Continental AG plans to expand its Heifi, China, tire plant after signing a long-term option to purchase additional real estate.
“In line with our long-term growth strategy, Vision 2025, we have been very systematic in expanding production capacities at our Hefei plant in China,” said Burkhardt Koeller, chairman of the management board of Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH.
“This purchase option for additional plots of land puts us in a position to almost double the amount of space available to us, which brings us in valuable long-term latitude in our planning,” he added. “On this basis, we can now consider some very different scenarios and then act in accordance with actual market developments and the way our sales develop in the various product segments.”
Originally opened in 2011, Conti has expanded its passenger car and light truck tire production on the existing land to 5 million units annually. With an investment of €250 million, the tiremaker plans to initiate expansion phases to bring annual production to as high as 14 million units, the tiremaker said. Additionally, Conti plans to expand its annual bicycle tire production to 13 million units by 2024.
A Chinese delegation of 11 high-ranking representatives of various committees and authorities met the tiremaker in Hanover, Germany to sign the agreement. To date, Conti has invested a total of €500 million into the Hefei plant.
