Continental celebrated a major milestone for its new tire plant near Clinton, Mississippi, with a grand opening event recently. The celebration marked the completion of the construction process, which began in 2016. Approximately 300 guests, including state and local officials, community members, customers and supplier joined 250 Continental employees for the event.
The new plant is located on a 1,000-acre greenfield site in Hinds County, approximately two miles from Clinton and 20 miles from Jackson. Continental has committed nearly $1.4 billion and expects to employ 2,500 people when the plant reaches full capacity in the next decade.
“Mississippi welcomes Continental to our great state and looks forward to many years of job creation and synergy with the company,” said Governor Phil Bryant. “This advanced facility helps position our state and our people as champions of manufacturing excellence.”
Christian Koetz, member of Continental’s executive board and head of the Tire Division, added, “The completion of our new tire plant signifies a major step in our global long-term growth strategy for Continental Tires, called Vision 2025. Mississippi is a critical part of this strategy, providing the best options for us to grow the tire business in the Americas region. We plan to grow here together with our amazing team in Clinton and we appreciate the strong support we have received from all involved.”
The plant will produce large truck and bus tires for the U.S. market. Production is set to begin in 2020.
Continental is a manufacturer of premium tires, including commercial vehicle tires and has seen customer demand in the segment growing globally in the past decade, both in new truck and bus tires, as well as tire retreads. This growth led the company to establish further production capacity in the U.S. with its new Clinton, Mississippi, plant.
“Continental’s grand opening is an exciting moment for us. It has been delightful to witness this site transform into a place for business and job opportunities in Hinds County,” said Peggy Hobson Calhoun, president, Hinds County Board of Supervisors, Supervisor, District 3. “Our citizens are ready to work and plan to do so for many years to come.”
“This is Continental’s first new plant dedicated to truck tires in the world,” said Paul Williams, executive vice president, Commercial Vehicle Tires, the Americas. “We have seen tremendous growth in this area of our business and the addition of this production facility will help us continue to satisfy customer orders. The state of Mississippi, Hinds County and the City of Clinton have been outstanding partners to help us create this facility, which will provide excellent jobs for the years and decades to come.”
