.cushwakecentennial.com, www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC