Audi 2009 Annual Report Download - page 60

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until we suddenly feel something is amiss, when in fact
it’s only the quiet. This is another thing that makes parks
so important: the calming effect of the smell of grass,
the sight of a flower or the quiet babbling of a distant
brook. The fact that your own office building might be
located right behind the trees doesn’t bother anyone at
all – it may as well be in another world.
The visible proximity to the working world, the skyline
of skyscrapers behind and above the treetops and the
feeling of being in a kind of bubble – this is also part of
the magic of a visit to Central Park. You notice how the
city presses in around the park, but rest assured that it
can’t be harmed. It’s actually a miracle that Central Park
still exists, given that inventive speculators have tried
ever since it opened to use the green lawns for all manner
of profitable projects. But New Yorkers love their park so
much that over the years they have prevented the con-
struction of a horseracing track as well as that of an enor-
mous theater. And when an online magazine recently
published a satirical item about a planned city airport in
the heart of Manhattan, a storm of protest followed. That
says a lot about the love that people feel for their park. It
should remain just the way it is, their Central Park – that’s
something New Yorkers are uncharacteristically unani-
mous on. And if another couple of benches are installed,
all the better.
Stefan Nink has won the Columbus prize for travel writers five
times. The world is his home.
You don’t have to know anything about the art of Zen to enjoy
Ryoan-ji Garden in Kyoto – a 20-minute lunch break is enough.
… not only having a tolerant attitude – naturally – toward
other cultures and perspectives; it’s also a fundamental
value of our society. For a company, being cosmopolitan
is also a crucial economic factor.
Internationalization and globalization are aspects of
great importance to Audi – especially for the purchasing
division. And one of our strengths lies in being able to
act within the framework of a worldwide group of
companies.
Because a global manufacturing network also requires a
global supplier environment, we want to acquire the
world’s best and strongest suppliers for ourselves.
Audi is also a company that feels and exhibits a strong
sense of responsibility toward both its German home and
its employees. ‘German engineering’ continues to be
highly valued around the world. But ‘made in Germany’
alone would lead us into a dead end. We have to ensure
that profitable production will continue to be possible in
our country.
This makes it essential to continue promoting our inter-
nationalization. Even so, outsourcing abroad is not an
end in itself, but rather is subject to the same clear eco-
nomic and quality requirements as purchasing in this
country.
We must succeed in combining the potential of the Ger-
man location with that in production plants all over the
world. In sum, this enables us to bring attractive, top-
quality products onto the market at competitive cost.
And that can be one result of being cosmopolitan.”
Ulf Berkenhagen, Member of the Board of Management for
Purchasing, AUDI AG
““Being cosmopolitan to me is ……
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
Where can you go bathing in Central Park? Find the city
sanctuary highlights at: w
wwwww..aauuddii..ccoomm//aarr22000099//cciittyyppaarrkkss
Photo: AUDI AG