“The Chinese are also very good in terms of quality”

Stuttgart The boss of the automotive supplier Marquardt warns the German car manufacturers not to underestimate the up-and-coming competition from China. “If I, as a small supplier, could give one piece of advice, it would be to take the Chinese competitors very seriously and develop suitable strategies accordingly,” says Marquardt in an interview with the Handelsblatt.

Marquardt supplies the Chinese car manufacturers and feels more valued by them than by the German manufacturers with their overly tough negotiating style. “The negotiations are characterized by more appreciation and a high degree of reliability on both sides,” says Marquardt about the talks with partners from the People’s Republic.

The family business from Rietheim-Weilheim in the Swabian Jura is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of mechatronic switching and control systems for cars, but also for power tools.

Marquardt sees an “accelerated deindustrialization” in Germany. The price pressure from the car manufacturers increases the pressure to relocate. Politicians are also contributing to the worsening of the situation with their failed energy policy.