MAN Truck & Bus Korea, the local distributor of the German automaker, has opened its new headquarters in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in the company’s 16th year joining the market here.

The auto manufacturer invested $10 million to build its new Korean headquarters and service center, looking to expand its local presence and its line of commercial trucks and buses in the domestic market.

“It’s (the headquarters) not just a new building,” says Max Burger, president of MAN Truck & Bus Korea, during a press conference at the new headquarters in Yongin on Tuesday. “It symbolizes how important the Korean market is to us.”

In 2016 MAN sales in Korea jumped 36 percent from the previous year, the best performance in the world truck market last year, according to the company.

MAN sold 1,545 units last year, the highest number of units since entering the Korean market. Compared to six years ago, the company‘s domestic performance has seen a 680 percent spike in sales.

“It’s a new milestone in our young history in Korea,” said Heinz-Jurgen Low, director of sales and marketing for MAN Truck & Bus, during the press conference.

“Clearly Korea is one of our key markets, not only today, but for the future,” Low continued. “We are very happy with the success we see here, but we have an appetite for more.”

The company announced it has plans to open two more service centers by the end of the year, as well as opening new a training center and pre-delivery inspection center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

In addition, the German automaker is also slated to introduce three truck models that will be making their Asian premiere at the upcoming Seoul Motor Show, which will open to the public on Friday.

The company is also slated to showcase its “MAN Lion’s City,” a low-floor city bus series fueled by natural gas, for the first time in Asia.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)