First announced in January 2010, the joint venture between the Dusseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group and MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG can now take immediate effect following approval by the relevant competition authorities.

The expertise of both companies in wheeled tactical vehicles will flow directly into the newly founded company Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV) of Munich.

The move creates a comprehensive supplier of wheeled tactical vehicles, capable of meeting the needs of the military at home and abroad for protected and unprotected transport, command and multifunctional vehicles. Rheinmetall holds a 51% stake in the company, with the remaining 49% held by MAN Nutzfahrzeuge. By bringing together Rheinmetall’s defence technology prowess with MAN’s longstanding experience in utility vehicles, RMMV makes an important contribution to the consolidation of the German and European market for military utility vehicles.

As a first step, the development and sales activities of both companies in the wheeled tactical vehicle sector will be transferred to RMMV effective 1 May 2010. In a second contractually agreed step, the relevant production facilities of the partner companies will be integrated into the joint venture structure by the end of 2011, though they will remain at their present locations in Kassel, Germany (Rheinmetall) and Vienna, Austria (MAN).

During the first phase, RMMV will have approximately 370 employees; following completion of the second phase, the company’s staff will increase to around 1,300, with projected annual sales in excess of €1 billion.

Rheinmetall
03.05.2010