Conti Breaks Ground on New Central America Components Plant

As of late 2008 Continental will begin sourcing engine and transmission control units for customers in the NAFTA region from a new facility in Costa Rica. On October 17 a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new plant, situated near the capital San José. In attendance were Henner Cnyrim, head of electronics plants Continental Division Automotive Systems, Dr. Sami Krimi, future head of the Costa Rican plant and Mayoress of Alajuela Joyce Zurcher. A reception was then held by the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sánchez, and Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Arias Sánchez, along with customer representatives.

The US$61.5 million Conti invests in the facility will give them 16,000 square metres of production and office space that will house 350 employees, and the new plant will specifically manufacture control units and transmission systems for passenger cars built in the NAFTA region. By 2011 the company plans to expand the workforce to 550 and to increase the size of the plant.

According to Continental, one factor that helped it decide upon Costa Rica as the location for the new plant was the high standard of education among the local population, an essential ingredient for finding both skilled production staff and highly-trained process and quality engineers. Maintaining a minimal distance between its own and its customers’ manufacturing sites was another priority.

“By siting the new plant in Costa Rica we are meeting the wishes of our customers in the automotive industry for greater proximity,” said Dieter Rogge, head of Business Unit Powertrain & Chassis Continental Automotive Systems. “Continental Automotive Systems is already well-positioned within the NAFTA region with development and production facilities,” he added.

“And as part of the electronics operations strategy, the new plant should enable increased electronics production for the NAFTA region,” stressed Henner Cnyrim. The company has an annual production target of one million control units for the double-clutch transmission (DCT) by 2011. In 2003 Continental Automotive Systems became the first manufacturer in the world to go into series production with these control units that are integrated into the transmission housing.