- Festive inauguration of modern development, production, sales and administrative facility in Changshu
- Location to serve as ContiTech's strategic center in China
- ContiTech products enable Chinese industry to become even more competitive
At a festive ceremony, Hanover, Germanybased ContiTech AG inaugurated its recently completed, stateoftheart development, production, sales and administrative facility in Changshu (Jiangsu Province), 100 kilometers northwest of Shanghai. Mr. Wang Xiang, Party Secretary of Changshu CPC Committee, and Heinz-Gerhard Wente, CEO of ContiTech AG, officiated at the ribboncutting ceremony. The plant opening marks a key milestone for the future of the company in China. In his welcoming remarks, Wente highlighted the importance of the location for customers in China and for ContiTech itself, one of the world's leading specialists for rubber and plastics technology: "Changshu is the new productive heart for our customers in China. We are creating here a forwardlooking strategic center for our longterm operations in Asia. Our roots may be in Germany, but we have long since made ourselves at home here as well and see a key portion of our future viability in China."
Initially, three business units - Air Spring Systems (air suspension systems), Fluid Technology (hoses and hose line systems) and Vibration Control (including acoustic insulation) - are commencing operations here. An almost €40 million investment, the facility will produce mainly for the Chinese and other Asian markets. A further phase of expansion and erection, including a rubber compounding center for the location, are slated for the future.
Longterm and successful engagement for and in China
ContiTech has been active in China already for 30 years. With components and systems - such as hose lines, vibration components, air springs, soft trim, conveyor belts, drive belts and coated fabrics - produced within the country at currently nine modern production plants, ContiTech very successfully services the needs of the automotive industry, machine and plant engineering and construction, mining, the printing industry and rail transportation. The company presently has 1,200 employees in China, with its workforce growing virtually by the day. In the face of a severe global economic crisis, ContiTech was able to up sales in China 34 percent in fiscal 2009. The longrange target is to more than double current sales volume in China by 2014, boosting it from €133 million at present to approximately €300 million.
Unique advantages for Chinese industry
China is viewed as one of ContiTech's key markets in the coming decades. "The country's need for technological innovations and advanced developments matches up perfectly with our more than 130 years of mature production and development knowhow. We offer hightech products made of rubber and plastic that provide our Chinese industrial partners immense effectiveness in developing solutions in the areas of mobility, energy production and efficiency, and environmental protection," notes Wente, underscoring the advantages for Chinese industry.
Hightech jobs with career opportunities
In China ContiTech combines its forwardlooking engineering prowess with the expertise, experiences and qualifications of its Chinese executives and skilled employees. The company makes a point of filling key positions with qualified Chinese applicants. The rubber specialist offers its employees futureproof, hightechoriented professional fields, with a chance to learn from one of the major technology leaders and to pursue international careers.