South African manufacturer GRW has taken over the Van Hool Industrial Vehicles business unit permanently. The board of four curators made this announcement on Wednesday evening. GRW plans to be fully operational in Koningshooikt by the beginning of June, with up to 350 employees. The acquisition agreement with GRW was finalized on April 10, and a definitive agreement has been ratified by both parties.
The joint trade union front played a significant role in helping with administrative obligations for the 2,500 former employees during the entire process. GRW plans to restart production on April 29 in three phases, with the goal of being fully operational by early June. Discussions with VDL Groep regarding the takeover of the bus and coach activities are ongoing and expected to conclude soon.
GRW produces 1,200 tankers annually with 630 employees, while Schmitz Cargobull produces approximately 60,000 vehicles annually with over 6,000 employees. Sales for Schmitz Cargobull were approximately 2.6 billion euros in the 2022/23 financial year.