Ulm-based company opens office in Shanghai

Not even six months since an oil-filling plant was commissioned by a partner in China, a permanent LIQUI MOLY dealership was opened on November 19 in the German Center in Shanghai by owner-manager Ernst Prost and Bavaria's Finance Minister, Kurt Faltlhauser.

The explosive growth of the market offers LIQUI MOLY the opportunity to grow on a scale that is inconceivable by European standards. The number of vehicles in Shanghai alone is rising by 600 new registrations every single day (!).
If the local market is to be serviced quickly and flexibly, it is essential to maintain a permanent presence there so that business links can be cultivated. Contacts with local authorities, workshops, fleet operators and of course the automotive industry are very important.
Dong Cheng, a native of China who studied in Tübingen, Germany, and already has the necessary contacts, was recruited specifically for the purpose of building up close ties with the movers and shakers.
Dong Cheng will manage the office in the German Center and utilize the existing infrastructure of the 300,000 sq. ft. complex to get the Chinese business up and running. The close links that already exist with Germany's general consulate there, the German embassy in Beijing and the German and European chambers of commerce will also be helpful.
It is important to note, however, that LIQUI MOLY in China will only be producing for the Asian market – there are no plans whatsoever to relocate domestic production to China. This means that only simple oils for the Asian market are to go on being produced locally in the future. Premium oils, additives requiring complex manufacturing processes and vehicle chemicals will remain 'Made in Germany'.
The opening of the office is a further step in the strategy of creating sales opportunities for the high-tech products from Ulm, a strategy that ultimately helps to safeguard jobs here in Germany. Twelve employees and another four trainees – including a young Chinese lady born in Germany – were taken on this year in order to fill the new roles.