Ralph Fisher Appointed to General Manager of Mercedes-Benz USA's Customer Assistance Center

MONTVALE, N.J., Dec. 27, 2007 -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today announced the appointment of Ralph Fisher to the position of general manager, Customer Assistance Center (CAC), effective January 1, 2008. In this position, Fisher will have overall responsibility for the operation of MBUSA's in-house customer assistance center. Fisher will report directly to Alan McLaren, vice president, customer services. Fisher replaces Paul Juron who will be relocating to a position in the company's Jacksonville, FL office.

As general manager, Customer Assistance Center, Fisher will oversee a staff of 184 employees of the full-service customer service team which assists an annual average of 2.3 million contacts -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -- including Roadside Assistance, information services, and fulfillment of requests for literature and accessories catalog orders.

Fisher will move into his new position from his current role as the general manager of MB Manhattan, the only corporately-owned Mercedes-Benz dealership in the United States. There, Fisher is responsible for the sales, service and operations of the dealership's two showrooms in Manhattan: 41st Street at 11th Avenue and Park Avenue from 55th Street to 56th Street. As general manager of MB Manhattan, Fisher was instrumental in the expansion of the dealership's Park Avenue location, doubling the showroom's vehicle display space. He also brought customer service to the forefront of the business, and marked a 42 percent increase in the dealership's new car sales since starting there in 2001.

"Ralph's valuable retail and management experience gives him unique qualifications with which to head up our Customer Assistance Center," said McLaren. "Our priority at Mercedes-Benz is to provide the very highest levels of customer care, and Ralph's first-hand experience with customers at the retail level will ensure that we deliver on that expectation."

Fisher brings 29 years of automotive industry experience to the position. He has held varying roles of increasing responsibility within the MBUSA organization, including E-Class product manager, vehicle logistics and distribution manager, and regional operations manager for the company's New York Region.

Originally from Valley Stream, New York, Fisher holds a B.S. degree in business from the University of Maryland. He lives with his family in Bergen County, NJ, where he is active in charitable organizations such as the Children's Miracle Network, the American Cancer Society, and the Yorkville Common Pantry.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2006, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 248,080 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 13 consecutive years of sales growth.