How Hummer maker, Mercedes came together

NoneAM General at a glanceHeadquarters: South Bend, Ind. Founded: AM General traces its history to 1903 with Standard Wheel Co. of Terre Haute, Ind., which later became Willys Overland Motors. Employees: About 1,500, including headquarters office; commercial and military manufacturing in Mishawaka, Ind.; engineering in Livonia, Mich. Owned by: MacAndrews & Forbes Inc. (New York-based management company owned by billionaire philanthropist-investor Ronald Perelman) Vehicles: Commercial — MV-1 wheelchair van; Mercedes-Benz R-class production begins late summer. Military — variations on the Humvee military vehicle. Company is bidding on a contract to build an antiterrorist vehicle called the Blast Resistant Vehicle-Offroad (BRV-O). Workers: Hourly workers organized by UAW Local 5, South Bend Subsidiaries: Mobility Ventures (builds and sells MV-1), General Engine Products, General Transmission Products How it worksMercedes-Benz's contract manufacturing deal with AM General Mercedes-Benz • Keeps supplier network in place. Body stampings still will be done by 2 suppliers in Alabama and shipped to Indiana. • Manages logistics and supply chain. • Moves R-class production tooling from Vance, Ala., to Mishawaka, Ind. • Trains AM General workers in Mercedes manufacturing techniques. • Ships finished vehicles to China. AM General • Assembles R-class wagons on lean manufacturing line in Mishawaka, alongside Mobility Ventures MV-1 wheelchair-accessible vans. • Paints R-class bodies in 3-story paint shop. SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- They make an odd couple: a deeply revered German luxury marque and the heartland contract manufacturer that builds the rough-and-ready Humvee military vehicle.

How Hummer maker, Mercedes came together

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