Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel marks 100 years of Tognum subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen today

• Speech to 350 international business partners in Friedrichshafen

Friedrichshafen, 6 May 2009. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel will give the official address at this evening’s international gala marking the centenary of Tognum subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen. The Chancellor is expected at approximately 19:00 at the Graf Zeppelin Building in Friedrichshafen where she will address more than 350 invited guests from all over the world. The audience will include customers, suppliers, distributors and other major business partners.

The company, whose premium-class high-speed diesel engines are now used worldwide for powering ships, heavy land, rail and defense vehicles, and power generation plants, was founded on 23 March 1909 in the town of Bissingen an der Enz as the aircraft engine company Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH. The men behind it were Wilhelm and Karl Maybach and Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, names that still strike a chord with many more people than just technophiles.

Today, MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is the largest subsidiary of the international Tognum Group which specializes in propulsion systems and power generation solutions. mtu and mtu Onsite Energy are the most important of the Tognum Group’s brands along with L’Orange and Rotorion.

The international centenary gala attended by the Federal Chancellor forms part of a program of events to be held throughout the year under the theme “Moving with Passion”. One of the first events took place on 23 March, when Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister, Günther Oettinger, attended the official centenary celebration at MTU Friedrichshafen. Other special occasions include the launch of the company yacht “Tognum” on 25 May, the Works Festival on 11 July, the staging of a musical by pupils from the Karl Maybach High School in Friedrichshafen, a medical doctors’ conference and the launch of the new engine Series 1600.

“For 100 years now, it has been our proud boast that the products we supply are the best. Our claim to be the preferred partner for the best solutions will continue to hold true in the future – for mtu and for the entire Tognum Group”, emphasized mtu and Tognum CEO, Volker Heuer.


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