Representatives from the KERN-LIEBERS Group and Taicang government celebrate the 25th anniversary of the German company's presence in the Chinese city on Nov 23. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]

KERN-LIEBERS Group, a German manufacturer of springs, stampings and textile machine components, celebrated its 25th anniversary of having a presence in Taicang, Jiangsu province on Nov 23.

As the first German company in the city, KERN-LIEBERS showed its interest in China before it even began operating in the Asian country.

In 1975, the company dispatched a delegation to attend the Hannover Messe, a German industrial fair in China, and Hans-Jochem Steim, board director of KERN-LIEBERS Group, has visited the country many times since 1985.

In 1993, the company decided to establish a new facility, Taicang KERN-LIEBERS Springs Co Ltd, in the city.

KERN-LIEBERS chose Taicang as its base in China two decades ago because of its proximity to Shanghai. “It is the closest city to Shanghai and only a half-an-hour drive to Hongqiao, the major air and rail hub,” said Steim.

Steim also stressed that the local government's efforts to create a favorable environment for German entrepreneurs gave them the confidence to further develop in Taicang. The emphasis on intellectual property protection in particular is highly valued by the German business community.

As of now, in addition to Taicang, KERN-LIEBERS Group has also set up branches in Tianjin and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, including three wholly-owned subsidiaries and three shareholding companies.

According to a spokesman for the company, the Chinese market has become the fastest growing region among KERN-LIEBERS's global market and its sales revenue accounts for 17 percent of its general income.

The German company's first presence in Taicang in 1993 was a prelude to the close cooperation between Germany and the city. Over the past 25 years, Taicang has attracted more than 300 Germany companies and is therefore known as the hometown of German companies in China.

KERN-LIEBERS Group announces the establishment of a plant producing new energy vehicle parts in Taicang on Nov 23. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]