Rheinmetall set to replace car components with weapons in operations involving Continental staff.
Plans are in place for two companies, Continental and Rheinmetall, with regards to employees at Continental's site in Gifhorn, Lower Saxony. Continental plans to shut down the location by the end of 2027. Approximately 100 employees could potentially land jobs at Rheinmetall's Werk in Unterlüß, which is 55 kilometers away. Rheinmetall is currently investing 300 million Euros in establishing a new artillery factory at the site.
Continental and Rheinmetall are organizing events at other German locations so that employees can learn about career opportunities at Rheinmetall. Continental believes that the talents of its employees would be valuable assets to Rheinmetall, stated Rheinmetall HR chief Peter Sebastian Krause.
Last year, Continental announced a major cost-cutting initiative and job reductions in the thousands. At the Gifhorn site, there is a deal with domestic appliance manufacturer Stiebel Eltron. The company is taking over the facility and will be absorbing a percentage of the workforce, per an agreement. The same goes for Siemens Mobility. "The drastic transformations happening across all industries necessitate a collaborative approach," explained Continental HR chief Ariane Reinhart.
Meanwhile, Rheinmetall has experienced a surge in revenue thanks to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The company joined the DAX last year. This year, an additional 40% increase in sales is projected - which also means a significant increase in hiring needs. "Not many companies in Germany are growing as quickly as Rheinmetall," said HR chief Krause. They are also looking to partner with other companies, like Continental, to further enhance their growth.
Read also:
- The potential job opportunities for some Continental employees at Gifhorn could be at Rheinmetall's armaments group in Unterlüß, considering the closure of Continental's site by 2027.
- Despite Continental's closure of its car part manufacturing site in Gifhorn, Rheinmetall, which is expanding its artillery factory with a 300 million Euro investment, sees value in the skills of Continental's employees.
- The relocation of Continental employees to Rheinmetall's Unterlüß site for potential employment in car part or weapons manufacturing is a possibility, given the close proximity of 55 kilometers.
- Following the success of Rheinmetall in the weapons industry, with major revenue growth due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and promotion to the DAX, a potential partnership to leverage Combined Continental car part and Rheinmetall weapons manufacturing capabilities is being considered.
