Mercedes-Benz Announces Key Leadership Changes at Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC in Charleston
Nov 01, 2024 02:07PM ● By David Dykes
Mercedes-Benz announced two significant leadership appointments company officials said will enhance operational excellence across its global production network.
Effective March 1, 2025, Axel Bense, CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC in Charleston, South Carolina, will transition to the role of CEO responsible for plant management and site operations at the Mercedes-Benz facility in Jawor, Poland.
Johannes Kellermann will succeed Bense as CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC in Charleston, also effective March 1, 2025.
Bense joined DaimlerChrysler AG in 1999 and has since held various leadership positions across multiple locations, including Bremen, Tuscaloosa, and Naberezhnye Chelny.
Bense's notable achievements include spearheading the construction of the new paint shop in Tuscaloosa and leading the establishment of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing RUS in Moscow.
Company officials said that since April 2022, he has significantly contributed to stabilizing production at the Charleston plant, and his extensive experience will be invaluable as he embarks on this new chapter in Poland.
Kellermann has held various strategic roles since joining the company in 2009, most recently serving as head of Operational Excellence, Digitalization, Lean & Green within Van Operations as well as head of Operations at Mercedes-Benz in Ludwigsfelde.
Company officials said his experience in streamlining processes and leading strategic projects will be crucial in driving the Charleston plant forward.
Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC, is a Ladson, South Carolina-based production entity that produces Sprinter as well as eSprinter vans for the U.S. and Canadian markets.
Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC has invested more than $500 million (U.S.) in the new Sprinter plant, which officially opened in 2018.
Today, the MBV facility provides more than 1,700 jobs and supports at least 600 additional jobs in the region through its suppliers.
Representing an additional nearly $60 million investment, MBV Charleston was selected to be the first plant in the Mercedes-Benz Vans global production network to produce the all-new eSprinter, beginning in 2024.
Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston also continues investing in the local community with over $1,900,000 donated to local nonprofits and schools via STEM programs since 2006 and over 900 volunteer hours.
Since 2006, more than 350,000 Sprinter and Metris vans have been assembled in North Charleston and delivered to destinations across the U.S.
In 2021, the plant celebrated its 15-year legacy of SKD production in South Carolina, and 2023 marked a plant milestone with a record-setting over 50,000 vans produced.
The U.S. is the second largest market for Sprinter vans after Germany.