This makes it the economically most important city in the Heilbronn district. Formerly primarily a winegrowing region, industry developed at a rapid pace from the late 19th century onwards. Motorenwerke NSU, which was the world’s largest two-wheeler producer in the mid-1950s and later turned out legendary vehicles such as the Ro 80, is particularly well known today. The roots of KS Kolbenschmidt GmbH also lie in Neckarsulm: after Karl Schmidt had founded a company in 1910 to manufacture oil-firing systems, he started a few years later with the production of aluminum pistons for the growing automotive industry. In 1997, KS Kolbenschmidt GmbH and Pierburg GmbH from Neuss merged to form Kolbenschmidt Pierburg (now Rheinmetall Automotive). In addition to the holding company and Kolbenschmidt, KS HUAYU AluTech GmbH also has its headquarters in Neckarsulm. Neuenstadt, about 15 kilometers away, is home to MS Motorservice International GmbH.