How Hummer maker, Mercedes came together - Automotive News (subscription) (blog)
Headquarters: South Bend, Ind. Founded: AM General traces its history to 1903 with Standard Wheel Co. of Terre Haute, Ind. commercial and military manufacturing in Mishawaka, Ind. 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 Mercedes-Benz's contract manufacturing deal with AM General. • Trains AM General workers in Mercedes manufacturing techniques. • 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. -- 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. But sometime this summer, AM General will hoist the three-pointed Mercedes-Benz star logo on the wall at its spotless 675,000-square-foot Commercial Assembly. Source: www.autonews.com
