AM General Will Build Mercedes-Benz Vehicles in U.S.
R-Class luxury vehicles will be produced in the AM General plant in Mishawaka, IN.
Posted: January 29, 2015
AM General LLC (South Bend, IN) and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (Vance, AL), have announced that AM General has been selected to manufacture the Mercedes-Benz R-Class luxury vehicle at their world-class 675,000 sq ft commercial assembly plant in Mishawaka, IN.
Because of increasing demand for its sport utility vehicles and the need for greater production capacity in the U.S., Mercedes-Benz is moving production of the R-Class from its Tuscaloosa, AL, plant to AM General’s facility in Mishawaka.
Under the multi-year agreement, AM General becomes Mercedes-Benz’s first and only contract manufacturing operator in the U.S. AM General anticipates R-Class vehicles will start rolling off its production lines this summer and will hire and train hundreds of new workers in order to prepare for R-class production.
“We are pleased to have been selected by them to build this vehicle at our world-class commercial vehicle facility. We look forward to a long term relationship with Mercedes and expanding our services to the U.S. and global auto industry,” said Charlie Hall, the president and chief executive officer of AM General.
The commercial assembly plant is a full service manufacturing and support facility that utilizes state-of-the-art robotic welding, painting and assembly techniques coupled with a lean manufacturing culture and highly skilled workforce to meet the requirements of its customers.
“This is yet another example of our deep and growing commitment to the cities of Mishawaka and South Bend, the state of Indiana and our highly skilled, hardworking employees,” Hall added.
In this rapidly growing segment of its business, AM General has extensive experience as an automotive contract assembler and original equipment manufacturer. Commercial vehicle contract assembly initiatives include work for General Motors and other OEMs. As an OEM, AM General, through its wholly owned subsidiary Mobility Ventures LLC, designs, produces and supports the new MV-1, the world’s first purpose-built, universally accessible vehicle which is expanding choice in transportation for families, livery and para-transit fleets.
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