Conti’s Koeller, Kerle become ‘citizens’ of Hefei
Say Ni Hao to two of Hefei’s newest ‘honourary citizens’. At a recent ceremony in the capital of China’s Anhui Province, Mr. Burkhardt Koeller, Continental Tire division’s executive vice-president Finance and Controlling, and Dr. Tobias Kerle, general manager of the company’s Hefei tyre plant, were awarded Hefei City ‘honourary citizenship.’ This distinction, says Continental, is an official award acknowledging the Continental Tire division’s contribution and long-term commitment to Hefei city’s economic development. Mr. Wu Cunrong, secretary of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee, presented the award to Koeller and Kerle.
Set up by the Hefei Government in 2002, Honourary Citizenship is a recognition reserved for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Hefei’s social and economic development. “I am honoured and take this award as recognition of Continental’s intensified efforts in contributing to the development of Hefei,” said Burkhardt Koeller upon receiving the award. “This award represents for me and all employees in Hefei a further motivation and responsibility to further cooperate closely with the Hefei Government and to continue our long-term commitment to the development of the city, which is one of the key locations of Continental’s Tire division in China.”
“The four years of my career in Hefei might only be a split second in the history of the city, but this has been enough to make a great difference in my professional, as well as private life”, said Dr. Tobias Kerle expressing his thanks to the Hefei Government upon receiving the award. “This recognition will be a new drive for me and Continental to continue working side by side with the authorities and inhabitants of Hefei for a successful future of this great city,” added Kerle.
Koeller and Kerle have aided Continental in expanding its tyre network in China through the opening of the company’s first Greenfield tyre plant, in Hefei, in 2011. A second phase of expansion work recently began at the factory and involves a 134 million euro investment; the project will add an extra four million tyres to the plant’s annual capacity. To date around 300 million euros have been invested in the passenger car and light truck tyre factory, which employees 750 workers and serves both the domestic and Asian export markets. In July, the plant received an Environmental Protection Fund award from China’s government for its environmental management efforts.
Related news:
Comments