Continental is boosting the production capacity of its tire plant in Rayong, Thailand, by additional 3 million units per year. The gradual expansion plan of the operations stands for a planned total investment of more than 300 million euros (13 billion Thai Baht). The Board of Investment of Thailand is supporting the project under its Investment Stimulation Measure for Economic Recovery Scheme, thus supporting Continental’s ongoing growth in Thailand and the APAC region. This expansion will create approx. 600 additional jobs in the upcoming years. With more than 900 employees already working in its Rayong tire plant, the company is reinforcing its commitment to the Thai market and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Our latest capacity expansion in Rayong reflects our strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region, one of Continental Tires’ strategic growth markets. With our increased production capacity, we will meet the demands of our customers even better, locally in Thailand, and regionally in the Asia-Pacific markets,” says Dalibor Kalina, Head of Continentals Business Area Replacement Tires in the Asia-Pacific region.
“At Rayong, we take great pride in being a very versatile and reliable part of Continental’s global tire production network. We supply the vehicle manufacturers and the replacement tire sector with both passenger, light truck tires and motorcycle tires. Our latest expansion is a significant milestone in addition to this year’s anniversaries of 15 years of tire business in Thailand and five years of tire production in Rayong,” says Vignesh Devasenapathy, Plant Manager of the Continental tire plant in Rayong. He adds: “I want to thank my entire team for their passion and dedication in delivering our commitments to our customers, which is the basis for our success here at Rayong.”
At its Rayong plant, Continental produces premium tires, like the MaxContact MC7, and other tire lines that also meet the specific requirements of electric vehicles. In 2023, Continental equipped all the top five highest-volume manufacturers of electric vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region with original equipment tires. In addition, Rayong is one of the biggest Continental motorcycle production facilities worldwide.
Moreover, the plant meets highest energy efficiency standards. Its machinery is equipped with latest production technologies, while logistics and handling processes are highly automated. With a photovoltaic capacity of 6.7 megawatts peak, 13 percent of the annual electricity necessary in tire production can be covered by renewable energy sources.
Continental is consistently investing in the sustainability, digitalization and automation of its global production in its 20 tire plants in 16 countries worldwide. The focus is on the research and development of new innovative technologies, alternative materials and environmentally friendly production processes, as well as on the continuous improvement of the overall efficiency of logistics processes.
SOURCE: Continental
