Continental Tire's Mt. Vernon Plant Celebrates Production Milestone

MT. VERNON, IL--Oct. 27, 2011: Employees at the Continental Tire plant in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, had reason to celebrate last week as the first tires from the recently announced expansion project were produced ahead of schedule.

"I am very proud of our great team here in Mt. Vernon," said vice president of manufacturing Benny Harmse.  "Our team worked diligently to ensure the success of this expansion project and it was not only on time, but actually ahead of schedule.  Their diligence resulted in the early production of the first tires from this expansion.  This is helping us with the important task of meeting our customers' demands for Continental and General brand tires."

The $224 million investment required for this expansion was announced on May 12, 2011 and construction began immediately. In just five and one-half months, the 438,000 square foot expansion was ready and the first tires were produced. Along with the investment, the company announced a total of 444 new full-time jobs to be filled within the next three years. A total of 50 new employees have been hired since the May announcement. When the expansion project reaches the planned full capacity in 2014, an additional volume of around 3.7 million tires will be produced, bringing the total production capacity of the Mt. Vernon plant to more than 13.4 million PLT tires and 3.15 million CVT tires per year. The investment is part of Continental's comprehensive growth strategy for its tire operations worldwide.

Additionally, on October 20, 2011, Continental Tire the Americas was recognized by the Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission as the "Business of the Year" in recognition of the Mt. Vernon plant's contribution to the southern Illinois regional economic growth.

"This year the Commission chose to award Continental Tire their second Business/Industry Award for their continued commitment to southern Illinois," said Cary Minnis, Executive Director of the Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission. "This year, as in the past, Continental Tire has made investments, which will result in employment for hundreds of southern Illinoisans. This award is a symbol of the region's deep appreciation for their continued commitment to southern Illinois."

The Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission was established in 1961 and serves to help guide growth and development in the Franklin, Jackson, Perry, Williamson and Jefferson County region.

With sales of EUR 26 billion in 2010, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 160,000 employees in 45 countries.