Mercedes-Benz Financial Services 'Deepens Its Roots,' Commits to a Fourth Decade in Fort Worth with the Grand Opening of an All-New Business Center at AllianceTexas

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC, a leading, automotive financial and mobility services provider, and a company of Daimler Financial Services Group, today celebrated the grand opening of its new 200,000-square-foot Fort Worth Business Center at AllianceTexas, a 26,000-acre, master-planned, mixed-use development in Fort Worth, Texas. The company's leadership team, employees, project partners, community partners and local dignitaries joined together to commemorate the milestone with a tree-dedication ceremony, signifying Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' deep roots in the community and longstanding commitment to the region.

"At Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, we strive to set standards for corporate culture, and believe our workplace must be reflective of our high brand standards and the cultural modernization of our company," said Peter Zieringer, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. "The opening of our Fort Worth Business Center is an investment in our talented workforce, in the transformation of our company and in the purpose of who we are and how we deliver world-class service to our customers and dealers."

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has maintained a presence in Texas since 1991 and has called AllianceTexas home since 2007, when the company centralized operations from several locations throughout the U.S.

As a result of the company's decision to update its facilities while remaining within AllianceTexas, approximately 900 direct and indirect jobs have been retained in Fort Worth. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' new Business Center is located less than a mile from its previous business center, making it a convenient transition for the company's team.

"We are proud Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has called our development 'home' since 2007. It is because of long-term partnerships like the one we share with them, one of the nation's top corporations and automotive financial services providers, that AllianceTexas has become one of the most successful corridors in the nation to do business," said Mike Berry, President of Hillwood. "This year, we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of AllianceTexas, Hillwood's signature project, as well as Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' decision to continue to grow their deep roots in the Fort Worth community and the North Texas region for many years to come."

A facility inspired for and by the people

The company's all-new, four-story, contemporary Business Center is designed to support employees with unique amenities and technology solutions that create an engaging, productive and collaborative workplace environment.

"A cross-functional committee of employees drove this project from day one," said Zieringer. "Additionally, a team of employees were engaged to be the voice of the workforce, influencing decisions, such the open-office plan, the building's materials that make up the look and feel of the space, food options in the café, workout spaces, among many others."

One of the facility's main features is the integration of advanced technology to enhance operations. Upon entering the building, employees and guests are greeted by facial recognition software, creating a safer and seamless control experience. Features, such as room controllers and occupancy sensors, are also present in meeting rooms, collecting real-time usage metrics and providing data on how to efficiently manage and make use of the spaces.

Engaging surroundings for health, well-being and sustainability

In addition to the advanced technology, the amenity-rich facility also inspires employees to lead healthier, more active lifestyles by integrating wellness options throughout the building. The Body Shop, an onsite fitness center, provides treadmills, free weights, group exercise classes and access to two full-time personal trainers. A restaurant-quality, on-site café offers a variety of healthy food and beverage options, while the gourmet coffee bar offers fresh coffee, espresso, other types of beverages and grab-and-go fare. For a boost in productivity, employees can also take advantage of the nap pods for a rejuvenating space to rest throughout the day.

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Fort Worth Business Center also offers robust outdoor amenities that promote collaboration, team building and healthy choices beyond its walls. Employees have direct access to a basketball court suitable for half-court games, a jogging or walking trail surrounding a nearby lake, dining areas circling a grill and covered seating for group activities. The third-floor terrace is another open-air amenity designed to connect employees to each other and the outdoors.

The design of the Business Center is built with flexibility and ease-of-use in mind, while simultaneously blending in with the site's natural beauty. The naturally lit, open atrium located in the heart of the building offers ample gathering space for employees to converse with unobstructed views of the lake and campus grounds.

Reducing the company's carbon footprint, the facility incorporates the use of native materials and elements throughout its design. By selecting native plants that are drought-resistant, the Business Center utilizes a drip irrigation system to assist with water conservation. The Fort Worth Business Center is a LEED- (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility, performing better than conventional buildings in various aspects of sustainability.

The infusion of contemporary art throughout the Business Center is designed to give employees rich experiences, inspire new perspectives and promote creative problem solving. To encourage innovation and spark collaboration, the facility incorporates both a permanent art collection and an annual art exhibition of selected works from Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University artists through the company's Experiencing Perspectives art program. By relocating to a larger and more advanced office, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has the ability to include technology-based modern art forms, such as digital and LED art, into its space.

Setting the standard using several top-tier companies

Setting the standard for contemporary, high-tech buildings, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Business Center was built by the collaborative efforts of several top-tier companies, including:

• Hillwood served as the developer and owner of the new business center at AllianceTexas;
• BOKA Powell served as the design architect and architect of record for the shell building and site development. The firm also designed the previous two buildings occupied by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services;
• JLL Fort Worth Project and Development Services of Dallas, TX, oversaw the project for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, including facilitation of the shell building, site development and interiors planning, and FF&E;
• SmithGroup Dallas and Detroit Workplace Studios provided programming, workplace strategy, full interior architecture and design services, and served as the architect of record for the interior; and
• Cushman & Wakefield supported the site selection and lease negotiation process.

About Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with a Business Center in Fort Worth, Texas, provides brand-specific financial products and services for Mercedes-Benz 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 and Thomas Built as well as Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, which is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide and was ranked in the top 10 on the list of the World's Best Multinational Workplaces by the Great Place To Work Institute in 2016 and 2018. 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 www.facebook.com/mymbfs.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC