Hannover-based Continental AG is a leading automotive supplier and – according to the company – is “the choice of leading car manufacturers, offering award-winning tyres that deliver responsive braking in all weather conditions.”
A Continental tyre factory in Hannover, Germany was evacuated yesterday as part of a planned action to defuse and remove a number unexploded bombs dating from the Second World War. The plant, adjacent to the company’s current headquarters, was closed along with hospitals and nursing homes in the area. Some 50,000 local residents were required to leave their homes.
A comparative test conducted by Swedish magazine Vi Bilägare (issue 5/2017) has resulted in another win for the new Continental PremiumContact 6, the tyre recently named victor in the Auto Bild test of 51 summer tyres. This time it was a SUV size that delivered Continental the goods; the Vi Bilägare testers fitted five brands of size 235/50 R18 to a VW Tiguan 2.0 TSI for evaluation. Testing was conducted last December Continental proving ground in Uvalde, USA.
Bandvulc managing director Patrick O’Connell, who started in the family tyre retreading business by working on the factory floor in his school holidays, stepped down as MD of the Bandvulc group of companies on 1 May 2017. According to the company, he will now “spend more time on other projects within Continental”, Bandvulc’s owner since the tyre giant purchased the retreader and fleet business last July.
Continental intends for its new corporate headquarters building in Germany to be finished in time for the company’s 150th anniversary in 2021, and while the tyre and automotive technology company hasn’t yet decided upon a design for the facility, it has at least narrowed the options down to three. Yesterday, Continental awarded prizes to three of the 13 submitted designs. A judging panel made up of representatives from Continental, the city of Hannover and its council, and other experts awarded the three designs first prize with equal ranking.
Guy Frobisher is taking on a central role at Continental AG’s headquarters in Germany as head of marketing communication for the PLT Replacement EMEA business unit, and the UK-based position he leaves is being filled by Tracey Mortimer. Mortimer, who has been with Continental for 14 years, begins in her new job as passenger marketing director on 1 May.
Although Continental AG won’t publish its full first quarter business figures until 9 May, key data for the three months to 31 March 2017 were released during the company’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting today. Sales amounted to €11 billion during the quarter, a 11.7 per cent increase year-on-year. Organic growth, adjusted for changes in the scope of consolidation and exchange rates, amounted to 9.5 per cent, to which the Automotive Group’s business made a considerable contribution. The adjusted operating result (adjusted EBIT) increased to around €1.2 billion, while the adjusted EBIT margin was 10.7 per cent.
The Commercial Vehicle Show 2017 opens this morning, and Continental says it is showing its Conti Hybrid range there, as well as products from its Semperit and Barum brands.
Nicole Göttlicher is Continental’s new press spokeswoman for Human Resources and Careers. She joined the Continental Corporate Press Office earlier this month and succeeds Gesa Krüger, who now works for the company in internal communications.
During the Continental AG press conference at the Auto Shanghai show in China, chief executive officer Dr Elmar Degenhart confirmed that the company intends to continue investing in China “at a comparable level” to recent years. Continental has invested €1.3 billion in the country over the past half a decade. Degenhart also commented that Continental anticipates its sales will grow at a faster rate than the market in China, particularly in the field of mobility services.
In order to increase its activities in the new mobility services market, Continental has signed a strategic joint venture contract with China Unicom Smart Connection (CUSC), an end-to-end service and operations provider for the connected car market and fully owned subsidiary of mobile network operator China Unicom. The contract was signed on 19 April and creates a joint venture that, in Continental’s words, “aims to establish and operate as a world class ITS solution provider to satisfy the increasing market demands in China.”
It’s now 20 years since the ‘Vision Zero’ concept started to gain traction around the world, and Continental is seeking to raise awareness of and interest in the road safety project amongst tyre and car dealers, the media and motorists. It will do this in its home market of Germany through a new cooperative agreement with motoring organisation ADAC.
A change of leadership will occur within Continental’s business in China in June. On the first of the month, Enno Tang will become president of the Continental organisation for China. The current head of the Chassis & Safety division, China, and the Vehicle Dynamics business unit, China replaces Dr Ralf Cramer, who will conclude his contract as planned by mid-August 2017 and pursue new career opportunities outside of Continental. In his new role, Tang will report to the chairman of Continental AG’s Executive Board, Dr Elmar Degenhart.
The 2017 summer tyre test season is over and the winners and losers have been determined. While the winter tyre tests last autumn were dominated by a handful of premium manufacturers, most notably Continental, during the current test season the products from many more tyre makers gave convincing results. Falken, Fulda, Toyo and Vredestein are […]
A new research and development centre that Continental opened in Silicon Valley yesterday will focus on future mobility solutions such as automated driving, electromobility, connectivity and mobility services. The 6,000-square metre facility in San José, California offers a working environment for up to 300 experts from all parts of the company.
Continental is to realise a substantial increase in production capacity at its tyre plant in Lousado, Portugal. The company’s Tire division intends to invest a total of some €150 million by the end of 2018. The aim is not only to further expand annual passenger car tyre production capacity from its current level of approximately 18 million units, but also to set up a production facility for agricultural tyres in Lousado. At present, production at the site mainly focuses on standard car van and light commercial vehicle tyres.
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