S. Shlomo Holdings Ltd
An Israeli family-controlled investment and operating group with businesses spanning mobility, insurance, infrastructure, logistics, real estate, telecommunications and shipbuilding.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
S. Shlomo Holdings Ltd, generally presented publicly as Shlomo Group, is an Israeli family-controlled investment and operating group founded by entrepreneur Shlomo Shmeltzer in 1974. The business began as a car-rental company and developed into a diversified group whose principal activities include vehicle rental, operational and private leasing, vehicle sales, fleet services, roadside assistance, insurance, infrastructure and technology services, real estate, cargo logistics, port operations and shipbuilding. Mobility remains the group's defining business area. Through Shlomo Sixt and related operations, the group serves individual, corporate, public-sector and government customers with rental vehicles, long-term leasing, fleet management, used and new vehicle sales, maintenance, towing and other road services. Its relationship with Sixt gave the group an international rental brand in Israel, while its Romanian operations extended the mobility business beyond the domestic market. The group also entered vehicle electrification through its distribution and franchise activities for BYD, including the supply of electric buses and other electric vehicles. The group's diversification accelerated from the late twentieth century onward. Gold Bond and Conterm brought container storage, terminal and logistics capabilities into the portfolio. The group later acquired control of Afcon, an infrastructure and technology company active in electromechanical systems, automation, communications and construction-related work. Shlomo Real Estate added property acquisition, redevelopment and rental activities, while Shlomo Insurance created a financial-services arm focused on motor and other insurance products. The group also participated in Israel Shipyards, which serves civilian and military maritime markets and operates port and logistics facilities in Haifa Bay. Shlomo Group is structured around a holding-company model rather than a single consumer product. Its businesses therefore operate under several specialist names, including Shlomo Sixt, Shlomo Insurance, Shlomo Real Estate, Afcon, Gold Bond and Israel Shipyards. This structure allows the group to combine recurring service businesses, asset-backed activities and industrial or infrastructure operations. Public descriptions of the group have characterized it as one of Israel's larger investment and holdings groups, although the precise composition, ownership interests and financial scale can change over time. After Shlomo Shmeltzer's death in 2014, leadership passed to his son Asi Shmeltzer, who became chairman, while Atalia Shmeltzer remained associated with ownership of the group. The company has continued to invest in mobility technology, electric transportation and service platforms, including a car-sharing offering and usage-based insurance services. Its public profile consequently combines the heritage of a founder-led vehicle business with the broader identity of a diversified Israeli family enterprise.
History
Shlomo Group traces its origins to 1974, when Shlomo Shmeltzer founded a car-rental company in Israel. The original mobility business provided the platform for later expansion into leasing, fleet management, vehicle sales and related services. In the 1980s, the group became associated with activity on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, although the current holding company should not be treated as identical to every publicly traded subsidiary or historical listed entity. During the 1990s, diversification moved beyond automotive services. Gold Bond and Conterm joined the group in 1990, bringing container storage, terminal operations and cargo-logistics capabilities. In 1991, the group established a logistics center in Petah Tikva. Its participation in the acquisition of Israel Shipyards in 1995 added a major maritime and industrial platform, serving both civilian and military customers and combining shipyard, port and logistics functions. The group entered the 2000s with a broader mobility and infrastructure strategy. It obtained the Israeli operating license for Sixt in 2002 and acquired Afcon in 2003. Afcon expanded the portfolio into infrastructure, electromechanical systems, automation, communications and related technology services. In 2005, Shlomo Romania was created to provide vehicle leasing, rental and sales services, helping the group establish a cross-border presence in a market where it became a significant mobility operator. Real estate and insurance became additional pillars. Shlomo Real Estate was added in 2007 and focused on acquiring, improving, leasing and, where appropriate, selling commercial and hotel properties in Israel and Western Europe. In the same period, the group received an insurance license; Shlomo Insurance began business in 2008. The insurance operation complemented the vehicle businesses by linking fleet, driver and motor-insurance services within the wider group. In 2011, the group received a franchise to import Opel vehicles through Opel Israel and moved its headquarters to the Kyriat Shlomo service and logistics center in Tzrifin. A proposed acquisition of Sonol from the Azrieli Group in 2014 did not close. That year also marked a leadership transition: after the death of founder Shlomo Shmeltzer, his son Asi Shmeltzer became chairman, while Atalia Shmeltzer continued to be identified with ownership of the family group. The group continued to build a public-facing mobility and innovation profile. In 2015 it won a naming-rights sponsorship for the Drive-In Arena, which became Shlomo Group Arena. In 2017 it entered a major electric-mobility initiative through BYD-related vehicle distribution, including electric buses for public transportation. In 2018, the group established the Shlomo Shmeltzer Institute for Smart Transportation at Tel Aviv University in memory of its founder. The group later introduced Shlomo Sixt Share, a car-sharing service, and AppToYou, an insurance-related service designed to use driving distance and driving behavior in policy-related calculations. The group's present identity is therefore that of a diversified holdings house rather than a single-sector car-rental company. Its portfolio combines consumer and business mobility, insurance, infrastructure technology, logistics, real estate and maritime operations. Israel remains its principal market, with international activity particularly associated with Romania and selected European operations. Subsidiary ownership, business scope and market positions are subject to change, so individual operating companies should be evaluated separately from the holding group.
- 2020
Israel Shipyards becomes public
[1]Israel Shipyards became a public company in September.
- 2019
Car-sharing and usage-based insurance initiatives
[1]The group introduced Shlomo Sixt Share and the AppToYou insurance service.
- 2018
Smart transportation institute established
[1]The Shlomo Shmeltzer Institute for Smart Transportation was founded at Tel Aviv University.
- 2017
BYD electric-mobility expansion
[1]The group began distributing BYD electric vehicles and buses in its relevant markets.
- 2015
Shlomo Group Arena sponsorship
[1]The group won naming sponsorship for the Drive-In Arena.
- 2011
Opel import franchise and headquarters relocation
[1]The group began importing Opel vehicles in Israel and moved its headquarters to Kyriat Shlomo in Tzrifin.
- 2008
Insurance business launched
[1]Shlomo Insurance began operations after the group received an insurance license.
- 2007
Real-estate expansion
[1]Shlomo Real Estate was added as a property investment and redevelopment arm.
- 2003
Afcon acquisition
[1]Afcon brought infrastructure, automation, communications and electromechanical systems into the portfolio.
- 2002
Sixt franchise in Israel
[1]The group obtained the license to operate Sixt activities in Israel.
Products and positioning
A diversified Israeli family-owned holdings group anchored in mobility and expanded through infrastructure, logistics, insurance, property and maritime businesses.
Vehicle rental and mobility services · 2002
Shlomo Sixt
Shlomo Sixt is the group's principal branded rental operation in Israel. It provides short-term vehicle rental to individual, corporate and institutional customers and is connected to the wider group's leasing, fleet, maintenance and vehicle-sales capabilities. The business also supports the group's broader mobility strategy through digital and shared-mobility services.
Fleet leasing
Operational leasing
The operational-leasing business supplies vehicles and related fleet services to businesses, public bodies and other institutional customers. Its proposition combines long-term vehicle use with maintenance, servicing and administrative support, making it a recurring-service platform within the group's mobility portfolio.
Car sharing · 2019
Shlomo Sixt Share
Shlomo Sixt Share is a car-sharing service launched as an extension of the group's rental and mobility activities. It is intended to provide access to vehicles for shorter or more flexible periods than conventional long-term leasing, using a shared-use model.
Insurance · 2008
Shlomo Insurance
Shlomo Insurance is the group's insurance arm, established after regulatory licensing in the late 2000s. It is closely associated with motor and vehicle-related insurance and has developed digital services intended to connect premiums or policy features with driving distance and driving behavior.
Electric vehicles · 2017
BYD vehicle distribution
Through its BYD-related franchise and distribution activities, the group entered electric transportation, including electric buses for public transit and plans for additional vehicle categories. The initiative connected Shlomo's established vehicle-distribution infrastructure with BYD's battery-electric product portfolio.
Infrastructure and technology services · 2003
Afcon
Afcon provides infrastructure, electromechanical, control, automation, communications and technology services. It gives the group exposure to complex business-to-business projects rather than consumer mobility alone and has operated in Israel and selected international markets.
Logistics and container terminals · 1990
Gold Bond
Gold Bond's activities include container-terminal services, storage, cargo handling, freight-terminal operations, warehouse leasing and inland logistics. Its Ashdod-area operations support import and export flows and connect maritime cargo with domestic transport and storage.
Shipbuilding and maritime services · 1995
Israel Shipyards
Israel Shipyards operates in civilian and military shipbuilding and provides maritime logistics and port services. Its facilities are located in the Kishon Port area of Haifa Bay, where the company combines shipyard infrastructure with cargo and harbor-related capabilities.
Controversies
2013
Fine over vehicle air-pollution disclosures
Israeli environmental authorities fined several vehicle importers, including a Shlomo Group business, for not publishing required information about vehicle air-pollution levels. The authority's notice reportedly referred to earlier similar enforcement involving the group.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Shlomo Shmeltzer Institute for Smart Transportation
Israel
The group established an institute at Tel Aviv University in memory of its founder, supporting research and discussion around smart transportation.
Outcome. The institute created an academic and public-policy extension of the group's mobility and innovation positioning.
- 2015Shlomo Group Arena naming sponsorship
Israel
The group won a sponsorship tender giving its name to the Drive-In Arena, increasing public visibility for the Shlomo brand beyond its operating businesses.
Outcome. The venue became known as Shlomo Group Arena.
Brand decisions
2019
Launch Shlomo Sixt Share and AppToYouProduct launchBackground
Changing mobility patterns and connected-vehicle data created opportunities for shared mobility and more behavior-sensitive insurance products.
Action taken
The group launched a car-sharing service and an insurance service using driving distance and safety-related driving measurements.
Aftermath
These initiatives broadened the group's mobility proposition from conventional rental and leasing toward digital services.
2017
Enter electric vehicles through BYDProduct launchBackground
The group identified electric transportation as an extension of its vehicle-distribution and fleet expertise.
Action taken
It acquired relevant BYD business activity and began importing or distributing electric vehicles and buses.
Aftermath
The group supplied electric buses for public transportation and expanded its stated electric-mobility ambitions.
2002
Take on Sixt operating franchise in IsraelStrategyBackground
The group sought to strengthen its domestic rental business through an internationally recognized rental brand.
Action taken
It obtained the license to handle Sixt operations in Israel.
Aftermath
Shlomo Sixt became a central part of the group's Israeli mobility offering.
Sources3 sources
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