AUBURN HILLS, MI and CHARLOTTE, NC — Continental AG and its U.S. divisions Continental Automotive Systems and Continental Tire have partnered with the American Red Cross and local relief officials in North Carolina to help welcome evacuees who are being relocated to Charlotte and Western North Carolina. Continental is donating $100,000 to assist evacuees and is making its idle Asheville, NC, plant available to house evacuees. North Carolina is home to three of Continental’s North American manufacturing operations, more than 2,200 employees, and the headquarters of Continental Tire North America.
“Continental is pleased to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina and support local officials here in Charlotte and Asheville in such a direct manner,” said Continental Tire CEO Dr. Allan Hippe. “It is heart-warming to see the great outpouring of help in the midst of this tragedy and Continental is gratified for the opportunity to do its part.”
Continental’s donation of $100,000 will be used to support those evacuees being relocated to the Charlotte Coliseum, not far from Continental Tire offices in Charlotte, or to the Asheville, NC area and housed at Continental’s Asheville plant.
In Asheville, activities are underway to prepare the plant, idle since June, to serve as a temporary shelter for evacuees displaced from the Gulf Region. Continental employees are working with the Asheville Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross to aid in this effort. The building is expected to house approximately 200 evacuees. The American Red Cross will manage the operations at the site.
“We wanted to find a way to help our fellow Americans directly, and the opportunity to use our idle Asheville facility struck us as a very personal way to get involved,” said Bobby Nelon, plant manager for Continental’s operations in the Asheville area. “We are delighted that the Continental Group and its employees in the U.S. are stepping up to the challenge to help in such a direct fashion.”
Preparations for the arrival of evacuees include the addition of showers, bathrooms, bedding, nursery and offices for FEMA and Red Cross. Continental Information Technology professionals have undertaken the task of installing computers and Internet connections for use by evacuees. The facility is ready to house residents immediately, and evacuees will be able to stay up to six months.
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