A Muskegon factory that has built military vehicle parts for more than a century just locked in a $691 million contract with the U.S. Army. The deal keeps the city's manufacturing base firmly in the nation's defense supply chain.

RENK America announced on June 26 that it received a five-year production contract from the Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal. The contract covers manufacturing of HMPT 800 transmissions for medium tracked military vehicles.

The Numbers Behind the Deal

The contract carries a potential maximum value of $691,258,891 over five years, according to public procurement records. The estimated completion date is December 31, 2030, Hoodline reported.

This is the fourth multi-year award in a series of contracts between RENK America and the Army, according to MLive. The company has delivered more than 4,500 transmissions since the partnership began, dbusiness.com reported.

What the Transmissions Power

The HMPT 800 transmission is rated at roughly 800 horsepower and supports vehicles weighing up to about 45 metric tons, according to RENK's product specifications reported by Hoodline. The transmission powers key Army platforms including:

  • The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which has used RENK transmissions for decades
  • The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), the Army's newest tracked vehicle platform

"Readiness begins with a resilient and responsive industrial base," Corey Johnson, CEO of RENK America, said in a statement. "This award reflects the trust placed in our team and our proven ability to deliver the HMPT transmissions and support our customers need to sustain the fleet."

A Muskegon Manufacturing Legacy

RENK America operates out of its headquarters at 76 S. Getty St. in Muskegon. The site was formerly known as Continental Motors and has deep roots in American military manufacturing, according to MLive.

The factory produced aircraft components during World War II. Carol Anderson, who worked at Continental Motors 80 years ago building Merlin engines for the P-51 Mustang fighter plane, returned to the factory in 2024 at the age of 99 for a celebration of her contributions to Muskegon's manufacturing legacy, MLive reported.

The company marked the build of its 4,000th HMPT 800 transmission in October 2025, highlighting the Muskegon plant's role in sustaining the Army's fleet, according to Hoodline.

Why This Matters for Muskegon

RENK America is a subsidiary of RENK Group AG, based in Augsburg, Germany. The parent company generated revenue of approximately EUR 1.4 billion ($1.59 billion) in fiscal year 2025, according to dbusiness.com.

The Muskegon plant employs a workforce numbering in the hundreds, according to Hoodline. The contract secures production work at the facility through 2030, providing stability for those jobs during a period when the Army is still years away from fielding next-generation tracked vehicles to replace the Bradley.

Public procurement records show the Army used a sole-source justification for the award, underscoring how few domestic suppliers can build these specialized heavy tracked-vehicle transmissions, Hoodline reported.