Through the acquisition of Oakley Industries Subassembly Division, Rhenus Automotive expands its North American network with eight specialized sites and approximately 300 employees.
The transaction enhances the company’s service portfolio with Oakley’s expertise in highly automated tire and wheel assembly for four OEM customers.
Existing Managing Directors Slater Hawes and Matt Sortor will remain in the leadership of Oakley Industries and continue to oversee the tire and wheel operations, ensuring operational continuity following the acquisition.
Rhenus Automotive, a global provider of end‑to‑end logistics solutions for the automotive industry and part of the Rhenus Group, has successfully completed the acquisition of Oakley Industries Subassembly Division, strengthening both its service portfolio and its presence in the North American market. The purchase agreement was signed last week in Detroit.
Strengthening value creation
Headquartered in Flint, Michigan, Oakley Industries will complement the existing Rhenus Automotive network with eight sites across the United States and Canada, located in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Ontario. The company has long-standing expertise in industrial and wheel assembly. “The acquisition of Oakley Industries is a targeted strategic step that expands our value creation capabilities and reinforces our position as a premium assembly and logistics partner to the automotive industry,” says Dr. Marcus Ewig, CEO of Rhenus Automotive and Member of the Rhenus Group Board.
Founded in 1984, Oakley Industries specializes in the assembly of tires and wheels as well as the just-in-time and just-in-sequence delivery of complete wheel sets for automotive manufacturers. The company serves four OEM customers and supports more than ten projects using highly automated processes and robust JIT and JIS concepts. With the integration of approximately 300 employees, Rhenus Automotive further expands its service offering and strengthens its operational capabilities in North America.
Targeted expansion of the service portfolio
“Oakley Industries is an ideal addition to our service portfolio. The acquisition enables us to further expand our integrated one-stop-shop solutions across logistics and modular assembly services, now also including specialized tire and wheel assembly,” explains Thomas Bernhardt, COO of Rhenus Automotive.
By integrating Oakley’s assembly and sequencing services, Rhenus Automotive expands its capabilities within automotive production and offers OEM customers additional opportunities to outsource complex production steps. The acquisition supports the long-term expansion of its customer base.
Ensuring continuity in management
The current Managing Directors of Oakley Industries, Slater Hawes and Matt Sortor, will continue in their operational leadership roles. They ensure continuity in day-to-day operations, support knowledge transfer, and foster close collaboration throughout the integration into the structures of Rhenus Automotive. “Rhenus Automotive is a global organization recognized for its growth mindset and commitment to service excellence. Joining Rhenus opens new opportunities, and we look forward to contributing our expertise to drive our shared success,” says Matt Sortor.
