AUMOVIO has completed the sale of its Rheinböllen, Germany plant — which produces brake calipers and electric parking brakes — to RHB-Industries, a new entity formed by transformation consultancy Falkensteg, transferring roughly 320 employees and all site operations to the new owner. The closing finalizes an agreement the two companies first reached on April 29, 2026, transferring production, research and development, and every business activity at the site to RHB-Industries. AUMOVIO, which separated from Continental’s former Automotive group sector in September 2025, called the completion another step in consolidating its global manufacturing footprint and sharpening its focus on core business. A collective bargaining agreement covering the transfer of employment conditions was reached early in the process with the site’s social partners, easing the transition for the roughly 320-person workforce.
Highlights
- Roughly 320 employees transferred to RHB-Industries under an early-stage collective bargaining agreement covering employment conditions
- RHB-Industries, formed specifically by Falkensteg, takes over production, R&D, and all business activities at the Rheinböllen site
- The plant produces brake calipers and electric parking brakes; RHB-Industries plans to add contract manufacturing in brakes to support ongoing series production programs
- New ownership is exploring diversification into defense applications, robotics contract manufacturing, and industrial uses such as large heat pumps
Deal Closes on Original April Agreement
The transaction closing this week builds on the initial sale agreement AUMOVIO and Falkensteg announced in April, which laid out RHB-Industries’s two-track strategy for the site: near-term contract manufacturing in the brake segment and longer-term diversification into new industrial customers. With the sale now complete, that plan moves into execution, with the Rheinböllen workforce shifting to RHB-Industries alongside the plant’s existing production, research, and development functions.
“The successful completion of the transaction is another important step in implementing our strategy. We are strengthening our core business and focusing our research and development activities as well as investments specifically on future technologies. At the same time, the completion underlines our progress in consolidating our global manufacturing footprint. The new ownership structure ensures continuity for employees, customers and partners,” said Philipp von Hirschheydt, CEO of AUMOVIO.
The closing extends a broader reduction of AUMOVIO’s European manufacturing footprint that also included the recent sale of its Mechelen, Belgium electronic brake systems plant to Dumarey Group, part of the same strategic push to concentrate resources on core technologies.
New Owner’s Plans for the Site
RHB-Industries intends to introduce contract manufacturing in the brake segment at Rheinböllen to support ongoing series production programs already underway at the plant. Beyond that near-term step, the company has committed to developing longer-term business lines intended to sustain production and employment at the site, including opening it to new markets in defense, brake-related applications, robotics contract manufacturing, and industrial applications such as large heat pumps.
“We look forward to further developing the Rheinböllen site together with the employees and positioning it for long-term success. Over the past few weeks, we have already been in close exchange with those responsible on site and have made initial preparations for all upcoming steps,” said Alexander Dietel, managing director of RHB-Industries and partner at Falkensteg.
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