To oversee the creation and operation of the new construction facility, Albert Speer, Himmler and Karl Saur agreed on the foundation of "" (the name referring to the works' location in "Mitteldeutschland"). Its board consisted of Hans Kammler, who was head of "Amtsgruppe C" at the "SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt" (WVHA) and two of Speer's armaments managers, and , the former seconded from Commerzbank. To actually run the plant, , who had earlier been in charge of producing the "Tiger I" tank at Henschel, was appointed. Operational security for the project was overseen by "SS-Oberstürmbannfuhrer" Helmut Bischoff, a former Gestapo official and a member of Kammler's staff. The initial contract for Mittelwerk was for 12,000 rockets, valued at 750 million Reichsmark for a standard price per unit, once production reached 5,000 units, of 50,000 Reichsmark per rocket.