Continental Invests in Modern Technologies in Mexico for Numerous Industries

• Investment to tune of a middle three digit million Euro sum planned in coming five years
• New R&D center in Querétaro
• Production capacity expanded

Hanover, February 27, 2018. Mexico is one of the key production sites for the automotive industry and supply sector worldwide. Its ideal underlying operating conditions, such as the proximity to the North American market and the availability of skilled labor make the country so attractive for the relevant players. For Continental and the technology company's global strategy, too, Mexico is an important market. In the past five years the company has invested a middle three digit million Euro sum in its Mexican plants. For the coming five years it is planned to invest on a comparable level. Continental develops and manufactures automotive components and tires here plus industrial products, both for the Mexican market and for export to numerous countries – and has been doing this for more than 40 years. The world’s major automakers manufacture in the country, and Continental is there to support them.

Today, the company operates 19 plants, a finance center, a sales office and two R&D centers in the country. The extensive portfolio of products from Mexico ranges from high-quality surface materials for vehicle interiors, brake systems and turbochargers to instrumentation and passive safety solutions right through to control units and chassis control systems for cars, trucks and specialist vehicles.

At its San Luis Potosí site, Continental also manufactures textile conveyor belt systems for mining and other industrial applications, for example for conveying cement, aggregates and copper ore. The textile conveyor belts can be equipped with special covers to give them properties such as particular abrasion and oil resistance. Flame-retardant and antistatic finishes are also possible. Furthermore, special conveyor belts for inclined handling of bulk goods are also manufactured in San Luis Potosí. The plant in Periferico also develops and manufactures not only for the car industry, but also for motorcycles, golf buggies, trucks and other applications – amounting to around six million items annually.

Continental hoses play an important role in the Mexican oil production industry, which is of critical importance to the country’s economy. When drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, they help prevent the escape of oil or gas into the environment in the event of a sudden pressure buildup, and they enable the recovery of crude oil even if the original rig is damaged as a result of a hurricane or other disasters.

The highly flexible White Flexwing, one of the best-selling food-quality hoses worldwide, is indispensable to the Mexican food and cosmetic industries, being used wherever oily and non-oily foodstuffs have to be conveyed.

With a workforce numbering more than 24,000 in Mexico, Continental is an important employer in the country, offering its staff a high degree of flexibility and development opportunities. Thanks to its state-of-the art technology, globally standardized production processes and a comprehensive quality management system, Continental ensures that the company can meet and exceed its customers’ performance and quality specifications.