AUMOVIO has agreed to sell its Rheinböllen, Germany manufacturing site — a producer of brake calipers and electric parking brakes — to RHB-Industries, a subsidiary established by transformation consultancy Falkensteg specifically to acquire the plant. The transaction transfers production, research and development, all business activities, and roughly 320 employees, and is expected to close by mid-2026. Both parties declined to disclose the purchase price.
Highlights
- RHB-Industries, a Falkensteg subsidiary, will acquire the Rheinböllen site, its full asset base, and approximately 320 employees, with closing targeted for mid-2026
- Site produces brake calipers, electric parking brakes, and autonomous mobile robots; AMR business will be split off to a yet-to-be-named strategic investor
- Deal extends AUMOVIO’s European footprint consolidation, following recent divestitures of plants in Mechelen, Belgium and Cairo Montenotte, Italy
- A collective bargaining agreement covering the transition of employment conditions has already been concluded with worker representatives
What the Site Produces
The Rheinböllen plant manufactures brake calipers and electric parking brakes (EPBs) — both core components within AUMOVIO’s Wheel Brake Solutions segment, which sits inside the company’s Safety and Motion business area. The site also develops and produces autonomous mobile robots, an industrial automation product line that is structurally separate from the brake portfolio.
AUMOVIO’s broader caliper portfolio includes its Green Caliper and Green Electric Caliper lines, designed for low residual drag torque and reduced weight to support range gains on electric vehicles. Electric parking brake production at Rheinböllen also feeds AUMOVIO’s global supply commitments, including recent contracts with Chinese EV maker Leapmotor for B-platform vehicles.
Buyer Profile and Post-Sale Plans
RHB-Industries is a vehicle established specifically for the transaction by Falkensteg, an independent German consultancy specializing in corporate finance, restructuring, and special situations. Falkensteg launched a “Shareholding as a Service” practice in mid-2025 under partner Alexander Dietel, offering temporary ownership structures to companies in transformation — a model that maps closely to the Rheinböllen acquisition.
RHB-Industries has outlined a two-track strategy for the site. In the near term, it plans to launch contract manufacturing in the brake segment to support ongoing series production programs. Over a longer horizon, it intends to diversify the plant’s customer base into adjacent industrial markets.
“To ensure the site has reliable future prospects, we must open it up to additional markets within a reasonable timeframe. The experience with safety-critical components and a strong process discipline makes the production site particularly well-suited for applications in the areas of defense, brake-related applications, contract manufacturing robotics, and the process industry (large heat pumps). On this basis, we intend to further develop the existing brake system expertise in a targeted manner,” said Alexander Dietel, Partner at Falkensteg.
The autonomous mobile robot business will follow a separate path. RHB-Industries said it intends to identify a strategic investor to take over the AMR technology, know-how, and a portion of the workforce — meaning the robotics line is unlikely to remain part of the Rheinböllen operation long-term.
Strategic Context for AUMOVIO
The Rheinböllen sale extends a sustained European footprint reduction by AUMOVIO. Earlier this month, the company agreed to sell its Mechelen, Belgium electronic brake systems plant to the Dumarey Group, transferring around 300 employees while retaining the customer contracts. In 2025, AUMOVIO sold its Cairo Montenotte drum brake facility in Italy to Mutares, transferring approximately 400 employees.
AUMOVIO has also disclosed plans to cut up to 4,000 R&D positions globally by the end of 2026, citing weak European production volumes, pricing pressure, and intensifying competition from Chinese suppliers.
“With this sale, we are focusing on business that is competitive in the long term. We are strengthening our core business and making our business operations more efficient,” said Philipp von Hirschheydt, CEO of AUMOVIO.
Von Hirschheydt added that AUMOVIO views RHB-Industries as the right operator to take the site forward: “We are convinced that RHB-Industries, with Falkensteg’s extensive management and transformation expertise in the automotive sector, is the right owner to lead the site into the future. Our shared goal is to ensure continuity for employees, customers, and partners and to provide the Rheinböllen site with a clear path forward.”
Workforce Transition
AUMOVIO and RHB-Industries indicated that worker representatives have been involved in the process from an early stage, and a collective bargaining agreement governing the transition of employment conditions has already been concluded. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
AUMOVIO emerged as an independent company in September 2025, following its spin-off from Continental’s former Automotive group sector. The company reported fiscal 2025 sales of €18.5 billion (approximately $21.0 billion at current exchange rates) and employs around 82,000 people across more than 80 locations worldwide.
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