Conti Adopts EMEA Name for Regional Distribution Network

Continental has adopted the now commonplace acronym ‘EMEA’ – Europe, Middle East and Africa – as the name of business formerly known as Car Tyre Aftermarket Sector Europe and Africa. This change of name is said to have taken place an organisational response to the company’s enlargement of its aftermarket importer and dealer network in the Middle East and Africa regions.

“Our business division now carries an internationally recognised designation for the respective regions, which clearly reflects our growth targets in these markets. It is also designed to convey more readily the objectives of our aftermarket activities to our customers in the Middle East in particular” explained Nikolai Setzer, who is head of the EMEA business unit and also responsible for the entire car tyre division on Continental’s Executive Board.

Dr. Hartmut Wöhler remains head of marketing and sales activities within the renamed EMEA Car Tyre Aftermarket Sector and continues to report directly to Setzer. In the redesignated EMEA Commercial Vehicle Tyre Sector, the head of Marketing and Distribution, Herbert Mensching, will continue to report to Executive Board member Dr. Hans-Joachim Nikolin, who is responsible for the entire commercial vehicle tyre division.

Continental had already expanded its tyre sales activities in the Middle East in recent years, including through the purchase of the Oltas SPA tyre retail chain in Turkey in 2008 and sales car and truck tyre sales partnerships forged in 2009 with United Emirates for Tyres in the UAE and Almutlak Trade & Industries in Saudi Arabia. Continental is represented in Africa through both a car and a truck tyre factory in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as well as through subsidiaries and distribution partnerships, particularly in the southern African countries.