Rhenus invests in Flanders to manufacture for John Deere
Part of the German Rhenus Group, Rhenus Automotive will begin assembling agricultural vehicles from the American company John Deere in the town of Genk, Flanders. After significant investments in the production lines and infrastructure, the local site will mainly be used to manufacture tractors, ride-on mowers and off-road vehicles.
Several thousand vehicles a year
Production will take place in the halls of SML, which was previously a supplier to the former Ford plant in Genk, Flanders. Rhenus Automotive acquired the plant in 2016. The assembly lines and infrastructure will undergo significant investment in the coming months, with production starting in November 2023. Some vehicles will require only limited final assembly, while others will require almost complete assembly.
Most of the assembly parts will be transported via the nearby canal – with thousands of containers a year coming in from suppliers worldwide. Each year, several thousand vehicles will be assembled and shipped to the rest of Europe and North Africa.
Dozens of jobs in the making
The former Ford Genk plant was one of the most prominent employers in Limburg, Flanders’ easternmost province, until its closure in December 2014. Now, the John Deere contract with Rhenus Automotive will result in the creation of dozens of jobs in Genk. It is the company’s most significant contract to date.
Reported by
Belga News Agency website
