AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A German combat vehicle maker is betting big on Michigan.

American Rheinmetall, the U.S. arm of German-based Rheinmetall AG, plans to spend nearly $32 million on a new Auburn Hills headquarters and hire 450 additional workers, consolidating operations from Sterling Heights and Troy.

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The Auburn Hills campus will anchor engineering, prototyping, and technical operations as the company vies for U.S. Department of Defense contracts to build the next generation of fighting vehicles, according to The Detroit News. 

“This new investment in Michigan represents a significant step forward in expanding our advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities across our facilities, while creating high-quality jobs for Michiganders,” CEO Matt Warnick said in a statement.

American Rheinmetall already employs about 100 people at a technology center it opened in Sterling Heights in 2023. The company also plans to expand work at its facilities in Lansing, Lapeer, and Plymouth. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, fresh off a trade mission to Rheinmetall’s facilities in Germany, hailed the deal as another win for Michigan’s defense sector. 

State officials have not disclosed whether any incentives were part of the deal.