Rheinmetall Automecanica SRL is the youngest subsidiary of the technology group Rheinmetall. It is the first in Romania. According to its own information, the company is expanding its footprint in Central Europe with the strategic acquisition of the majority shares in the Romanian vehicle supplier Automecanica Mediaș. The new location in Romania is next to those in Hungary and Lithuania, with which the company is already present in NATO's eastern alliance area.
The Düsseldorf-based group will hold 72.5 percent of the shares in the joint venture through Rheinmetall Landsysteme. The rest remains in private hands. Before the contractual agreements can be implemented, official approvals must be granted.
Rheinmetall misst der Neuakquisition mittelfristig ein jährliches Umsatzpotenzial von rund 300 Millionen Euro bei und erwartet bereits im Geschäftsjahr 2024 Auftragseingänge im dreistelligen Millionen Euro-Bereich.
Armin Papperger, Vorstandsvorsitzender von Rheinmetall: „Der Zukauf von Automecanica Mediaș in den Rheinmetall-Verbund ist ein bedeutender Meilenstein für unsere strategische Ausrichtung in Zentraleuropa und wird dazu beitragen, die Verteidigungsfähigkeit von EU und NATO an der Ostflanke weiter zu stärken. Wir freuen uns darauf, den rumänischen Kunden bei zukünftigen Programmen zu unterstützen – sei es im Fahrzeugbereich oder auch mit anderen Technologien aus unserem Hause. Die Einbindung von lokalen Partnern und die Stärkung der heimischen Wirtschaft in Rumänien sind uns dabei zentrale Anliegen. Wir wollen die Erwartungen, die Politik und Militär an uns haben, bestmöglich erfüllen.“
According to Rheinmetall, Automecanica Mediaș is a traditional producer of special vehicles, truck bodies and trailers for both the civil and military sectors. Rheinmetall's collaboration with Automecanica was established in 2022 when both partners agreed to operate a maintenance center for military vehicles in Satu Mare, Romania.
The location in Mediaș, Romania, will play a central role in maintaining the operational readiness of the Western combat systems used in Ukraine and their logistical support, writes Rheinmetall. The Rheinmetall presence on site guarantees the armed forces on NATO's eastern flank shorter reaction times and greater security
With this step, Rheinmetall is expanding its product portfolio in military vehicle construction. Truck bodies and trailers and other special vehicles developed and produced by Automecanica complete the range of logistical trucks with which Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) is successful in global markets. Rheinmetall Automecanica will thus become part of Rheinmetall's global production network. In addition to the repair of combat vehicles, chassis for anti-aircraft guns for the Romanian armed forces will also be serviced here in the future. In December 2023, Rheinmetall received a 328 million euro contract to modernize Romanian anti-aircraft artillery systems.
Editorial staff / gwh
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