Continental Opens 100th Dealership in China

Continental Tire opened its 100th dealership in China in mid-December. According to a company statement, Conti plans to have a total of 300 dealerships across China by the end of 2008. “The hundredth store in China is a milestone for our long-term development in China,” said Klaus Kreipe, chief of Continental Tire China operation at the opening ceremony of the new store in Shanghai.

The news follows Continental’s decision to invest three-digit millions of euros in its first production plant in China. The new production line will be based in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui province. The new plant is set to start construction in mid-2008 and will output 4 million tyres, primarily for China’s domestic market when it is finished.

In October 2007 Continental AG set up a storage and logistics centre in Shanghai. The new centre has a capacity to stockpile 80,000 tyres, and could distribute as many as 400,000 tyres annually. Continental AG established its Asian headquarters in Shanghai in January 2006.