Continental forms new ‘Specialty Tires’ business unit 

Continental has announced the reorganisation of various global specialist tyre activities into a single ‘Specialty Tyres’ business unit. Formed on 1 July, the company has combined its ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’, ‘Two Wheel Tires’ and ‘Hoosier Racing Tire’ business areas under the new umbrella unit. The result of the reorganisation means the entire Continental speciality tyre business will be developed, manufactured and distributed worldwide under the new unit. It brings together tyres for material handling, the agricultural, port, and construction sectors, bicycle and motorcycle tyres, and tyres for racing. The move continues the evolution of various specialist tyre segments within the company, begun at the start of 2013, when Conti renamed its industrial tyres business ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’.

Wolfgang Thomale, who has also been heading the Commercial Specialty Tires business unit since 1 July, is responsible for the new business unit. He oversees the ‘Two-Wheel Tires’ area led by Thomas Falke, and ‘Racing’ under Joerg Burfien.

In the new role, Thomale reports directly to Christian Kötz, head of the ‘Tires’ business area and member of the Executive Board of Continental AG. “With the new business unit, we are following the path we embarked on to consistently align all activities in the ‘Tires’ business area with the customer,” says Kötz. “We are combining niche segments with highly-specialised requirements on the part of customers in order to develop solutions and services even more quickly and flexibly and to gradually expand our product range in the interests of our customers.”

Thomale has been working at Continental for almost 30 years. He has held various positions in this time, most recently as head of PLT channel management retail & region Central Europe.