NEW YORK: Mercedes-Benz announced a partnership with AM General in Mishawaka, Ind., to manufacture the company’s R-Class luxury vehicle.
The deal was the result of a need to free up production space in Mercedes-Benz’s Tuscaloosa, Ala., plant.
The company anticipates production to begin this summer and will hire and train hundreds of new workers in preparation.
“AM General is pleased to have been selected by Mercedes-Benz to build this vehicle at our world-class commercial vehicle facility in Mishawaka,” said Charlie Hall, President and CEO of AM General, in a press release. “We look forward to a long-term relationship with Mercedes.”
The R-class is a multipurpose vehicle that was first offered in 2006, according to the company’s website.
The Tuscaloosa plant needs greater production capacity to fulfill increasing demand for SUVs, according to the release.
AM General is perhaps best known for their production of the military HMMWV, better known as the Humvee.
“This is yet another example of AM General’s deep and growing commitment to the cities of Mishawaka and South Bend, the State of Indiana and our highly skilled, hardworking employees,” Hall said in the release.
This will be Mercedes-Benz’s first and only contract with an operating manufacturer in the United States.
